It could also be due to the height they live at, the air is rarified so they have larger lungs and hearts. This is the reason athletes from other countries train at altitude. Also there is a tradition from the past when the counties concerned people were very poor and could not afford even a bike so ran.
Cycling
- Thread starter gethinceri
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It could also be due to the height they live at, the air is rarified so they have larger lungs and hearts. This is the reason athletes from other countries train at altitude. Also there is a tradition from the past when the counties concerned people were very poor and could not afford even a bike so ran.
Bikes -- new and secondhand -- are like rocking horse shit over here now.
Due to the virus and the fact that we have so many trails, everywhere is sold out and secondhand ones are going for the same or more than new ones.
Cannondale are quoting March 2021 for delivery of a basic road bike.
I don't really want to have two bikes but I would like something more suited to longer rides, so I figured I'd look into converting the transmission on my hybrid to mimic that of a road bike.
Currently it has 44/32 chainrings and a 10 cog 11-40 cassette.
The biggest problem with the cassette is I mainly used the higher gears and the step between them is 3 teeth - which is too much for climbs.
I was thinking of switching to 50/34 front chainrings, and a new close ratio cassette, perhaps an 11-32.
Yes, it will still be slower than a road bike, but it should be a good bit faster than my current hybrid and longer rides and climbs should be easier.
Has anyone ever heard of or done anything like this?
Due to the virus and the fact that we have so many trails, everywhere is sold out and secondhand ones are going for the same or more than new ones.
Cannondale are quoting March 2021 for delivery of a basic road bike.
I don't really want to have two bikes but I would like something more suited to longer rides, so I figured I'd look into converting the transmission on my hybrid to mimic that of a road bike.
Currently it has 44/32 chainrings and a 10 cog 11-40 cassette.
The biggest problem with the cassette is I mainly used the higher gears and the step between them is 3 teeth - which is too much for climbs.
I was thinking of switching to 50/34 front chainrings, and a new close ratio cassette, perhaps an 11-32.
Yes, it will still be slower than a road bike, but it should be a good bit faster than my current hybrid and longer rides and climbs should be easier.
Has anyone ever heard of or done anything like this?
No, but I may know a man who knows a man.
I'll get back to you.
I'll get back to you.
Brogan. From a good mate of mine who has done a bike technician course and even re spokes his own wheels:
Yeah of course he can do that - lots of people adapt and adjust their bikes to suit their own needs
I have a road bike with a single 17T sprocket on the rear and a 34/52 chainring set on the front with a derailleur to shift across - no one else I know rides a bike like that because it's "bonkers" but it suits me!
At the end of the day as long as you can get the system to work you can do anything you like!
And I admire people who do!
Hope that helps.
Yeah of course he can do that - lots of people adapt and adjust their bikes to suit their own needs
I have a road bike with a single 17T sprocket on the rear and a 34/52 chainring set on the front with a derailleur to shift across - no one else I know rides a bike like that because it's "bonkers" but it suits me!
At the end of the day as long as you can get the system to work you can do anything you like!
And I admire people who do!
Hope that helps.
If you are keeping the same number of gears, you will usually be ok, you will need to make sure the chain length is ok, and the gears adjusted at the rear, but the current derailleur should work.
gethinceri is the expert on mechanics.
gethinceri is the expert on mechanics.
Your current gears give you a ratio of 4.00 as hardest gear and 0.80 easiest.
Moving to 50/34 - 11/32 will give you 4.55 hardest and 1.06 easiest.
The change will mean your lowest gear will NOT be easier than your current setup but your hardest gear will be HARDER than your current.
Ratio meaning one turn of pedals vs # of wheel revolutions.
Moving to 50/34 - 11/32 will give you 4.55 hardest and 1.06 easiest.
The change will mean your lowest gear will NOT be easier than your current setup but your hardest gear will be HARDER than your current.
Ratio meaning one turn of pedals vs # of wheel revolutions.
You will also need to consider wether your derailleurs will be able to cope and if not wether you'll need to change them AND your shifters.
Don't spend any money until you've thought it through.
Don't spend any money until you've thought it through.
BTW, imagine riding up Hafodyrynys hill...
Very doable on a 34 front and 28 rear.
Very doable on a 34 front and 28 rear.
I don't use the small chainring, ever, and only use the top 5 or 6 gears on the rear.
I'm looking for a closer ratio because changing from 18 teeth to 15 is too much of a jump on the climbs.
I'm constantly changing gear and getting out of the saddle to maintain cadence.
So basically I'm using 6 gears of a 20 gear bike.
With your legs, maybe
I'll do some research before I make any changes though.
Maybe I should just wait until winter when there will be a load of second hand bikes for sale ...
Which is the lowest gear you use - Front/Back?
These are the gears I use - 11-13-15-18-21-24-28, coupled with the large 44 chainring.
13-21 are probably the ones I use most.
Even something like 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36 would be better as there are 2 cogs between 15 and 21, rather than 1.
Even better would be single teeth jumps for the first half of the cassette, then double - maybe even starting from a 12.
There really aren't any major hills around here so there's no need for such a wide range cassette as I have now.
13-21 are probably the ones I use most.
Even something like 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36 would be better as there are 2 cogs between 15 and 21, rather than 1.
Even better would be single teeth jumps for the first half of the cassette, then double - maybe even starting from a 12.
There really aren't any major hills around here so there's no need for such a wide range cassette as I have now.
Nobody has that many bikes.
$200? Burned mate.
I absolutely know if I was ever to use that set up I would come to a stop, not be able to get my feet out and fall sideways on to the ground.
Gravel rash and embarrassment all round.
Every one does. It is a right of passage.
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