Vintage wide range gear system...

[cycle tramp]

Vintage (-ish) side range gear system 15 to 133 inches https://restoringvintagebicycles.com/20 ... arris/amp/

[rjb]

Thanks for posting. My Meccano set could have a new life.

[Nearholmer]

Which reminds us again that “could” and “should” don’t mean the same thing.

[pq]

I think that's fantastic. Obviously the extreme range is pretty silly, but I guess he just wanted to push the idea to its limits. Toned down a bit it would have been an improvement on the limited range bikes often had in those days. One of the things I like about modern bikes is that I can have very low gears. If I'd been riding back then I might well have given him a call.

[scottg]

More on Chuck Harris.
https://www.ohiohistory.org/looking-bac ... innovator/

Chuck was a fixture of Ohio event rides, he fitted the mirror your helmet
Or glasses.
I have a lifetime supply of Harris mirrors.

[Brucey]

...... One of the things I like about modern bikes is that I can have very low gears......

BITD you could buy a 38t sprocket and fit a TA chainset with a 24t chainring. This gave a gear hat was low enough for most, even if it did almost guarantee that the rear axle would break.

[jimlews]

...... One of the things I like about modern bikes is that I can have very low gears......

BITD you could buy a 38t sprocket and fit a TA chainset with a 24t chainring. This gave a gear hat was low enough for most, even if it did almost guarantee that the rear axle would break.

AFAIK the smallest chainwheel as supplied by TA (assuming we are talking about their Pro 5 Vis) was 26t onto the
six bolt holes of the outer CW.
However, "shed fettlers" were known to wangle much smaller chainwheels onto the five boltholes of the RH crank;
the absolute minimum possible being 17t (usually a modified rear sprocket).

[hamster]

24T fitted TA's later 110/74 or 56 Zephyr cranks.

[biker38109]

Wow, I feel vindicated now in my search for super low gearing knowing a stalwart such as that gentleman had been carrying the torch long before me.

I was also shown an article recently of the suntour microdrive which I think was 70s or 80s which I am sure the more mature riders here will be able to clarify as to the date.

[hamster]

Suntour Microdrive was early 1990s, 94/58 or 56 mm, could take a 20T inner.