Gear inches
- Sprocket
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Gear inches
Postby Sprocket » Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:33 am
To stay within the capacity of the derailleurs sometimes you need to drop some of the top end gears in order to lower the low gears - so my question is: what is the lowest top gearing you would be happy with riding a loaded to semi-loaded touring bike with?
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Re: Gear inches
Postby rkelsen » Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:56 am
This is sufficient for me to hit mid 50s, albeit at a fairly high cadence (for me... ). At a "comfy" cadence, it'll sit between 35 and 40kph all day (depending upon hills/wind).
Do you need to go faster than that? I'd have thought that 40kph would be a bit fast for touring, but I'm probably talking out my hat...
How difficult is it to push 119" with 20kg worth of panniers on the bike?
There are some experienced tourers on here. It'll be interesting to see their opinions.
- RonK
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Re: Gear inches
Postby RonK » Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:09 pm
108 gear inches at 90 rpm will propel me to 46.5kph. I could only ever reach that speed downhill, but rarely let the bike run that fast. It's difficult to pull up a loaded touring bike so unless I have a very clear view of the road well ahead I keep the speed at around 30kph max.
In reality, the best daily average speed I have ever acheived on a fully-loaded tour was around 22kph, with more typical averages around 17kph. So to drop even smaller than the 44T trekking outer chainring I'm using would make no difference, but this is probably the most common arrangement for trekking/MTB chainsets and it works very well.
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Re: Gear inches
Postby WestcoastPete » Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:19 pm
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Re: Gear inches
Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:40 pm
What size wheels are you running?Sprocket wrote:My touring bike has a lowest gearing of ~22 gear inches and a highest of 119 GI. ?
Chainrings? Cranks TRIPLE/DOUBLE ?
Cassette? 7-8-9-10 SPEED?
Ricky
- Sprocket
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Re: Gear inches
Postby Sprocket » Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:20 pm
Hi Ricky - although preceded with my current bike configuration the question was more a hypothetical one. I spend a lot of time (too much time!) reading about bikes and different configurations. However reading is not the same as on the seat experience so I thought I'd poll the tourers often found lurking on these pages}SkOrPn--7 wrote: What size wheels are you running?
Chainrings? Cranks TRIPLE/DOUBLE ?
Cassette? 7-8-9-10 SPEED?
Ricky
For what it's worth - my bike is running the off-shelf gearing on the 2012 VWR. So:
Wheels = 700C
Chainrings = 48/36/26
Cassette = 9sp : 11->32
Front derailleur = Tiagra for triple
Rear derailleur = Deore LX
With only about 3,500km on it, there's still a heap of wear left in everything and as it's absolutely fine for commuting on and weekends away on rolling hills I'm waiting for things to wear out or the lure of a decent trip to justify tinkering with the current setup.
Has anyone used the SRAM Centro Via? It's 10-speed so I'm wondering whether that's robust enough for touring on? Or whether it's something to bear in mind for setting up a light-weight tourer with?
Selena
- il padrone
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Re: Gear inches
Postby il padrone » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:39 pm
These days I ride a Rohloff IGH with a top gear of 96" and this gives me a very useful 17" bottom gear. I occasionally find the top gear spins out for me but at 55kmh it is a fairly minor thing - as I said a tuck will get me more speed, if I really want it.
Your 700C tourer has road derailleurs. They limit the gear choices and you would be much better swapping for a MTB crankset, but road derailleurs are then your problem, especially the front. 22" is really a bit too high if you intend to load up the bike for a camping tour and ride in hill country. I know plenty who do it, but they struggle on long climbs and are forced to walk unless they are real gear-grinders.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
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Gear inches
Postby RonK » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:46 pm
For this bike with a road triple the simple solution is to fit a 24t inner chainring, as other owners have done.
It's a simple and inexpensive mod and won't alter your high gear.
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Re: Gear inches
Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Mon Aug 19, 2013 7:19 pm
Ricky
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Re: Gear inches
Postby il padrone » Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:41 pm
It's a bit rough copying it but this is one result for a 48/36/24 crankset and 11-32 cassette. 20" is a better low, but something like 17" or 18" would be even better.
gear inches
frontrear 11 12 13 15 17 20 23 28 32
48 118.9 109.0 100.6 87.2 77.0 65.4 56.9 46.7 40.9
36 89.2 81.8 75.5 65.4 57.7 49.1 42.7 35.0 30.7
24 59.5 54.5 50.3 43.6 38.5 32.7 28.4 23.4 20.4
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- Sprocket
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Re: Gear inches
Postby Sprocket » Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:25 pm
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Re: Gear inches
Postby WestcoastPete » Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:17 am
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Re: Gear inches
Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:24 am
Ricky
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Re: Gear inches
Postby STC67 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:32 pm
Model Chainring Cassette Gear Inches
Allegro Complete 30/40/52 11-34 23.8
Kona Sutra 30/39/50 11-32 25.3
Fuji Touring 30/39/50 11-34 23.8
Scott Hybrid 26/36/48 11-32 21.9
Surly LHT Complete 26/36/48 11-34 20.6
Vivente 24/36/46 11-32 20.3
Allegro Mod 26/36/46 12-36 19.5
Salsa Fargo 2 26/39 11-36 19.5
Ronk's Sabbath 22/32/44 11-34 17.5
Salsa Fargo 3 24/32/42 11-36 18.0
Trek 4300 MTB 26in 22/32/44 11-34 16.8
I am looking at the Allegro modification.
My current bike is the Trek MTB and there is no need to go lower as you won't ride fast enough to keep it upright.
The Scott Hybrid is the bike I toured on in France including riding Mont Ventoux (unloaded).
