Uber low gearing - when to use?

Northwind

So far, I've mainly used my 34T cassette to wheelie uncontrollably on steep hills while not paying sufficient attention. It's good for that.

dave_hill

bungalistic wrote:

I don't really see the point in spinning away up a hill if it's faster to walk/push up.

Is it? It's mind-bogglinglyinefficient, I know that much... :shock:

dave_hill

supersonic wrote:

That is just one example though, and an anecdote at that!

And probably by one of those annoyingly annoying beardy types with wire-rimmed specs and lemon-curd stained skin shorts who you'd just like to punch into the middle of next week. If it wasn't such a monumental waste of time. And walking away shaking your head and mumbling wasn't easier.

supersonic

Lol. Ae is only 12 miles, so I'd expect a good XC rider to do it in close to an hour if not less.

bungalistic

supersonic wrote:

Lol. Ae is only 12 miles, so I'd expect a good XC rider to do it in close to an hour if not less.

If you can do it in less than one hour on a HT then fair play, and it is more like 14-15 mile.

If you're local loops/rides don't require you're granny then yeah makes sense to take it off. If I ever decided to ride longer xc rides or enduro style rides then I would probably run a granny ring too (any buy a better suited bike too)

Steve Kish

My nice effortless pedalling style in a 18-inch gear usually means that walkers pass me.

Kiblams

Cheers for the thoughts guys, it seems that its a case of 'horses for courses' where gearing is concerned.

I am happy enough with my 32:34 for the time being, only hill I haven't managed to climb recently was nearly too steep to walk up and had bits of 6" mud so I was spinning on the spot!

Thewaylander

Where you need it is the entire climb at Cwm Carn

Northwind

According to the front page, XX comes with a 36T cassette- add that to a 3 ring front and you'll be able to ride backwards in time

Chaz.Harding

36 tooth CASSETTE!!!!

Is that not bigger than the rear wheel?? 8)

rb1956

Heh. My lowest gear is 16 inches (15.9 actually), and I don't even ride off-road! I'm just over 50, with dodgy knees, and ride in a hilly district.

I spin up my local steepest hills at about 85-90rpm for 6.5-6.9kph, and yeah, people jeer "I can walk faster than that!". But I've won a couple of bets against blokes who found out that in reality they couldn't walk up *the same slope* faster than I can ride it. Never give a sucker an even break! :twisted:

roger_merriman

thinking about it, i almost never use the big ring, i'm mostly in the middle or grinding out of bog, up some thing in the granny gear, the big ring hardly gets a look in.

Bikerbaboon

I use my granny ring all the time out on my local trails. I have dumped by large ring and am now running 22/36 up front with a bash guard. If im going down hill fast enough to use the large ring then im needing my peddles flat and level. and able to shift my weight around. On the flat can get up to a sustainable 30KPH. Getting up the hill is not the problem. getting to the top as fresh as possible so that i can blast along hte flats and the downs as fast aspossible is my aim.

you earn the downs so make them as fun as possilbe.

mea00csf

i use my granny gears a lot. I don't see the point in going out for a ride then pushing the bike up something i could ride, all be it very slowly. As long as i'm riding it, i'm improving my bike fitness, hill climbing, so why would i walk it?!