Best Way To Gear Down My Cannondale ST500 (for the money)
#26
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,362
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6218 Post(s)
Liked 4,217 Times
in
2,364 Posts
You could change the rings. It's probably a 110 mm bolt circle (here's how to measure it). Someone set it up as a half step with granny gearing. I never liked that gearing pattern much...too many double shifts and futzying around with the front derailer. You could replace the middle ring with a 34 and the inner with a 24 and make an improvement right there. However you will have some large holes in the rear. A 12-34 6 speed freewheel should work fine.
Check BikeMan but it may be cheaper just to get a new crank.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: N. California
Posts: 1,410
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
What great advice on this thread. I support just changing the two smallest front chainrings to get 24, 34 and 48 from the current 30, 44, 48 and then using it for a while to judge where to go from there. Ultimately you may want to go with larger cogs on the back but just changing those two front rings will get you well into the ball park.
Also agree with the sentiment: "Don't worry about the high gears"...Peddling to 25mph will be fast enough at least for now.
Also agree with the sentiment: "Don't worry about the high gears"...Peddling to 25mph will be fast enough at least for now.
#28
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 23
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks so much all! You guys have really helped me know how to talk intelligently with my LBS and make a (hopefully) good decision. After I get it all settled,maybe I can let you know which way I went.
Thanks again
Thanks again