Gearing on a SS MTB

Fabian Cancellara (or pos

Am building up a SS MTB (steel inbred with 26” wheels) and looking for some advice on what length gear to fit, as I’ve not done much mountain biking before (all looks pretty straight forward mind)

I ride a 72” fixed on the road (48 by 18 on road wheels) which feels like a fine ‘do everything’ gear for training and general riding in pretty much any terrain either on my own or with others who are riding on gears. I’m planning to do general trails and cross country riding on the SS, probably in the company of my mates who would be riding gears (in general these are triathletes and such, thus: fit, but not particularly handy bike riders).

Any advice welcome.

Cheers,

‘Fabian’

nicklouse

lots of info here http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12534960

generally a 2:1 cog ratio for 26" wheels.

supersonic

Fabian Cancellara (or pos wrote:

all looks pretty straight forward mind

Depends where you are riding! The terrain and slope will change much quicker than on any road, and liable to be a lot steeper too. Gears really are good unless you don't have any hills.

nicklouse

supersonic wrote:

Fabian Cancellara (or pos wrote:

all looks pretty straight forward mind

Depends where you are riding! The terrain and slope will change much quicker than on any road, and liable to be a lot steeper too. Gears really are good unless you don't have any hills.

Or you are a masochist.

pics of my SS later.

the frame is in the post

supersonic

Hehe, you know what Yorkshire hills can be like ;-)

uk_mr_brownstone

2:1 is hard going in proper hilly areas unless you're pretty strong- i'm not so it was hard going!

I did like the way SS made you think ahead a lot more and try to keep every bit of speed so you had a chance of making teh next hill

norco forever

i ran 34:16 on my identiti and have never had any problems

supersonic

Riding where though?

Just that a lot of places I ride, 44/11 on the long swoopy bits, then met with a 40% rocky incline after scrubbing off the speed beacause of a tight 90 degree bend I need to dump them fast.

Does depends where you ride.

norco forever

that was for everywhere, it got me from leicester to loughborough it got me through swithland woods, chicksands, pretty much everywhere

supersonic

I suppose you have a different style of bike and riding to me though. I am more XC.

At the end it is what suits, but for me, SS slows me down badly here. Matching cadence increases efficiency on the massively varying hills.

norco forever

thats a fair call

i mean now i've my scott yes i can see the point in gears (and an adjustable rear shoc XD)
but i never turn down an excuse to thrash my identiti especially with the shiver's on it

rammer

I'm running a 32/17 on a inbred, 18 is no good for speed on flat and 16 is a bit hard on hills,17 is a happy medium.

Sarnian

I have a 36-18 on my inbred rigid

BoardinBob

42-16 on mine.

Fine for the flat and slow grinds up moderate hills but forget about anything steep unless it's short and you're carrying a lot of speed into i.t

nicklouse

34:16= 2,125:1
44:11=4:1 (Sonic)
32:17= 1,88:1
36:18= 2:1
42:16= 2,625:1
and
i am building 2 at the moment
mine 36:15= 2,4:1
and and a mates 32:15= 2,13:1

for gear inches TBH not many MTBers look that far into it.

Fabian Cancellara (or pos

grand, thanks.

I do understand that SS will be slower than gears on some terrain, this doesn't bother me. Just want to get a gearing that will mean I can ride anywhere with guys on gears and not ruin their ride completely.

Sounds like I should get something like a 36 for the front and then maybe an 18, a 17 and a 16 for the back to see what feels right?

supersonic

Well thats the thing, depends on the terrain. On the wrong terrain, their gears will make them faster. You can't ride SS anywhere in my opinion without some drawbacks, unless the place is not too technical/hilly where it may have an advantage. ie pretty flat.

What you propose though sounds good.

hucking_fell

36T front, 16T back for commuting on smooth paths and roads, some steeper hills that I need to stand up on. MTB, 26" wheels, skinny knobbly tyres at 60 psi.

Think I'll try 32T front for off road stuff.

tlw1

I have just built up a Kona with a 36t at the front & 16t at the back. I am trying to get fit!

Only been out a couple of times - but not enough hills to test properly. Perhaps this w.end as it looks like edale is off!

singlespeedexplosif

Gears really are good unless you don't have any hills.
where it may have an advantage. ie pretty flat

Quite the opposite IME. Hills are where singlespeeds are best, flat is where they are at their worst.

supersonic

Not the hills here. You have no chance with a 2:1 up some of them!

singlespeedexplosif

Not the hills here. You have no chance with a 2:1 up some of them!
some particularly steep ones in Chapeltown compared to the rest of the Peaks or pennines?

supersonic

I live 1 mile from Wharncliffe.

singlespeedexplosif

Wharncliffe's ace on a ss. It's not particularly steep though

supersonic

Maybe you don't ride the bits I do lol.

supersonic

Some bits of chap itself are very steep! Not high, but in places totally unridable:



Chap Park

ride_whenever

I'd say 2:1 for an off-road ss, particularly in the wet where you need to be able to control the traction on the back wheel.

off-one

32:18 gives you a fighting chance in the Peak District.

38:20 for commuting in Sheffield,makes you grit your teeth and hope your knees hold up.

34:17 a good compromise, but can make you burp abit here.

supersonic

Good old Sheffield roads!

Ever gone up Blake Street?



I'd just get the crampons out lol.

Kiblams

I was looking into this to try to decide on the optimum chainring size and decided to see what the manufacturers like Felt and Kona make of it. I have found that they seem to prefer to put 32T chainrings up front and mostly 18T on the back. Not sure if the 32T was decided to ensure they would work offroad, or that its easier to get 32T (in my experience) Though the 18T on the back would be difficult on fast sections as I find myself spinning out on tarmac with 32:14 quite regularly.

gpsBRM

I run 32:16 on my rigid Inbred (what it came with). Its fine for off road (around the North Downs and Bedgebury), however on flat roads it awful. Luckily the trails aren't to far from the front door. My mates hate it when I bring that bike out on a ride because you end up going faster off road than you would on a geared bike.

I have snapped 3 chains on it though and ripped apart a freewheel in less than 2 1/2 years, guess this is beacuse you have to exert more force through the pedals?