Author Topic: GEARING CONCERNS  (Read 9140 times)

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Offline HONDO

GEARING CONCERNS
« on: July 08, 2006, 08:55:34 am »
After 20 years on a converted mt. bike with 45/32/22 chainrings i purchsed a burley hudson 52/42/30. I live in the mountains and this gearing is way too high. Im a mechanical invalid and need help figuring out how to lower this gearing substantially. I need low gears and I mean LOW gears! Can I get by with a changeout of the triple chainrings? If so what size? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.


Offline Bowdrie

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2006, 10:11:48 pm »
Hondo:
I have the same problem.  It can be corrected.  There is a post in Gear Talk dated 6-27-06 under title "Lower Gearing On Road Bike".  The discussion is quite lengthy and may be of help to you.  Suggest you read it over.  I am looking to purchase, but you have your bike so your options probably depend on if your bike is 9 speed or 10 speed cog in back. I am presently looking at both in a new bike but most of my area shops have not been real cooperative toward changing parts.  I will go back on that thread when I decide what I am going to do.
Bowdrie.  


Offline HONDO

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2006, 12:01:31 pm »
Im going to have to pick the brains of my LBS about the chainring combination options i have for this bike. i have the 9 cluster cog on the back but I dont have the specs on the specific ratios in front of me. so far what Im seeing billed as a good triple chainring combo is the 48/38/26 or even 48/38/24/. Hopefully one of these combinations will work on my bike and it will be plenty low enough. I will give up speed anyday for lower gears. I live in the appalachians and Im either going up or down, not much inbetween and my goal is to do the transamerica sometime in the near future.thanks for the info.


Offline Bowdrie

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2006, 06:34:42 pm »
     Well, I hope you have better luck with your LBS than I.  Most in my area seem clueless in dealing with lower gearing.  Or, more likely, they just want to sell a new bike as is without the shop time.  I have 6 in my area and it appears only one seems to want to work with me.
     You mentioned that your Burley Hudson has a 52/42/30 and a 9 speed cluster in the back, but you dont say what the large cog is in the rear.  The MFR lists your bike as stock equipped with 48/36/26 chain rings and an 11-32 cassette.   That combination should give you a low gear of about 21.87 gear inches.  That is only three clicks up from my lowest gear on my heavier mountain bike, and should do very well for you for a lighter road bike.  However, you must have purchased your bike used, or something was changed somewhere along the way.  If that is the case, there is no telling what else was also changed.  
     Since you have a 9 speed set up you can go all the way to a 34 tooth low gear cluster in the back.  As per the prior discussion I referenced, you can probably change the inner chain ring from a 30 to a 24, 26, or 28 tooth ring.  Depending on what is on the bike now, you will probably need to change the rear derailleur to a long cage mountain derailleur. You will also need a new chain and want to use a chain watcher.
     It is all very well laid out in the other discussion.  My problem is getting an LBS that is willing to do it to a new bike.
     You dont say how new your bike is but, if possible, you might do well to get the original equipment from wherever you bought it.  That would solve your problem.  
       



Offline HONDO

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2006, 09:14:56 am »
What I think happened is my Burley Hudson is a closeout 2005 with the 52/42/30 and the dealer quoted me the 2006 48/36/26 specs. Im just hoping I can get by with only the chainring changeout. If I end up having to change out anything else I just nulified the good deal I got on this bike.


Offline DaveB

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2006, 11:36:15 am »
As a low-cost expedient you can change just the 30T granny ring for a 26T.  I've done this on many 7,8 and 9-speed Shimano road cranks and it works very well.  That change combined with a suitable cassette should give you a very low low gear at small cost.


Offline RussellSeaton

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2006, 02:10:48 pm »
I'm guessing your Burley Hudson already has a mountain bike long cage rear derailleur.  LX, XT, Deore.  So it does not need changing.  Make sure you have a 11-34 or 12-34 rear cassette.  They are really cheap mail order.  $25 on sale.  You want the biggest cog possible in back.  The mountain bike long cage rear derailleurs should/will clear the large 34 cog.

Put a 24 tooth chainring on the crankset.  $10.  74mm bolt circle diameter.  Common as dirt.  I'm pretty sure your crankset is the normal road style crank with 130/74 mm bcd chainrings if it comes in 52-42-30.  Get a chain watcher device.  N Gear Jump Stop, Deda Dog Fang, Third Eye Chain Watcher, etc.  Keeps the chain from falling onto the bottom bracket shell when downshifting.  STI just throws the chain down to the inner chainring.  Cheap $10 insurance.

Go ride.  Don't worry about wasting money on changing the outer chainrings.  Just don't use the small 11-12-13 cogs on the cassette.


Offline HONDO

GEARING CONCERNS
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2006, 05:01:28 pm »
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP. THIS A.C.FORUM IS GREAT.