tominjax

Hello, 1st post

I just bought a Marin Ignacio with a Sturmey Archer 2 speed kickback hub. It is my first road style bike.

I really like the bike, but think I would like to play with the gearing some. They are listed as direct drive and an overdrive of 138%. It is advertised as coming with a 44t/17t gear ratio, but mine came out of the box with a 44t/24t.

I area of Florida I live is very flat. I am not really using the overdrive gear except for easier starts, but have to shift almost immediately. I am also wanting a easier / faster cruising gear.

What do you guys recommend? Would correcting the rear sprocket to a 17t give me more of what I want? What would happen if I changed the front to something like a 50t?

Thanks for any help

Dan Burkhart 

Swapping the rear cog is far simpler and cheaper than changing the chain ring. I suggest you ride it like it is for a bit, and if you decide you do want it faster, change to a smaller cog. They're cheap, so if you have to make a couple of tries to get it right, you won't be out much.
Another benefit of changing the rear rather than the front is, you get to shorten the chain, whereas if you go to a larger chain ring, you probably need a new chain too.
Looking at the photos, it looks like you have the non coaster brake version. I have one with a coaster brake. I forget what my gearing is right now, it's low, something like 33/18 I think. Great for what I use it for.

fietsbob

hub cogs are cheap do the math find your cruising overdrive gear, the other one is for stoplight re-starts.

tominjax

Thanks. I have a 19t and a 17t on order from Amazon. Still curious as to what a 50t front would do.

fietsbob

44:17 .... 2.588:1

50:19 ... 2.631:1

Floriduh? its a tooth count ratio ... proportions ..

RaleighSport

As was already said, rear cogs are much easier/cheaper to buy/swapout but you'll probably want the snap ring tool or a bunch of snap rings as they wear out quickly. There's some minor hills here, but on my coaster brake SS I usually run a 52x16 no over drive option so depending on your fitness level you could go even higher geared then what you're thinking now.

Dan Burkhart 

Snap ring tool? Small flat bladed screwdriver. Never yet seen a worn out snap ring.

RaleighSport

Really? I tear them up like mad, friend of mine has a weird kinda pry wrench thing very flat and does the job quickly. I'll see if I can find out where he got it.

Dan Burkhart 

I've seen the tabs worn off the cogs, and even then the snap rings were fine. I used to service industrial tricycles for a local drywall manufacturer. Their mechanics used them on the plant floor with up to 500 lb of tools thrown on the back. (These were delta style with a coaster brake mid drive.) They used up the cogs over time, but like I said, never saw a snap ring that could not be re used.

RaleighSport

LoL I must be doing something wrong then, and so is my buddy I'd guess.

wahoonc

I agree with Dan, never had a problem with snap rings, worn out a few cogs though. FWIW I have around 20 IGH bikes, one has over 35,000 miles on the original S-A AW 3 speed hub. It is on it's second or third cog now, AFAIK the original snap ring.

Aaron

sreten

Hi,

Nothing a much simpler change to a smaller rear will do.
Its ~ +14%, changing the 24t to 21t is also ~ +14%.

You would only do it if the smallest rear cog you can
fit still does not give enough gearing with the 44t.

Your 19t is ~ +26%, the 17t ~ +41%, relative to the
24t, there is 12% difference between the 19t and 17t.

rgds, sreten.