Alpine vs. Half-Step Gearing
#27
feros ferio
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
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Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;
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Generally / often means 1.5-step.
Classic 1970s Alpine was 52-40/14-17-20-24-28 12 tooth drop in front, 3 to 4 in back
I use 46-38 / 13-15-17-20-23-26 1.5-step on the Bianchi (was 50-42 / 14-16-18-20-23-26, but I wanted a lower bottom gear) and the 1959 Capo
I use a granny-ized version, 46-38-26 / 12-13-15-17-19-21-24-28 on the mountain bike. (Inner ring can be 28, 26, or 24. Currently running 28, plan to change to 24 next time I rebuild the bottom bracket or replace it with a cartridge unit.)
Classic 1970s Alpine was 52-40/14-17-20-24-28 12 tooth drop in front, 3 to 4 in back
I use 46-38 / 13-15-17-20-23-26 1.5-step on the Bianchi (was 50-42 / 14-16-18-20-23-26, but I wanted a lower bottom gear) and the 1959 Capo
I use a granny-ized version, 46-38-26 / 12-13-15-17-19-21-24-28 on the mountain bike. (Inner ring can be 28, 26, or 24. Currently running 28, plan to change to 24 next time I rebuild the bottom bracket or replace it with a cartridge unit.)
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069

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#29
Senior Member
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No theory here. I simply love close freewheels/cassettes and widely spaced triples. Fell in love with 52-42-28 and race FWs almost 50 years ago. Just added cogs at both ends as more came available. (Started at 5. Now 7 and 9.) Chainrings have gotten smaller as I have aged and cassettes a little bigger. 50-38-24 X 12-28 and the like.) I prefer bike where all three of the "range" in the three chainrings each overlap the neighboring range by a cog or two. Yes "wasteful" but it allows me to stay away from double shifts on climbs when the hill levels out briefly but I don't always get that between the middle and inside rings.
The outer and middle of this setup form the basis of all modern race bike gearing. Racing days I absolutely loved it. (Being a mountain goat, riding those gears over much of New England wasn't a big deal l when I was 25.) When I stopped racing, I built the Mooney around the same gears plus a 28 tooth inner. Rode that in Califiornia and Washington. Never stopped loving it.
The outer and middle of this setup form the basis of all modern race bike gearing. Racing days I absolutely loved it. (Being a mountain goat, riding those gears over much of New England wasn't a big deal l when I was 25.) When I stopped racing, I built the Mooney around the same gears plus a 28 tooth inner. Rode that in Califiornia and Washington. Never stopped loving it.

#30
Randomhead
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Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
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no need to dig up threads this old, sorry. Closing.

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