"Matt O'Toole" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Wayne T wrote:
>
> > Is there any point having available a 103.5 or 108 top gear? I'm trying to decide which large
> > front gear I should get with a 12 tooth in the rear.
A
> > 48, 46 or 44. The 44 gives a 99 gear. The other front sprockets
would
> > be 36 & 22T. The rear would be a 12-34.
>
> My top gear is 42-11, which I think is 99".
If you use 27" wheel in the formula, then the gear would be a 103". The 46-12 that I decided to go
with is a 103.5. So, since similar to your, sounds like it may be good enough. I only thing that a
higher gear might help pedaling downhill, and I've found that I go just as fast and faster laying
down on the drops and coasting. Going with a 42-11 would have saved me some wait, but my builder
said that his experience is, and I kind of thought it would be, that the 11s wear out faster than
12s do. So, he suggested that I not get a smaller tooth rear gear.
It's plenty for flat ground,
> but I could definately use a notch taller gear -- maybe 108" -- for long stretches of gentle
> downhill, or tailwinds.
This is a good point. Perhaps, I will end up being sorry that I didn't go for the 108 that a 48-12
would have given me. Well, at least the 103.5 is bigger than the other choice, 99 inch, or 44-12.
(On steep downhills it's
> better to just coast.) There are a couple of places around here where the lack of a taller gear is
> annoying.
>
> Note that for off road work, a 42-11 is more than enough. I was perfectly happy with a 46-13 when
> I had that.
>
> Matt O.