boxst

I've just started to ride again to help with some level of fitness and bought a bike that apparently has 24 gears: What on earth are they all for?! I seem to have to start off in 5th gear and then randomly choose different ones.

The last time I had a bike it had 5 gears and that was 'state of the art'...

Steve

Matteeboy

Most now have 27 and 30 is on the cards soon...

The trouble is you need the highest (bombing along on tarmac) and lowest (climbing a vicious off road hill) gears but the steps between each need to be sensible.

Most riding only need the middle ring so only 8 gears (or 9 on a 27 speed).

Trouble is more gears means a wider "cassette" (rear cogs) so wider frame and thinner chain. I think 30 speed is taking it too far. 24 speed chains are definitely stronger than 27 speed ones.

Dieseldog

... and as you shouldn't stretch the chain from, say the big ring on the front to the smallest cog at the back, in effect you have far fewer than 24. Just use, say, the smallest three cogs with the big ring, the middle three with the middle ring, and the largest three with the smallest ring - in effect, 9 gears.



Although thinking about it, I'm usually on the middle ring and the smallest cog, so all that above that is bollux really...

boxst

Okay, so you would suggest starting off on cog '2' (i.e. 9 - 16) and keeping in that range?

Steve

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

It is a little nuts isn't it?

I have 27 gears on my CX bike and only really use 3 of them (sometimes 4 or 5) I never get off the big chain ring as there are no hills that require the lower gears.

I bought the bike for it's geometry and off road / on road ability - the excess gears are just something I ignore

austinwrx

it gets even more confusing when you realise the no of "teeth" on the cogs and cassette come into play.

i.e a mtb front large ring is only about the size of a racing bikes small or middle ring.


I think you'll find what works for you.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

mine has 27, I only ever use the middle cog at the front, occasionally the granny ring off road but on road I very rarely use the big one, got to 37.2 mph on a hill last night and had just about run out of gears but I didnt fancy a change at that speed and the end of the hill was near anyway. Look up "Rohlhoff", an interesting (if expensive) hub gear setup, virtually maintenance free, unlike the derreaileur which is quite high maintenance, though I have to say mine has Sram thumb index shifters and rear mech and it works really well, much better than my previous bikes, 1500 miles and it still works as well as when I got it, no discernible wear and its great being able to shift without moving your hands off the bars, unlike my old racer which involved draging the frame mounted lever backwards and forwards, seems archaic now.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Thumb levers? How quaint! Do let me know when you get into the 21st Century dahling!

My Tricross uses the brake lever shifters and boy do these take some getting used to!

As for the gears - my rear cassette goes from 32 to 11 teeth and the chain rings have 30 / 42 / 50 teeth

My top gear would see me at well over 40 if I was stupid enough (or able to!! )

Matteeboy

J4cko - we had a hybrid with the Nexus 8 speed hub and it was USELESS. No range, clunky and terrible. Took it back and got a full refund. The Rohloff is horribly pricey and not much better AND it's gripshift only...

Boxst - yep. That should suit most conditions. Just keep riding though and it'll soon be instinctive. As mentioned, try not to use the biggest front and biggest back ring (or smallest front and smallest back) as the chain angle is too much and will grind.

Although a bit OTT I really do think bike derailleurs/mech are an engineering masterpiece.

boxst

Okay, I'm just a wimp. Had a ride around and had to get off and push up the hills!

(In my defence they are quite BIG hills where I live )

Plus riding on the road without being able to see what is behind you is freaky after over 20 years in a car looking every few seconds back and around.

Steve

SiPie

Good on you for getting out there after so long Steve

The hills will get easier (well, a little bit)

Dave T-S

My missus has had 30 gears on her Giant road bike for about 8 years

Campagnolo have just brought out an 11 speed cassette for 2009 - thus 33 gears on a triple chainring

I've got 27 gears on my road bike, 30 on the MTB and one on the trainer

HankScorpio

My Mk1 Strika had no gears and a back pedal rear brake action and it was way cooler and faster than any of this modern guff.

Timwinner

iTrader: (3)

Im back down to 8 speed for my DH bike. Gears are for girls....

boxst

The feeling to throw up has finally subsided, out for another half an hour.

Steve

Dave T-S

I think you will find all modern MTB's have thumb lever gear shifts

austinwrx

I remember 4 of use doing a big road trip- London to York and back to Bingley basically once via an odd ball route.

stopped a night in a pub in lincoln and some **** started arguing about how his mtb was far better than our road bikes ? WTF ?

and how he needed all his gears for the hills........... we sat there taking the **** for hours....... we hadn't seen a bloody hill in a days worth of cycling !!!

he then told me my campagnolie (sp) gears were rubbish compared to his shimano (bare in mind I'm riding a handbuilt bike

just such a funny night. we really p'd them off that night by winning the pub quiz too

dpb

You could always ride fixed - that'll pump up your legs in no time lol


I suppose an 11 speed cassette over 8 ( when i bought a racer , '85 ish) means ultimatley the chain is thinner and thefore more robust ? - but you cant go on widening the rear drop-outs forever.

