I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
Hello all,
I want slightly lower gearing for my touring bike. It has a triple crankset 50 42 30 and Suntour 7 speed freewheel, the biggest sprocket is 28t. The bike has Suntour bar end shifters so I'm thinking it would be wise to go for a smaller crankset in this case. What do you think?
The bike has a Reynolds 531 ATB frame with 700c wheels and it makes my Dawes Galaxy feel light and springy by comparison!
I feel that one extra gear would make all the difference, thanks in advance for any suggestions
I want slightly lower gearing for my touring bike. It has a triple crankset 50 42 30 and Suntour 7 speed freewheel, the biggest sprocket is 28t. The bike has Suntour bar end shifters so I'm thinking it would be wise to go for a smaller crankset in this case. What do you think?
The bike has a Reynolds 531 ATB frame with 700c wheels and it makes my Dawes Galaxy feel light and springy by comparison!
I feel that one extra gear would make all the difference, thanks in advance for any suggestions
Last edited by Frankenbike on 20 Jan 2018, 4:48pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
a new chainsset does sound like a reasonable idea. But you may be able to just fit a smaller chainring to the extant chainset to replace the 30T one, and get an extra gear that way.
cheers
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
Thanks very much, how small can I go?
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
The existing chainset should allow inner chainrings down to 24T, but the middle is likely to be limited to 39T.
Personally, I'd go for a replacement triple (eg 46/36/24, Spa Cycles, cheaper options available). Spa also have a 4-arm chainset that goes down to 22T, but there's less choice in replacement chainrings.
You may need a new bottom bracket, and will want to move the front mech down the seat tube a bit and readjust the cable.
The other option is to just fit a cassette or freewheel* with a larger biggest sprocket. Up to 34T are available, at the cost of either larger gaps through the range, or a very big jump to bottom gear. You may need a new rear mech, and will probably need a new chain.
* Drop the wheel out, and turn the sprockets backwards. If everything you can see other than the QR/wheelnut also turns, it's a cassette. If there's an area in the centre that doesn't turn, it's a freewheel. Don't buy the wrong item.
Personally, I'd go for a replacement triple (eg 46/36/24, Spa Cycles, cheaper options available). Spa also have a 4-arm chainset that goes down to 22T, but there's less choice in replacement chainrings.
You may need a new bottom bracket, and will want to move the front mech down the seat tube a bit and readjust the cable.
The other option is to just fit a cassette or freewheel* with a larger biggest sprocket. Up to 34T are available, at the cost of either larger gaps through the range, or a very big jump to bottom gear. You may need a new rear mech, and will probably need a new chain.
* Drop the wheel out, and turn the sprockets backwards. If everything you can see other than the QR/wheelnut also turns, it's a cassette. If there's an area in the centre that doesn't turn, it's a freewheel. Don't buy the wrong item.
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
The suntour bar cons were indexed for 6 speed. Are you using them in friction mode ? They were nice shifters, wish I had kept mine.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
Hi RJB,
they're Suntour pro and they are Indexed at the mo but thanks for pointing out that possibility. I like friction shifting but that would be strange on bar ends at first. I'm not sure about getting rid of the old Suntour freewheel.
My galaxy has a Suntou Perfect freewheel that is over 40 years old, i don't know what its made of but it is in near immaculate condition.
I'm in favour of a smaller inner ring right now.
they're Suntour pro and they are Indexed at the mo but thanks for pointing out that possibility. I like friction shifting but that would be strange on bar ends at first. I'm not sure about getting rid of the old Suntour freewheel.
My galaxy has a Suntou Perfect freewheel that is over 40 years old, i don't know what its made of but it is in near immaculate condition.
I'm in favour of a smaller inner ring right now.
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
just checked on velobase and they did do a 7 speed version. http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... 4&AbsPos=9
Mine were the 6 speed ones. The 7 speed version must of been the last ones before they went bankrupt. They must be worth hangjng on too, excellent build quality.
I can see why you need lower gears, every road out of Totnes is uphill. I remember it well, lived near Ivybridge
Mine were the 6 speed ones. The 7 speed version must of been the last ones before they went bankrupt. They must be worth hangjng on too, excellent build quality.
I can see why you need lower gears, every road out of Totnes is uphill. I remember it well, lived near Ivybridge
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
Yeah the hills are steep!
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
Maeda (original) SunTour freewheels are indeed worth hanging on to - current freewheels are almost all of a lower quality, or of a weaker design even if the production quality is good.
(Forum hearsay mostly, plus a bit of local report from people still riding old tandems.)
Keeping the freewheel points towards changing the chainrings/chainset
(Forum hearsay mostly, plus a bit of local report from people still riding old tandems.)
Keeping the freewheel points towards changing the chainrings/chainset
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
I wouldn't claim to know of all the possible variations, but some SunTour indexed levers had three modes; 6s indexed, 7s indexed, and friction, selectable via a D ring on the bezel. Neat!
cheers
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
I've spooked myself reading about broken teeth on Suntour blocks only to realise that my other bike has a Suntour Freewheel too!
Can anyone recommend which size inner chainring I should go for? Its 30t at the moment.
Thanks people
Can anyone recommend which size inner chainring I should go for? Its 30t at the moment.
Thanks people
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
do we know what model chainset you have, exactly?
cheers
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
Hello Brucey, vintage xct. 5 bolts.......I just spotted the inner chainring is 28t not 30.
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
not familiar with XCT but is it similar to XC-pro?
if so the bolt circles are 110/74 and you can fit down to 24T (derailleurs etc permitting) in the inner position.
cheers
if so the bolt circles are 110/74 and you can fit down to 24T (derailleurs etc permitting) in the inner position.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Posts: 13
- Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 11:07am
- Location: Totnes Devon
Re: I want lower gearing but have Suntour parts.
That's the very same one
I had a feeling that 4 less teeth would be about ideal so I think a 24t inner ring is the way to go.
its been good to talk this through considering the variables, Thanks!
I had a feeling that 4 less teeth would be about ideal so I think a 24t inner ring is the way to go.
its been good to talk this through considering the variables, Thanks!