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I've given one of my bikes to someone to use during the lockdown. They are finding the hills difficult and would like lower gearing.
Bike has a 34t chainring with Ultegra cranks 110 BCD
Cassette is 11 speed with a 36t largest sprocket using a Roadlink
Shifter and mech are 11S Ultegra (longest mech available)
32 on the front in place of the 34 or advise they avoid some of the hills
Think that crank won't take a 32t
Think that crank won’t take a 32t
Oval ring might fit?
I think cheapest, might be ‘least expensive’... triple chain set on the front? Would need new chain set, mech and shifter.
Or avoid hills until they’ve built up a bit more fitness.
Tricky... hard to find a smaller chainring for that BCD, but a bigger cassette might not work with your mech.
33t ring here in 110BCD, but not much of a jump.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/ta-110x-inner-chainring-for-ultegra6800/rp-prod176003
Cheep Apex 1x crank, and a GXP converter for your BB?
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/sram-apex-1-road-crankset-gxp-/rp-prod156425
Stick on a 11-40T cassette.
I'm running a Compact (50/34), 11-40T XT cassette and an Ultegra R8000 rear mech. No Roadlink necessary.
New chainset? GRX with 46/30 chainrings?
Its tough to get much lower on roadbike.
Do they know anyone with a triple chainset mtb?
11-40 cassette. My Ultegra RX derailleur works perfectly (despite shimano saying it wont).
What hills are they riding up???? - that gearing should be fine for most road stuff
Maybe an ebike? - sorry feeling ****ish 🙁
That is low gearing for a road bike. If they persevere a few months will see them getting up most things. But everyones different, I got one of these for gravel use on my cyclocross bike.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainsets/170-fsa-tempo-adventure-11-speed-double-chainset-4630t/
Buy bigger thighs 😀
650b rear wheel 🙂
Spa cults sub compact
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p3383/SPA-CYCLES-Super-Compact-Chainset-with-Zicral-Rings
About £80
Any radios you want. Mine is 28 40
A gearing of less than 1:1 is very low for a road bike. Agree with avoiding the hill until fitter.
A gearing of less than 1:1 is very low for a road bike. Agree with avoiding the hill until fitter.
That seems to be the accepted view of the cycle industry and many cyclists. But it has always struck me as an odd view point
Probably based on the fact we ride bikes and a gearing of less than 1:1 is pretty much get off and walk speed as it would be quicker.
Admittedly I don't live in the mountains but I get get up some pretty steep hills on 2.35:1 and never need anything lower and I am no superstar cyclist.
BITD, mountain bikes had a 28/28 granny gear, and it did seem low, certainly compared to road bikes of the day.
Perhaps the ‘avoid hills’ advice is best, if they are so unfit, they will advance quickly, they will probably begin to notice changes in 2-3 weeks.
What I’ve found is that if I can’t get up a hill on my road bike (because of gearing) then I generally CBA to get up it on my mtb (unless it’s pretty short).
Caveat: I’m in my early 50s and really fat 👍👍
That seems to be the accepted view of the cycle industry and many cyclists. But it has always struck me as an odd view point
Indeed and probably why many road cyclists avoid hills because gearing choices make them unpleasant. Most road cyclists round here keep to the flatter main roads and only the hardy attempt the more pleasant hilly back roads.
Probably based on the fact we ride bikes and a gearing of less than 1:1 is pretty much get off and walk speed as it would be quicker.
I take it you've never tried 1:1 because that's simply not true. Ok it's not quick either, around jogging pace, but better than walking. Yes you can clear a bit of steep in a high gear but if you like to spend time grinding up hills (which is mostly what you inevitably do on a proper hilly route) get gearing to suit.
I take it you’ve never tried 1:1 because that’s simply not true. Ok it’s not quick either, around jogging pace, but better than walking. Yes you can clear a bit of steep in a high gear but if you like to spend time grinding up hills (which is mostly what you inevitably do on a proper hilly route) get gearing to suit.
I’m no superstar, but 34x34 got me over the Alps & Pyrenees.
I’d fully agree that lower gears make sense for riding laden, which is why you see triples on tourers, but for short exercise rides on stuff in the U.K. - which seems to be the OP’s case - 1:1 seems ok.
The fitness will come quickly.
As for actual advice, a cheap 650b wheelset might actually be a good shout if it’s a disc bike, or the spa cycles cranks (which might need chain and cassette too) if not seems best. Though it depends on the bb for the cranks.
Stick a mountain bike front chainset on, go as low as you want.
Well the lowest great on my eyes/gravel bike is 28:36. Much lower than 1:1. I change into it at about 9.5km/h and then settle to about 8.5km/h. Obviously that's seated. I can go slower if I need to buy it's then the wing cadence for me.
Now my cadence might be unusual but that's irrelevant. My bikes set up for me. I have no desire to tell other people what gears to ride. But i do find it odd that other people will tell people that they didn't need a gear that low. Why deny people access to hills because the cycle industry can't supply the gears they want and need?
I have certainly seen people even round here struggling up hills on bikes with completely the wring gearing for them. Hardly inclusive is it
I take it you’ve never tried 1:1 because that’s simply not true.
I briefly had a geared bike last year (a hardtail with 32/42). I never used 32/42 once but did use 32/36 for one 25 metre technical off road hill where had to stay seated to keep traction. I could have walked up at the same speed but wanted to get up the hill form a technical perspective.
On the road it is a different story and never used anywhere near as low a gear even on a heavy hardtail with knobbly tyres.
I change into it at about 9.5km/h and then settle to about 8.5km/h
So 5 mph then, what I would call walking pace. I don't care what other people ride, was just responding to the comment around why a lot of cyclist say tat 1:1 is a pretty low gear. A cadence of 60rpm will get you 4mph...
2nd hand mtb chainset with smaller chainring.
I've got a 32 oval on one, pretty sure I could get a 30 on there too.
Walking pace is around 3 mph / 5 kph. Less if going uphill. Even lesser if pushing a bike at the same time. As I said away up there somewhere, I currently have a low gear of 34:40 on my #gradventourer and a 11-40T cassette still seems to be the answer to the OP.
So 5 mph then, what I would call walking pace.
We'll beg to differ on gearing as I say its personal to individuals
But 5mph is not walking pace for most people. Certainly not pushing a bike up hill
Aye, off topic but 2.5mph - 3.0mph is walking pace. 5mph is a very slow jog (apologies to the park runners that are 'balls out' at that pace...). Oh, and why would you get off and walk on a cycle ride...? It's a bit like taking a bike out for a run...
Stick a Sunrace 11-40 on it for about £40. Mebbies a bit of chain also needed but that's all. That's the cheapest way to get lower gearing.