changing chain ring

jonny limelight

hi, i ve just bought my first mountain bike on the cycle2 work scheme, a boardmans sport mainly to ride to work and to get me from a to b. i used to do a lot of cycling in my early years riding (26 years ago) a pennine 14 speed road bike, which looks quite retro now. i haven’t ridden a bike now for over 15 years due to my fell running which takes priority.
after using a the old fashion gear shiffters i am not up to date on the modern tech stuff so if anyone can help me with this question i would be very grateful.

on the the mountain bike can i swap the small 22 chain ring for a 50? would it be the case of moving them down one and substituting the 22 for the 50 or would i need a bigger chain?
the thought is that if i cannot climb an hill without using the 22 then i would rather climb off and run up with the bike over my shoulder.

any help would be grateful.

supersonic

Basically, no.

You may be able to fit a larger chainset, (ie a 48/38/28) but there could be clearance problems, and may need a new front mech. Definitely a longer chain.

Spinning up hills is generally more efficient than walking up it with the bike. Are you running out of top gears? What is your top speeds and cadence?

jonny limelight

thanks for the reply,

i haven't got the bike yet but it is ordered.

i used to ride a 53 with a 7 speed racing block at the back. i feel that i wont use the small ring for the kind of cycling i have in mind. i thought rather than have a redundant chain ring it may be better to have a larger one for riding on the road. going from the old gear levers and brake blocks to these fangled tech things are all new to me.

supersonic

Well MTBing/offroad is a lot different from road biking, with much more severe inclines that change very quickly. Especially in the pennines!

I would see how you get on with what you have. the 22t can be a god send up some climbs, and keeps your mementum going without having to dismount.

If you aren't using it, then consider the above sized chainset. Going over 48t is usally not practical on an MTB for clearance reasons.

jonny limelight

thanks supersonic,
i ll see how i get on before i try the 48.
the bike mainly to get me to the fells because i prefer to run over them. you could be right...i am in my forties and possibly not as fit as i was, i may get the mountain biking bug yet. thanks