What gear range do you use.
Re: What gear range do you use.
From memory and calculators:
Dutch bike: 42-73"
Roadster: 43-77"
Folding bike: 40"-80"
Road bike: 35-103"
Hybrid: 25-94"
MTB: 20-80"
The first three bikes get used more. I just walk the rare very steep stuff or pick another route. It's not like I go much quicker up it riding the lower-geared bikes!
Dutch bike: 42-73"
Roadster: 43-77"
Folding bike: 40"-80"
Road bike: 35-103"
Hybrid: 25-94"
MTB: 20-80"
The first three bikes get used more. I just walk the rare very steep stuff or pick another route. It's not like I go much quicker up it riding the lower-geared bikes!
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Re: What gear range do you use.
gaz wrote:hondated wrote: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.
Thanks gaz I will do that.
Re: What gear range do you use.
whoof wrote:hondated wrote:
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
Thanks whoof
- Patrickpioneer
- Posts: 322
- Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 11:18am
- Location: Brynteg
Re: What gear range do you use.
19'' to 80'' on all my bikes with 6 speed free wheel
Last edited by Patrickpioneer on 16 Jan 2018, 3:45pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 65
- Joined: 15 Sep 2012, 11:34pm
- Location: N & Mid Wales.
Re: What gear range do you use.
Carlton Corsair; 23 1/2" - 116" Clubman/tourer
Raleigh (mule) 23" - 112" Tourer/trecking
Dawes Mtb 23" - (about) 100"
I use all the gears on all of them pretty much every ride.
Raleigh (mule) 23" - 112" Tourer/trecking
Dawes Mtb 23" - (about) 100"
I use all the gears on all of them pretty much every ride.
- The utility cyclist
- Posts: 3607
- Joined: 22 Aug 2016, 12:28pm
- Location: The first garden city
Re: What gear range do you use.
Lowest 24-28 though have a 12-30 cassette that will get put on for very particular trips and there's an 11-36 waiting in a box for when I get old and doddery.
Currently biggest gear is 52-11, use it relatively frequently in the summer but not as much as i used to as I don't ride the A505 luton to hitchin anymore.
I run out of gears on the daily around half the trips i make and that tops out at 48-12
Funny that my first ever tour my bottom gear was a 42-24, not that it was hilly but I was pretty fit, about 3stone lighter, 26 years younger and my commute average over 7 miles was about 19mph.lol!
Currently biggest gear is 52-11, use it relatively frequently in the summer but not as much as i used to as I don't ride the A505 luton to hitchin anymore.
I run out of gears on the daily around half the trips i make and that tops out at 48-12
Funny that my first ever tour my bottom gear was a 42-24, not that it was hilly but I was pretty fit, about 3stone lighter, 26 years younger and my commute average over 7 miles was about 19mph.lol!
Re: What gear range do you use.
Audax bike 24 - 94", 3 X 9 most riding divided between the middle and large ring,
Trad tourer 20 - 112", 3 X 9 most time spent in the middle ring, probably 90%+
Rohloff DIA 19 - 100" All gears used but mostly the top half
I'd never calculated that before and it was interesting to look at, I was aware of the difference in bottom gears, but didn't realise there was such a big difference in the top gear between the Audax bike (50 X 14 and 28mm tyres) and the Tourer (46 X 11 and 32mm tyres)
But the question was what do you use, not what do you have. I'm happy to walk up those hills I can only ride up at walking pace, like to freewheel down a long decent and see a tailwind as an opportunity to take it easy rather than go faster. So, I spend so little time in the gears under 24" or over 90" that I wouldn't miss them much if they wren't there.
Trad tourer 20 - 112", 3 X 9 most time spent in the middle ring, probably 90%+
Rohloff DIA 19 - 100" All gears used but mostly the top half
I'd never calculated that before and it was interesting to look at, I was aware of the difference in bottom gears, but didn't realise there was such a big difference in the top gear between the Audax bike (50 X 14 and 28mm tyres) and the Tourer (46 X 11 and 32mm tyres)
But the question was what do you use, not what do you have. I'm happy to walk up those hills I can only ride up at walking pace, like to freewheel down a long decent and see a tailwind as an opportunity to take it easy rather than go faster. So, I spend so little time in the gears under 24" or over 90" that I wouldn't miss them much if they wren't there.