Feel free to add you bike to the bottom
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Re: Gear inches
Postby STC67 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:32 pm
I'm having some trouble formatting the table. Looks good in the preview pane but won't keep the formatting.
Any ideas?
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Re: Gear inches
Postby Uncle Just » Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:48 pm
Anything around 90-104". Top end gearing is neither here nor there. Touring s/not be about high speeds anyway. I find I'm often in the middle ring and rarely get into big gears. Although if you had a roaring tailwind on flat terrain and wanted to do a big day you may wish for higher gears. On long descents it could come in handy but semi loaded touring bikes don't handle like a svelte road bike in the fast twisty stuff.what is the lowest top gearing you would be happy with riding a loaded to semi-loaded touring bike with?
- rifraf
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Re: Gear inches
Postby rifraf » Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:31 am
My Ogre has 700c wheels currently shod with 2.00 inch tires.
According to Sheldon http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I run 17.2 to 90.2 gear inches.
I prefer my Moultons 16.7 (from memory) GI but want to keep my Ogres Rohloff with recommended limits.
Not knocking anyone elses ride at all but no way would I be wanting to spin a minimum of 20 GI loaded with panniers as I'd be doing too much pushing and killing my knees.
My advice would be to think about your knees and keep your gearing as low as you find comfortable (I know some prefer higher gearing - more power to them).
Model Chainring Cassette Gear Inches
Allegro Complete 30/40/52 11-34 23.8
Kona Sutra 30/39/50 11-32 25.3
Fuji Touring 30/39/50 11-34 23.8
Scott Hybrid 26/36/48 11-32 21.9
Surly LHT Complete 26/36/48 11-34 20.6
Vivente 24/36/46 11-32 20.3
Allegro Mod 26/36/46 12-36 19.5
Salsa Fargo 2 26/39 11-36 19.5
Ronk's Sabbath 22/32/44 11-34 17.5
Salsa Fargo 3 24/32/42 11-36 18.0
Trek 4300 MTB 26in 22/32/44 11-34 16.8
Ogre (Rohloff) 29in 34/16 17.2
- Sprocket
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Re: Gear inches
Postby Sprocket » Thu Aug 29, 2013 5:10 pm
■ No load: High-125″, Low-30″
■ Light load with or without sag wagon: High-115″, Low-28″
■ Medium load with or without sag wagon: High-110″,Low-25″
■ Heavy load without sag wagon: High-108″,Low-22″
■ Heavy load with camping: High-100″,Low-18″
■ Extra heavy load, expedition: High-100″,Low-16″
■ Heavy load, mountain bike: High-98″,Low-16″
Seems pretty reasonable to me.
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Re: Gear inches
Postby GregLR » Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:24 pm
Consistent with what others have been saying on this thread, I think that the high gears above 110" on that list for no load, light load, etc, would only be useful if you are a strong road racer type. While I have two road bikes with a high of 110" (53/13), my 5 other road bikes (including two touring bikes with 46 teeth big rings & a couple of others used for audax with a 50 big ring) have a high in the range 96-104" which I find ample - on those bikes I have to be riding at 60-65km/hour down a hill to require a higher gear and if I was going any faster I'd be freewheeling so bigger gears would be a waste.Sprocket wrote:I found this list...Seems pretty reasonable to me.
Greg
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Re: Gear inches
Postby il padrone » Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:55 pm
[edit] Checked again - the roadie's top gear is actually 104"
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
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Re: Gear inches
Postby Uncle Just » Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:47 pm
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Re: Gear inches
Postby rifraf » Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:08 pm
85kmph?Uncle Just wrote:Well you've never drafted a truck then. Or gone hard down a mountain such as Hotham, Falls or Buffalo where in the right spots you can hit 85km/hr+. You will easily spin out on anything less than a 50/11 (122") even coming off Mt Dandenong to Montrose. You don't have to be a strong road racer to push a gear >120" down a mountain, but you must be a good, safe descender and use the brakes judiciously to do it well. Sprinting on the other hand....
Safe descender?
Judicious braking?
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Re: Gear inches
Postby rkelsen » Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:48 pm
On a touring bike?Uncle Just wrote:... 85km/hr+...
- il padrone
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Re: Gear inches
Postby il padrone » Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:58 pm
Yes, done that often enough. But usually not on huge descents, rather on flattish roads with a tailwind, where the speed I 'd get to will be about 50-60. Descending a mountain behind a truck.... the truck will normally pull away at 90-100 on open roads. You won't hang on to him.Uncle Just wrote:Well you've never drafted a truck then.
Yes, done that often enough as well. I've done 80-85 on occasions but usually on straight descents, with a good tail-wind or a tandem to draft. Winding descents you simply don't hit these sorts of speeds with safety IMEUncle Just wrote:Or gone hard down a mountain such as Hotham, Falls or Buffalo where in the right spots you can hit 85km/hr+.
A descent off the Dandies will not see me spin out, even with a 104" gear. To spin out I'd have to be doing over 60-65kmh and with all the curves and corners it is just not sustainable. To add another factor, on long straight descents I have always found that there is more speed increase to be gained by doing a tight aero tuck, rather than trying to pedal to boost the speed. Pedalling hard may add 2-3kmh, a tuck will give you an extra 5-10kmh. Just my experience.Uncle Just wrote:You will easily spin out on anything less than a 50/11 (122") even coming off Mt Dandenong to Montrose. You don't have to be a strong road racer to push a gear >120" down a mountain, but you must be a good, safe descender and use the brakes judiciously to do it well. Sprinting on the other hand....
These days I am a bit more conservative - generally happy to sit on 50-65kmh on a descent.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
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Re: Gear inches
Postby Uncle Just » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:16 am
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