Lower gears for my Dawes Cyclocross bike

shredhead

I use my Dawes Edge X http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/cyclo-cross/product/review-dawes-cycles-edge-x-10-35468 for commuting and want some lower gear options to get up Brighton's hills. Its got a double chainring. Is it best to get a smaller cassette or granny ring?

CarlosDSanchez

You could swap the 36 chain ring for a 34 (smallest that will fit a 110 pcd) or fit a cassette with a 28 tooth largest cog?

shredhead

Thanks. I meant a larger cassette, of course. What's a 110pcd? Which of those options will give me lower gears?

essex-commuter

shredhead wrote:

Thanks. I meant a larger cassette, of course. What's a 110pcd? Which of those options will give me lower gears?

PCD is pitch circle diameter, also referred to as BCD, bolt circle diameter. It is the measurement between the holes on the spider that your chainrings bolt to. There are various PCD's, you need to find out the size of yours if you decide to go down the chainring route.

Both options will give you lower gears, I'm not clever enough to know the exact measurements but a quick browse around the site of Sheldon Brown will probably yield the answer.

I think I'd probably go down the cassette route.

EDIT: Just re-read CarlosDSanchez's post, I think he is saying your bike IS 110 PCD.

roger_merriman

the cheapest and just slightly the lowest gearing would be to change the cassette from a 25t to a 28t one.

Blue Meanie

+1 Essex-Commuter

Wheel divided by Cog times Chainring gives:
36.7 for changing chainring
34.7 for swapping cassette
we have a winner!

For simplicity I used Wheel as 27", which is probably close as the Edge comes with 35c tyres