- Tigerbiten
- Posts: 2503
- Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am
Re: What gear range do you use.
PH wrote:But the question was what do you use, not what do you have. I'm happy to walk up those hills I can only ride up at walking pace, like to freewheel down a long decent and see a tailwind as an opportunity to take it easy rather than go faster. So, I spend so little time in the gears under 24" or over 90" that I wouldn't miss them much if they wren't there.
I'm on a recumbent trike, so the dynamics are slightly different so ....
I find it a lot easier to pedal up a 25% hill at sub 2 mph in a sub 10" gear than I do trying to push/pull it up the same hill.
I need one hand on the mudguard at knee height for steering and the other on the back of the seat for power. But the steeper the hill, the more likely I am to lift the back wheel off the ground with my full touring load. This twists the whole trike sideways making it more difficult to get it up the hill. So I'll only walk the trike up a hill if I've got no other option, it's normally only on wet/greasy/loose/muddy/icy surfaces wheres theres no traction.
As for my silly high 176" gear.
Nothing beats pedaling slowly down alpine type descents at around 40 mph with a silly recumbent .........
I'm not putting much effort in, I'm only keeping the muscles warm.
Re: What gear range do you use.
PH wrote:But the question was what do you use, not what do you have. I'm happy to walk up those hills I can only ride up at walking pace, like to freewheel down a long decent and see a tailwind as an opportunity to take it easy rather than go faster. So, I spend so little time in the gears under 24" or over 90" that I wouldn't miss them much if they wren't there.
My sentiments exactly. With its range of 28" - 86", those gears aren't there on my Alfine 8 system and I don't miss them at all for much the same reasons. Most of my riding time is spent in 5th gear which is 53".
Re: What gear range do you use.
I have gone back to a tripple on my new bike after having a compact double on my last bike.
Min is 23" max is 121"
I have 30,39 ,50 on the front and 11-34 10 speed cassette
Min is 23" max is 121"
I have 30,39 ,50 on the front and 11-34 10 speed cassette
Re: What gear range do you use.
I have gone back to a triple on my new bike after having a compact double on my last bike.
Min is 23" max is 121"
I have 30,39 ,50 on the front and 11-34 10 speed cassette
Min is 23" max is 121"
I have 30,39 ,50 on the front and 11-34 10 speed cassette
Re: What gear range do you use.
23-123 on my 'commuter'. I keep toying with the idea of dropping the granny ring to 26t to get it down to ~20". It's only really an issue in the summer if I'm trying to get somewhere with some luggage without getting a sweat on on the silly steep hills.
The contents of this post, unless otherwise stated, are opinions of the author and may actually be complete codswallop
- tykeboy2003
- Posts: 1277
- Joined: 19 Jul 2010, 2:51pm
- Location: Swadlincote, South Derbyshire
Re: What gear range do you use.
I don't use any range of gear except possibly cheapo shorts and leggings from Lidl.
I'll get mi coat....
I'll get mi coat....
- Rusty Rider
- Posts: 39
- Joined: 14 Oct 2017, 10:40pm
- Location: Surrey
Re: What gear range do you use.
kwackers wrote:Is it OK to say I haven't a clue and probably don't care? (Should I revoke my forum membership?)
I don't have a clue what they're talking about, its all chinese to me.
Peter
Re: What gear range do you use.
Rusty Rider wrote:I don't have a clue what they're talking about, its all chinese to me.
There are a number of ways to measure gearing, the UK system is to look at the equivalent 'Ordinary' cycle wheel. That's a penny farthing to most people.
So what is the effective wheel diameter of the wheel you are turning.
If your driven wheel is 27" diameter, and your gearing means that it turns twice for every revolution of the pedals then you have a 54" gear.
If the gearing is such that the pedals turn three times for each rotation of the driven wheel then you have a 9" gear.
Gear Inches = Wheel size * Teeth on Chainring Sprocket / Teeth on Cassette Sprocket (* internal gear ratio if you have a hub gear as well)
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.