What gear range do you use.

[tatanab]

Miche sprockets - I found that the 10 speed (matt silver so likely also 11 speed) were a bit soft and wore quickly. Of course, once worn you can change just the few that need it.

[Samuel D]

I have a range of about 39 to 101 gear inches on my bicycle, achieved with 38T and 49T chainrings and an 8-speed 13–26T cassette. However, I live in Paris, a pretty flat place unless you go looking for hills (which I often do in the Chevreuse Valley).

Shimano’s cassette range is restrictive, with lots of 11T and 12T cogs wasting gears for most people. In their favour, they’re cheap and durable.

Debs: most people I know install cassettes without a torque wrench. If you’re light, lunge slightly on the cassette tool and you’ll likely be fine.

[Tigerbiten]

Shimano’s cassette range is restrictive, with lots of 11T and 12T cogs wasting gears for most people.

When I was a kid, the 'standard' top gear was 53/14 on a 27" wheel for a gear of just over 100".
But the smallest cassette sprocket have shrunk more than the biggest chainring over the years.
So to get the same gear 100" gear you would need a 42/11 combo.
But big numbers sell better and most riders don't know better.
Hence the increase of around 20% with a silly 'standard' top of 50/11.

Which sounds better .....
A bike with 50/34 chainrings and a 11-28 cassette.
or .......
A bike with 42/26 chainrings and a 11-28 cassette.
The first bike sound like it would be faster.
And it will be .....
But only downhill at speeds between the spinout speeds of both bikes, very roughly 25-30mph.
And if you hit around that speed down hill, then you'd probably want the second bike to climb back up ......

[RickH]

When I was much younger & fitter, back in the 80s, I had a Vitus 979 with 12-28T rear, 39/52T front 700x23mm tyres/26.3" effective size giving 37-111". If the hills were steep I would just get out of the saddle & haul it up - I got plenty of practice as there is 250ft of ascent in the last 1/2 mile to our house or longer slightly more gradual alternatives that take you at least an extra 100ft higher before a short steep, descent to finish. The home leg of a common commute I did was about 5.5 miles with 600 ft of ascent.

Through the late 90s & early 00s Family & work got in the way of cycling for a number of years. When I started riding again I was older & a lot less fit, although I had done quite a bit of running in the preceding 18 months or so - zero to full marathon. I initially used an old mountainbike that had been lurking in the shed. In 2008 I got a new "road" bike, a Kinesis Tk, & went for a triple which (eventually - I started with 13-26T Rear, 30/42/53T front - 30-108") gave me 4 extra lower gears.

Kinesis Tk - 24-103"
(3x10 - 13-29, 26/39/50, 700x28mm tyres/26.7" effective size) now seldom used.

Circe Helios Tandem - 23-92"
(2x8 - Alfine 8 w 18 sprocket rear, 39/52 front, 406x47mm tyres/ 20" effective size). Alternatively 18.5-75" if I run a 22T sprocket instead. (Useful when going up steep hills with 2 small children, only 1 pedalling to questions of "Granddad, why are we going so slowly?"! )

Kona Sutra Ltd - 24-100"
(1x11 - 10-42T rear 36T front, 700x40mm tyres/27.6" effective size) I've just ordered a smaller 30T chainring, to drop everything effectively 1 gear for loaded &/or rougher off-road stuff, to give 20-82".

All the low gears get used often, the highest ones much less often - I may be in top gear but not pedalling very much & letting gravity do its thing.

[Redvee]

Silver Bike : 92.6 - 39.69 12/28 10sp 42t chainring

Green Bike : 110.34 - 32.01 12/28 50/34 chainset.

[keyboardmonkey]

... Debs: most people I know install cassettes without a torque wrench. If you’re light, lunge slightly on the cassette tool and you’ll likely be fine.

+1

I too have the little clicker Park Tool torque wrench for up to 15 N m, but I’m not too fussed about the accuracy needed for the greater torque on cassette lock nuts.

[Debs]

... Debs: most people I know install cassettes without a torque wrench. If you’re light, lunge slightly on the cassette tool and you’ll likely be fine.

+1

I too have the little clicker Park Tool torque wrench for up to 15 N m, but I’m not too fussed about the accuracy needed for the greater torque on cassette lock nuts.

It used to be called having a 'mechanic's elbow' - The ability to sense the amount of force required to correctly tighten a given nut/bolt/screw/etc.
People with gorilla arms need not apply

I'm sure i can cope with it, and would be a good idea to cycle over to LBS, take wheel out and ask kind bicycle technician to check the Nm with his proper job tool.

I have put Miche sprockets in the basket: 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 21 / 24 / 28 / 32 [for 11 speed Shimano]

But do i need a 'metal spacer' or a Miche lock ring to complete the job, or can i use the Ultegra lock ring -
it doesn't make this clear on The Cycle Clinic site

[CyberKnight]

34 to 119 on both road bikes,
winter commuter is my MTB i have done a drop bar conversion on has a range of 28 to 95

[rmurphy195]

On the tourer (used for day rides and just because I enjoy riding it!) 22" - 102". Rarely use the top one so am considering getting a 12-32 rear sprocket (if I can find one in silver) to replace the 11-32 to remove the 20% jump between sprockets 3 and 4.

