Would like to add more gears, please advise

rossyl
rossyl Posts: 26
edited August 2012 in The workshop
Hi,

I have a road bike and struggle to climb hills. I find the "lowest" gear for hill climbs is a bit all-or-nothing. Either I race up it or I don't get up it at all...and lets just say I'm not in a state where I can race up it :wink:

I am also a complete novice, so would be grateful if you could please explain in the most simple terms!

The gear shifters are Sora flightdeck

So here's what I've got (please click on thumbnail for a large image):

img20120731193528.th.jpg

img20120731193553.th.jpg


I'd be grateful if someone could advise on the cheapest way to add low gears to ease climbing hills.

Thanks very much guys
R

Comments

  • lc1981
    lc1981 Posts: 820
    Do you want more gears, lower gears or a greater range of gears? The second and third options just require a new cassette, or possibly chainrings depending on what you've got at the moment (it's hard to count the teeth from the photo!), whereas the first option would require new derailleurs and shifters as well. There's a thread that covers all this here.
  • rossyl
    rossyl Posts: 26
    Hi

    Thanks for the response.

    I would like to add gears to ease going up hills only, nothing else. I'd also like to do this as cheaply as possible.

    I have read that thread, however, most of the information goes over my head. I'm a bit stuck as I'm not really able to knowledgeably assess what I have.

    I'd be grateful for a bit more direction/instruction on what my options are.

    My idea is to buy off eBay and then find a local bike shop to fit it.

    Larger pictures of ther gears can be found here:

    https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/j ... directlink

    https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/K ... directlink

    These photos are zoom-able.

    many many thanks for the help
  • lc1981
    lc1981 Posts: 820
    In that case, I'd say that you don't really need more gears, just lower ones. There are two ways to achieve this - to have bigger sprockets on the cassette at the back, or smaller chainrings at the front (or both). I can see that you have a standard chainset (53 and 39 teeth chainrings). One option is therefore to switch this out for a compact (with, say, 50 and 34 teeth rings). The problem with this is that you'd also have to change the cranks, so it will be relatively expensive to do. Changing the cassette is cheaper. From what I can see, you've got a Shimano 7-speed cassette. What you need to do is count the teeth on the smallest and biggest sprockets (or look for numbers printed on them). You can then look for a new cassette with a bigger largest sprocket (for example, 28 teeth rather than 25). Note that it's recommended to get a new chain at the same time as replacing the cassette.
  • rossyl
    rossyl Posts: 26
    Thanks very much for spelling it out for me, really appreciate it

    I just have another (likely to be stupid) question.

    Does the new cassette have to be
    - Shimano, and
    - 7 Speed only?

    Thanks
    Ross
  • lc1981
    lc1981 Posts: 820
    If the derailleur is 7-speed, then the cassette needs to be too. Shimano and SRAM cassettes are interchangeable; Campagnolo ones are different. I think that's right!
  • twist83
    twist83 Posts: 761
    I posed the same question for my better half and we have just bought her a new cassette with a larger toothed ring at the back. Just make sure as well if you change your cassette that the chain is long enough...

    Usually you have as said above the numbers printed on the cassette. Easy to see on the smaller ring usually will be an 11 or 12 and then count the teeth on the rear.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    If it's a 7-speed then there's a reasonable chance you don't have a cassette at all, but a freewheel. Take the wheel out of the frame and take a photo of the cassette and we can tell you.
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    lc1981 wrote:
    If the derailleur is 7-speed, then the cassette needs to be too. Shimano and SRAM cassettes are interchangeable; Campagnolo ones are different. I think that's right!
    Mechs aren't cassette speciific. Shifters are though..
    I don't do smileys.

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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    DesWeller wrote:
    If it's a 7-speed then there's a reasonable chance you don't have a cassette at all, but a freewheel. Take the wheel out of the frame and take a photo of the cassette and we can tell you.
    it is a cassette.

    OP you will be limited as to how large you can go on the new cassette by the ability of the mech. IIRC 27T is the biggest for most road mechs,

    and yes a new 7spd cassette is needed.
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I have an MTB cassette and mech on my road bike. I'm more of a cruiser than a racer.
    But it does have 52/42 on the front and I need all the help I can get.
    I don't do smileys.

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