Mostly its revenue generation im sure , you cant tell me a racer is that much better off with 2*11 over 2*9

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I'm really confused by the gears on my MTB too, there are 27 of them and I have no idea which is which. I just seem to mainly use the ones on the right

What should I be doing?

dpb

Thats what you should be doing , 1 cog at a time

changing up/down on the big rings all at once loses monentum and is usually a beginners/girls mistake HTH

swaussie

Real men dont even run a chain let alone bother with gears and cassettes Cable car to the top and then go as stupidly fast as possible back to the bottom. Rinse and repeat all day

At least thats how I do it. Going uphill just makes me realise how fat and unfit I am

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Scotty, the Bad Wildbad downhill track they used in the German championships last year is for people with no brain!!! I had trouble walking down it let alone riding down it

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

When my lads were younger and had graduated from single speed via 5-speed to 21, then 24, then 27 gears, they were constantly asking, "What gear should I be in now dad?", expecting me to give front chainring/rear sprocket for each situation.

It took me a while to convince them that it didn't MATTER so long as pedalling was comfortable, and correct cadence was maintained.

That's the real answer.

Just choose a combination of front/rear that suits the speed of the bike and maintains a good pedal cadence, but avoid too much chain deviation, (large ring, large sprockets, or small ring, small sprockets).

All my family's bikes are Shimano equipped, LX, XT or XTR, all with indexed STI, (Shimano Total Integration) triggers.

yoza

Read the link below, and you will realise you NEED this set up.

No mess, no slippage, not open to the dirt and grime.

Reminds me of my Chopper, Bomber and Grifter but updated to an 8 shift.


Rohloff / Speedhub Hubstripping.com

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hubs, anyone?

Used to sound LOVELY with a bit of grit in.............

corradoboy

They're not sequential, think of it more as 3 separate 'gearboxes'. A low ratio, normal and high ratio 'box.

When the front is on cog '1', the smallest, it takes less torque or effort from you to turn it and each rotation carries you a small distance. Apply that to each gear and it makes for easier progress when hills are involved.

On front cog '3', the big one, it requires a lot of effort to turn but it goes a long way. On the level with plenty of existing momentum, or with gravity assistance going downhill, this reduces your input whilst maximising speed.

Use the back set of cogs just the same as a car gearbox, but switch front cogs to suit the terrain.

I think I got them the right way 'round, but haven't been on my bike for two years and was never technically up to speed with the gears Someone will surely correct me soon

Matteeboy

They bare cr4p - believe me there are. And 14 speed for the Rohloff. Find any high level rider that uses one?

Got one bike that's all XT/LX and the other that's all the SRAM equivalent X-9. Both work very well but then wife's bike is lower rent Deore/LX and that's works fine too!

I'm finding stuff definitely isn't as well made as it used to be.

I have a 1997 Stumpjumper and a 2007 one. This the length of time I've had from each:

Drivetrain - 97; 8 years, 07; 1.5 years
Shifters - 97; still original and fine, 07; 1.5 years
Cassette and chain - 97; 8 years, 07; 1.5 years
Rear top end tyre - 97; 2 years, 07; 4 months

And the list goes on and on. My local bike shop agrees too. Annoying as I don't go all out for light weight. I try and get some durability too. My 1997 one was a bit less used than the 2007 one but not much less.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

The Rohlhoff has its fans and market, usually serious commuters and tourers, it adds weight and some additional friction so is not good for racing, but it will keep going mile in mile out without needing maintenance, a lot less vulnerable than a normal set up, so it has its place and its an interesting technology, as are the electronic fly by wire Shimano shifters I read about a little while back.

As for stuff not lasting as long, I suppose its down to the quality you buy and how you look after it, buy good stuff and look after it, it will still last, look at how well some of the Hope stuff is made.

Butty

iTrader: (2)

Being able to strip and reassemble one of those got me my first cycle shop job as Bicycle Repair Man <<a la Monty Python>>

That Speedhub looks fun to deal with - are they very heavy and temperamental?

Nick

Matteeboy

J4cko - I buy high end stuff and could not look after it any better. In fact I look after my 2007 bike much better than I ever looked after my 1997 one. The bikes are the same level (base model Stumpys) with good parts.

I have some Hope stuff - some of it is great (lights, BBs) , some not so good (brakes, hubs).

Xt/X-9 level stuff used to last ages - now it doesn't.