On the Brompton its 29" - 88", which is enough for that bike - I trundle down to the shops on it and pop it into the car to use on railway trails etc. for which it is very handy. Maybe a slightly lower bottom gear (already have the smaller (chainwheel) and/or closer spacing might be nice.

I do have an old MTB which I never use these days, this has quite low gearing but I've never bothered to work it out - bottom (even though I think its less than 20") is too high for me for the steep bits, and top is about right for spinning downhill (old 3x7-speed setup)

[PM999]

On an old Dawes Discovery hybrid, racked out for touring and used as tourer, winter bike, day to day hack: 24"/120". Bottom gear is about right for my ageing legs to let me tackle most hills when fully loaded.

On a relatively new Boardman Hybrid, used sunny days, dry roads: 28"/121". Bottom gear used relatively infrequently.

On both the above, top gear arrives via an 11t sprocket, and I rarely find myself using this on either bike. (More used on the sunny day bike).

I've just bought a Koga Miyata Globe Traveller recently advertised on the forum to replace the Dawes as no. 1 tourer. The standard spec., on 622-32 tyres, was 52/42/30 at the front with a 12-25 sprocket, giving 32"/117". I haven't collected it yet (I'm in Ireland, the bike is in the UK) but the seller advises that the cassette has been changed to something with a 30t large sprocket, making 27" low gear. I need to try it first, but it will probably be lowered a bit more.

[hondated]

I am sure it is kwackers as I like you just cannot work it out but unlike you I am bothered

Isn't it just distance covered for 1 rotation of the pedals?

If so then a tape measure will do, or you can get the calculator out.
Front sprocket teeth / back sprocket teeth * wheel diameter in inches.

Or I'm wrong and it's some esoteric thing related to inside leg and pannier size.

Quick calculator:

http://cycleseven.org/bicycle-gear-inch-calculator

Thanks KBM the problem I have is determining what range of cadence I am happy with.

[gaz]

Thanks KBM the problem I have is determining what range of cadence I am happy with.

When you're next out on a level road find a gear you like. Note the gear and the range of speeds in mph (min and max) you are comfortable with before you feel you need to change either up or down.

Speed(mph) x 336 ÷ Gear(inches) = Cadence (rpm)

When you're back home pop the relevant figures into the above, should serve as a starting point.

[Phileas]

On my single speed commuter, 70

[whoof]

Isn't it just distance covered for 1 rotation of the pedals?

If so then a tape measure will do, or you can get the calculator out.
Front sprocket teeth / back sprocket teeth * wheel diameter in inches.

Or I'm wrong and it's some esoteric thing related to inside leg and pannier size.

Quick calculator:

http://cycleseven.org/bicycle-gear-inch-calculator

Thanks KBM the problem I have is determining what range of cadence I am happy with.

The calculates cadence at a given speed or speed for a given cadence just need to enter wheel/tyre size and chainring/sprocket.

http://www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence

[whoof]

I would of thought this day of age we could simply pick our own cog size group to be built up [or changed] on order, but this service seems non existent, or very hard to find... and probably be very expensive too

When Campag started to do cassettes I worked in a shop that had a sprocket board. If you wanted to build a cassette you simply picked which ones you wanted, spacers and a locking ring. A quick search and it seems that such a thing still exists. These are Miche sprockets for a Campag compatible cassette, so there may be a similar Shimano one.
sprocket.jpg

Thanks for providing the links Whoof

The Cycle Clinic seem to have it well sussed, my chosen 11 speeds using the Miche [Shimano type] come to £88.00 which includes VAT & postage

13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 22 / 25 / 28 / 32

The first two rings 'Pole position' & '2nd position' are £8 each
All the mid position are £7 each
The 'last position' ring is the 32 tooth [made of alloy] £16 each

£88 is a little dear but still very tempting - haven't purchased yet, but thinking about it.
I guess the index linking will function with Miche will cope just as well as genuine Shimano?

What tools would i need to do it myself?
I have a chain whip tool, various cassette lock ring tools [that may or may not fit]
My Park Tool torque wrench is too small 3 - 15 Nm so i guess a bigger one will be needed.
Could buy the sprockets and take them into my LBS -
may be just as well to pay them to do it, i'm on very good terms with them there, and this is not a job to be done very often.
I have lots of little gears going around in my brain now

Debs

Sorry missed this as I often look without logging in. I've never used a torque wrench to change a cassette. I change one on Saturday and did it up so it was solid not really tight. As a guide if something says 15 Nm this is just over 1.5 kg (15/9. applied to a lever 1 metre long. My adjustable spanner is about 20 cm long so I need five times that, ~ 7.5 kg to achieve the same rotational force. In practice as long as you don't let some hand fisted gorilla loose on it you should be OK.