Changing chainring advice, also tyres advice
Hi, not sure if I should post this here or in the Sportive section?
I'm not too mechanically minded so apologies:
My girlfriend's work is entering a corporate team in the Gruyere Cycling Tour. They are worried somebody may pull out so I seem to be a reserve! (Although I may enter anyway if not called upon).
http://www.gruyere-cycling-tour.ch/en/gct/parcours
I do most of my riding off-road on my mtb but have a Edinburgh Bicycle Revolution Courier Disc ('08) for running around in town and for short road trips. Was thinking about just doing it on this. My problem, though, is that it has a single chainring (44t) and I struggle a bit on longer hills with nothing to change down in to. Think I have managed 4/5km @ 7% ish before or danced up something stepper (and much shorter). Cannot imagine me managing this for climbs of >10km!
It is possible (and easy enough) to just change the chainring for something smaller and not have any problems with the overall drivechain. If so, what sort of size ring? 38t/40t? Obviously this will be to my detriment for downhills/flats.
The bike has 26"x1.6 slicks on it just now. How skinny a tyre could I fit on the wheel/rim?
Hopefully I'm able to do a combination of the above to make going up a little easier - either that or I do it on my mtb or try and borrow a road bike (or find one in a skip).
Thanks!
I'm not too mechanically minded so apologies:
My girlfriend's work is entering a corporate team in the Gruyere Cycling Tour. They are worried somebody may pull out so I seem to be a reserve! (Although I may enter anyway if not called upon).
http://www.gruyere-cycling-tour.ch/en/gct/parcours
I do most of my riding off-road on my mtb but have a Edinburgh Bicycle Revolution Courier Disc ('08) for running around in town and for short road trips. Was thinking about just doing it on this. My problem, though, is that it has a single chainring (44t) and I struggle a bit on longer hills with nothing to change down in to. Think I have managed 4/5km @ 7% ish before or danced up something stepper (and much shorter). Cannot imagine me managing this for climbs of >10km!
It is possible (and easy enough) to just change the chainring for something smaller and not have any problems with the overall drivechain. If so, what sort of size ring? 38t/40t? Obviously this will be to my detriment for downhills/flats.
The bike has 26"x1.6 slicks on it just now. How skinny a tyre could I fit on the wheel/rim?
Hopefully I'm able to do a combination of the above to make going up a little easier - either that or I do it on my mtb or try and borrow a road bike (or find one in a skip).
Thanks!
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Comments
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I would have thought you could swap the chain ring ok for a smaller one. Presumably it relies on the rear mech to tension the chain and keep it on the ring. If it has a chain keep this might need adjusting in position to suit. Maybe the chain would need to be shortened slightly for best results.
Tyres - I fitted some Hutchinson 1" tyres to my mtb rims once and they were good and fast rolling. I think they would only work on fairly narrow rims though - cross country rather than downhill. The manufacturer should say what the rim width should be, but I would guess it ought to be narrower than the tyre at most.I\'m sure I had one of those here somewhere0 -
seriously - ditch the courier bike and get hold of a proper road bike. If you're going to do something like that, you may as well do it properly....0
