How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
- hartleymartin
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby hartleymartin » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:55 am
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- sharktamin
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby sharktamin » Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:21 pm
There is plenty of overlap in the ranges of my cogs though, so I recon an 8 speed hub with no overlap would be plenty of gearing.
As a kid 3 speeds was plenty, and there was some fair hill climbing included. I guess it was strength over fitness though 'cause the few long rides I did really killed me.
- Biffidus
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby Biffidus » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:27 am
I've calculated that an 8-speed setup (such as the Avanti Blade 8 or giant would have similar be similar to what I have now if I only use the middle chainring and while part of me loves the idea of a fast commuter bike, I am curious about the gearing on road bikes and the thought of 30 gears is very tempting.
- hartleymartin
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby hartleymartin » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:43 pm
Anyone got a couple of Dynohubs they don't want?
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby Runjikol » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:16 pm
I take off in 4th; or 3rd when a bit tired or there's a hill immediately in front of me.
Mostly ride in 5th.
Downhill in 6th or 7th (depending how long the downhill is for or how stuffed I am from the previous climb )
Climb in 3rd and 2nd shifting to 1st when I'm running out of legs on my two longest climbs.
If I attacked the downhills more I might make it to 8th. I've not yet taken the bike into the 50+ kph range.
Fitness will change all of this, though.
There's some gear-ratio jumps that are a bit high. I'd like to try a SRAM I-motion 9 hub and, of-course, a Rohloff *drool*. For more even spacing of gear-ratios. Even the Nexus premium would be nice to try.
- rustguard
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby rustguard » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:29 pm
- leximack
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby leximack » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:33 pm
its running 42/16 which according to Sheldon is 69 gear inches.
Has been great so far and able to get me up all hills so far. Unless your commuting in the blue mountains or want to pedal at 60km/h i think a few gears is all that is needed.
A bit of HTFU is all that i have needed so far.
Don
- Lark2004
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby Lark2004 » Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:21 pm
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby jmt » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:48 pm
The cycle paths are reasonably flat and wind is the biggest issue. I have cycled 'across town' and had a testing (HTFU) time traveling through Mount Hawthorn (hilly) North Perth and Mount Lawley!
- bigfriendlyvegan
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby bigfriendlyvegan » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:40 pm
Given that, it took me the same time as I normally take which was a big surprise.
David
- tomns
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby tomns » Sun Aug 02, 2009 7:55 pm
My Peugeot fixie running 48/16 on 700C-23s which I use if I am feeling good (full brake setup front and rear)
Or my rebuild curbside find which is a Repco of some variety running single speed 43/16 on 27x1 1/4 wheels.
Both bikes are good fun, the fixie is the only way to turn my 10Km each way commute into anything like a challenge, I am just
far too lazy if I ride my geared bike.
Tom
Peugeot Versailles - Fixie
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- hartleymartin
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby hartleymartin » Wed Aug 05, 2009 8:54 am
http://raleightwenty.webs.com - the top web resource for the Raleigh Twenty
- Zynster
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby Zynster » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:21 pm
- ColinOldnCranky
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Wed Aug 05, 2009 4:38 pm
One to one for on the flats.
One to one for going up hills.
One to one for going down hills.
(Hmmm. Methinks this thread is not for me. )
- steveoc
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby steveoc » Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:05 pm
Normal commute : sit on 90" most of the time, push it up to 120" when sprinting. (I like a couple of little sprints before slacking off and rolling into work.) So thats anything from 30km/h to 50km/h. Typically flick up and down through 4 gears for this (14-13-12-11 on the back, 50 on the front)
Climbs - short climbs on a commute 80"-100" depending on how I feel. Sometimes, if I am rolling nicely into the climb, I will put it up a gear (more inches) and stand on the pedals, still relaxed though, and just cruise up the climb using bodyweight, and keep the speed around 25-30kp/h. So thats either drop it down to 15, or up to 13 on the back cog and 50 on the front.
If I am wasted, or down with the flu, or hungover from the night before ... then no rules apply - its just survival at all costs. I doubt I would even know what gear I was in then.
Horror climbs of excessive gradient that never end : 38" - 47", using 3 cogs on the back . I dont have any horror climbs on my commute, thank goodness. 38.8" being my lowest gear (23 on the back, 34 on the front), which is barely short enough for some nasty sections, but you get over it with practice I spose.
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2008 Avanti Giro, Lime Green
"Middle Age" postponed for another year ...
- Biffidus
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby Biffidus » Wed Aug 05, 2009 8:53 pm
Sure it is... how big is your wheel?ColinOldnCranky wrote:(Hmmm. Methinks this thread is not for me. )
- ColinOldnCranky
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:52 pm
24". So by definition I ride on 24 gear inches.Biffidus wrote:Sure it is... how big is your wheel?ColinOldnCranky wrote:(Hmmm. Methinks this thread is not for me. )
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Re: How many and what gears do you use when commuting?
Postby Fletcher » Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:18 am
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