question about changing gear ratios



A

Adam Lea

Guest
I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did notice
was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill (somewhere
between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom gear. I prefer to
spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and
13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7 speed
cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am
hoping to use this bike for commuting as well as club runs so would like to
be able to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming
at me.

Adam
 
Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would have
thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used to
the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high especially as
I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to put my MTB
7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed the small
chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now too low so I
went back to the 13/23.
Jim J

"Adam Lea" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
>tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
>through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did notice
>was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill (somewhere
>between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom gear. I prefer to
>spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front
>and 13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7
>speed cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27
>teeth)? I am hoping to use this bike for commuting as well as club runs so
>would like to be able to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and
>knees) screaming at me.
>
> Adam
>
 
Adam Lea wrote:
> I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club
> and I tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way
> it cuts through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing
> I did notice was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham
> hill (somewhere between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the
> bottom gear. I prefer to spin up the hills. The current gearing is
> 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and 13/23 on the rear. The question
> is: is it possible to change the 7 speed cassette for an 8 speed
> cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am hoping to use
> this bike for commuting as well as club runs so would like to be able
> to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming
> at me.

Depending on shifters and hub, there may be extra complication and expense
going to 8-speed.

Instead you could change the cassette to a 14-28 7-speed (Shimano HG37 from
Wiggle), and the inner chainring to a 26-tooth as well, if you like (any
74mm ring from Settle Cycles, SJSC or LBS).

Get a new chain as well if replacing the cassette, and ensure it's long
enough to work with the largest chainring + largest rear sprocket
combination (even if you don't normally use that gear). The rear derailleur
may need adjusting or even replacing if you're unlucky, but still it will be
worth it.

Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a granny
gear and need to "get fit". Ignore them if you feel you're already as fit
and strong as you can be, or want to be.

~PB
 
in message <[email protected]>, Adam Lea
('[email protected]') wrote:

> I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
> tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
> through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did
> notice was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill
> (somewhere between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom
> gear. I prefer to spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with
> 52/42/30 on the front and 13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it
> possible to change the 7 speed cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a
> larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am hoping to use this bike for
> commuting as well as club runs so would like to be able to get up
> Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming at me.

It's possible to change the 7speed cassette to a new 7speed cassette with
wider ratios. If it's a Campag cassette it's possible to change individual
cogs - it probably is on a good Shimano road cassette, too, but I'm not
certain. You'll probably need to change the rear derailleur to a long-cage
model at the same time, unless is already is long cage.

If it has indexed shifters (Campag ErgoPower or Shimano STI), then it isn't
possible to go from 7speed to 8speed without also changing the shifters,
and they tend to be expensive. Also you won't get 8speed shifters new
now - you'd need to go to 9speed or 10speed, which would mean changing
more stuff, or else get your shifters second hand.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Ye hypocrites! are these your pranks? To murder men and give God thanks?
Desist, for shame! Proceed no further: God won't accept your thanks for
murther
-- Robert Burns, 'Thanksgiving For a National Victory'
 
in message <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a
> granny gear and need to "get fit".  Ignore them if you feel you're
> already as fit and strong as you can be, or want to be.

Speaking as one of the people Pete is probably referring to, I'd agree with
him. 1 in 5 is a steep hill for a race bike, and as a gravitationally
challenged older man I struggle with them. I am personally too cussed to
fit a granny ring, so I'll go on struggling - but there's no sense in it
if you don't enjoy it.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This mind intentionally left blank ]
 
"Pete Biggs" <[email protected]> wrote
in news:[email protected]:

> Instead you could change the cassette to a 14-28 7-speed (Shimano HG37
> from Wiggle), and the inner chainring to a 26-tooth as well, if you
> like (any 74mm ring from Settle Cycles, SJSC or LBS).

FWIW, there are even wider ranges available. Shimano do at least 12-28 and
13-30 seven-speed cassettes, and SRAM do a 12-32 and (unlike Shimano
Megarange) these have reasonable ratios. See Simano HG70, HG30, and SRAM
PG730 at Wiggle etc.

HTH,

--
Geoff
 
Simon Brooke <[email protected]> wrote:

> in message <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
> ('[email protected]') wrote:
>
> > Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a
> > granny gear and need to "get fit". Ignore them if you feel you're
> > already as fit and strong as you can be, or want to be.
>
> Speaking as one of the people Pete is probably referring to, I'd agree with
> him. 1 in 5 is a steep hill for a race bike, and as a gravitationally
> challenged older man I struggle with them. I am personally too cussed to
> fit a granny ring, so I'll go on struggling - but there's no sense in it
> if you don't enjoy it.

there is also the element of even if you go up in higher gears, knowing
that you can drop down to the granny can be help ie knowing that you
will make it up the hill what ever just maybe not in gear X. certinaly
last time i went on a club run, one of the new lot who came did say that
the last hill before the cake stop did slightly worry as she was
struggling a bit and was on the lowest gear.

on the other hand some would find the lower gears a cop out i guess
personally i like to spin up hills if i can.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com
 
Adam Lea <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
> tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
> through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did notice
> was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill (somewhere
> between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom gear. I prefer to
> spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and
> 13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7 speed
> cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am
> hoping to use this bike for commuting as well as club runs so would like to
> be able to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming
> at me.
>
> Adam

you could either get a cassette with a lower gear ie wider spread. i
guess you could also if you want get a smaller granny gear for the steep
hills.

partically as your cassette would have nice tight ratios, a lower granny
would make the jump from middle to granny less smooth ie a bigger jump
down in gears, but would keep the ratios tight for when zipping along.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com
 
In article <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs wrote:
>
>Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a granny
>gear and need to "get fit". Ignore them if you feel you're already as fit
>and strong as you can be, or want to be.

