10-50 cassette

[Mick F]

Very briefly yesterday evening, a chap I know turned up just as we were leaving the pub.
He had been riding his MTB and I noticed how big his cassette was.

I didn't ask how many sprockets there were, but I did see he had only one (small) chainring, and I found out it was 17t but he'd prefer a 19t.

Let's say 10-50 x17 and 26" wheel/tyre.
This'll give him a bottom gear of 17/50 = 9" or so.
Top gear would be 17/10 = 44" or so.

Grief!
He'd be better off walking IMHO, but I didn't tell him that.

[roubaixtuesday]

Ebike?

[PDQ Mobile]

Might be 29" wheel?

[The utility cyclist]

Might be 29" wheel?

Even 29x2.3 gives you a 9.66" bottom, good for 2.6mph at 90rpm

Very briefly yesterday evening, a chap I know turned up just as we were leaving the pub.
He had been riding his MTB and I noticed how big his cassette was.

I didn't ask how many sprockets there were, but I did see he had only one (small) chainring, and I found out it was 17t but he'd prefer a 19t.

Let's say 10-50 x17 and 26" wheel/tyre.
This'll give him a bottom gear of 17/50 = 9" or so.
Top gear would be 17/10 = 44" or so.

Grief!
He'd be better off walking IMHO, but I didn't tell him that.

Why would he? Can you walk up really steep slopes at the same speed you can cycle up them for same effort? Even if you could that's not everyone is it, not even remotely and I include myself in that. Walking up a 14% gradient at 5mph is next to impossible for most, on a bike with a very low gear it's relatively easy., that's part of the point of having (low) gears so you can get places that you might struggle to do so on foot.

[reohn2]

It takes a certain amount of skill to climb at 2.5mph @ 90rpm.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

It takes a certain amount of skill to climb at 2.5mph @ 90rpm.

Yes it does!
I nearly fell into a quarry whilst on a stupid climb from a beach, no matter what your revs are its the speed of the wheels which at a point no longer give gyroscopic to stay upright.
I was actually on a 30" sitting on the tourer, sitting standing sitting etc and going slow, road not a road a lightly tarmacked track had chronic camber so if you wavered off the centre you were forced to the edge hill 30% or there abouts.

[roubaixtuesday]

Hi,

It takes a certain amount of skill to climb at 2.5mph @ 90rpm.

Yes it does!
I nearly fell into a quarry whilst on a stupid climb from a beach, no matter what your revs are its the speed of the wheels which at a point no longer give gyroscopic to stay upright.
I was actually on a 30" sitting on the tourer, sitting standing sitting etc and going slow, road not a road a lightly tarmacked track had chronic camber so if you wavered off the centre you were forced to the edge hill 30% or there abouts.

Not according to the engineering fraternity

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussi ... n-the-mind

[PDQ Mobile]

It is easier to stay balanced (and sitting?) at high pedalling cadences at very low speeds.
I learned this properly from riding recumbent, where the effect is more pronounced because of the less movable body weight.

[Mick F]

I knew this would start a conversation off!

I wish I'd seen him earlier and we could have had a chat about how he rides. I know him quite well, but see him seldom these days, but I do know he and his mates go riding in the Tamar Trails.

http://www.tamartrails.co.uk/mountain-biking/

[mattsccm]

Despite what was said above a gear this low will slow you down off road and uphill. Chuck in the inbuilt wobble from the terrain plus the fact that 90rpm at the speed mentioned is virtually balancing not moving and I doubt there is much realistic use.
At these numbers it isn't easier to stay upright.
It really puzzles me this trend towards silly low gears. Is the modern cyclist so weak that a hill that was both possible and comfortable in decades gone by now longer an option? Yes a lowish gear is good for dragging a big load up a steep hill but here in the UK we have few if any steep and long hills.
Maybe this trend is going a bit further than it needs to.
What will be next? more than 5 sprockets on the back?

[reohn2]

Despite what was said above a gear this low will slow you down off road and uphill. Chuck in the inbuilt wobble from the terrain plus the fact that 90rpm at the speed mentioned is virtually balancing not moving and I doubt there is much realistic use.
At these numbers it isn't easier to stay upright.

I agree,MrsR2 and myself could climb 15% on a 20inch gear @ 2 to 3mph on the tandem easily enough,but that's partly due to the LWB that a modern tandem offers.

It really puzzles me this trend towards silly low gears. Is the modern cyclist so weak that a hill that was both possible and comfortable in decades gone by now longer an option? Yes a lowish gear is good for dragging a big load up a steep hill but here in the UK we have few if any steep and long hills.
Maybe this trend is going a bit further than it needs to.
What will be next? more than 5 sprockets on the back?

I don't see anything wrong with low gearing and don't think it's anything to do with being weak,more like being sensible rather than people pulling their tripes out.
That said there's a limit to how low of a gear is useful on two wheels and 9inch is waayyy below it IMHO,double that would be about the lowest I'd like especially climbing off road,where with such ultra low gearing you're in danger of the bike turning over onto top of you in certain circumstances.


Recumbents are a different thing altogether

[PDQ Mobile]

I also agree 9" is too low to be of much use to me.
Perhaps for stunts and stuff?

[brumster]

Given the quoted small chainring - it's most likely an eBike with a gearbox increasing the gear ratios.

[fausto copy]

...... a lowish gear is good for dragging a big load up a steep hill but here in the UK we have few if any steep and long hills.

You want to come and live down here then.
Plenty of 20 and 25% hills around me.

OK, a 9" gear seems crazy, and I'm just about managing with my low of 17"......
but I am getting older by the minute.

[al_yrpal]

...... a lowish gear is good for dragging a big load up a steep hill but here in the UK we have few if any steep and long hills.

You want to come and live down here then.
Plenty of 20 and 25% hills around me.

OK, a 9" gear seems crazy, and I'm just about managing with my low of 17"......
but I am getting older by the minute.

Electric bike territory for the aged...

Al