Or indeed if you want to get fitter by riding the bike now, instead of
waiting until it happens some other way so you suit the bike as it is.
 
Geoff Lane said the following on 03/07/2007 09:47:

> FWIW, there are even wider ranges available. Shimano do at least 12-28 and
> 13-30 seven-speed cassettes, and SRAM do a 12-32 and (unlike Shimano
> Megarange) these have reasonable ratios.

Shimano also do an 11-32T in 9-speed that isn't Megarange. A bit of
judicious juggling with sprockets and spacers could give a reasonably
spaced 7-speed cassette, I would have thought.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 
"Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would have
> thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used to
> the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
> My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high especially
> as I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to put
> my MTB 7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed
> the small chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now
> too low so I went back to the 13/23.
> Jim J

I thought 7 speed cassettes were obsolete. As they evidently are not I will
look at getting one with a lower bottom gear.
 
Adam Lea <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would have
> > thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used to
> > the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
> > My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high especially
> > as I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to put
> > my MTB 7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed
> > the small chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now
> > too low so I went back to the 13/23.
> > Jim J
>
> I thought 7 speed cassettes were obsolete. As they evidently are not I will
> look at getting one with a lower bottom gear.

nope got the local bike shop to fit a new one to my old bike which is
now my speedy bike,

while i don't think you can get new bikes with such cassettes there must
be a massive number of older bikes such. think my partners bike is a 6
speed which we got the cassette replaced a few weeks back.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com
 
Roger Merriman said the following on 06/07/2007 14:59:
> Adam Lea <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> "Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would have
>>> thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used to
>>> the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
>>> My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high especially
>>> as I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to put
>>> my MTB 7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed
>>> the small chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now
>>> too low so I went back to the 13/23.
>>> Jim J
>> I thought 7 speed cassettes were obsolete. As they evidently are not I will
>> look at getting one with a lower bottom gear.
>
> nope got the local bike shop to fit a new one to my old bike which is
> now my speedy bike,
>
> while i don't think you can get new bikes with such cassettes there must
> be a massive number of older bikes such. think my partners bike is a 6
> speed which we got the cassette replaced a few weeks back.
>
> roger


--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 
Quoting Adam Lea <[email protected]>:
>spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and
>13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7 speed
>cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)?

You might find it cheaper and easier to reduce the size of the granny ring
(and maybe the middle ring, if you can, since 52/42 isn't much of a
shift), or to fit a wider spaced 7-speed cassette - they go all the way
down to 13/34 on Shimano-equipped bikes.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is Second Wednesday, Presuary.
 
Paul Boyd <usenet.dont.work@plusnet> wrote:

> Roger Merriman said the following on 06/07/2007 14:59:
> > Adam Lea <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> "Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> news:[email protected]...
> >>> Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would have
> >>> thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used to
> >>> the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
> >>> My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high especially
> >>> as I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to put
> >>> my MTB 7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed
> >>> the small chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now
> >>> too low so I went back to the 13/23.
> >>> Jim J
> >> I thought 7 speed cassettes were obsolete. As they evidently are not I will
> >> look at getting one with a lower bottom gear.
> >
> > nope got the local bike shop to fit a new one to my old bike which is
> > now my speedy bike,
> >
> > while i don't think you can get new bikes with such cassettes there must
> > be a massive number of older bikes such. think my partners bike is a 6
> > speed which we got the cassette replaced a few weeks back.
> >
> > roger

um yes?

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com
 
"Roger Merriman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1i0txsj.1lywzm3u6ozrpN%[email protected]...
> Adam Lea <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> "Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would
>> > have
>> > thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used
>> > to
>> > the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
>> > My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high
>> > especially
>> > as I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to
>> > put
>> > my MTB 7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed
>> > the small chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now
>> > too low so I went back to the 13/23.
>> > Jim J
>>
>> I thought 7 speed cassettes were obsolete. As they evidently are not I
>> will
>> look at getting one with a lower bottom gear.
>
> nope got the local bike shop to fit a new one to my old bike which is
> now my speedy bike,
>
> while i don't think you can get new bikes with such cassettes there must
> be a massive number of older bikes such. think my partners bike is a 6
> speed which we got the cassette replaced a few weeks back.
>
> roger
> --
> www.rogermerriman.com

I've just bought a new 7 speed cassette from Wiggle, 13/30. Hopefully take
it to the LBS tomorrow to get it fitted.
 
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