50/34 compared to 50/39/30 Triple

[insurin]

I ride a Triple 50/39/30 along with a 11-34 cassette 9 speed. I use this bike for touring and the low gears are great for the hills.

I am looking at a bike that is 50/34 with a 11-36 10 speed. How Can I work out the comparable difference between the 2. I have been told that for every 2 numbers on the chainring, it equates to 4 on the cassette if that makes sense. For example a change on a chainring from 30 to 28 would be the equivalent of 28-32, 32-26 etc.

cheers

 

[HLaB]

Google a good gear calculator, I use the Machine Head one fwiw and experiment around.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

As above, you need either a gear calculator or you can do the calculation yourself by taking the number of teeth on the chainring and dividing it by the number of teeth on the sprocket, then multiplying by the diameter of the wheel (including tyre).

For what it's worth the gearing you currently have gives you a lower bottom gear than the bike with the 34/36 would (approx 23.8 gear inches current compared to 25.5 gear inches)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

[QUOTE 2921661, member: 30090"]Work out the gear inches.[/quote]

Good idea.

I ride a Triple 50/39/30 along with a 11-34 cassette 9 speed. I use this bike for touring and the low gears are great for the hills.

I am looking at a bike that is 50/34 with a 11-36 10 speed. How Can I work out the comparable difference between the 2. I have been told that for every 2 numbers on the chainring, it equates to 4 on the cassette if that makes sense. For example a change on a chainring from 30 to 28 would be the equivalent of 28-32, 32-26 etc.

cheers

according to sheldon
34 front compact with a 36 rear on 700c's with 28mm tyres = 25.3 inches
30 front triple with a 34 rear on same wheels/tyres = 23.6 inches

less than 2" difference. You'll adapt. How easily ime depends on how often your ride in other gear combo's using your front granny ring. Will you be riding the compact with luggage. If not you'll be cooking on gas on the new bike.

30 front triple with hypothetical 32 rear = 25.1
my money is on your next gear on an 11- 34 9 speed cassette is 30 = 26.8 inches.

 

[insurin]

Thanks for the replies. I will be riding with gear only on the back. I stay in BnBs so I don't take camping equipment etc. On a previous tour, my 2 friends only had 11-25 on the cassette and probably a 50/34 on the front. I remember thinking 'I'm glad I have the easy gears' especially when we were riding up the Rock of Gibraltar'.

Out of curiosity. What options would be left on the table if I found that the low gears were not enough for me. Can I get a lower chainring than 34, for example 48/32 46/30 etc.

cheers

 

[Globalti]

The biggest gap advisable is 50 to 34 and even that sometimes needs a chain catcher to stop the chain falling off the small ring. You might be able to fit a smaller mountain bike chainset; others will know better, but you'll lose top speed and the bike will look weird.

Stop worrying about it; with a 34 chainring and a 27 or 28 cassette you'll be able to get up most hills.

 

[insurin]

The biggest gap advisable is 50 to 34 and even that sometimes needs a chain catcher to stop the chain falling off the small ring. You might be able to fit a smaller mountain bike chainset; others will know better, but you'll lose top speed and the bike will look weird.

Stop worrying about it; with a 34 chainring and a 27 or 28 cassette you'll be able to get up most hills.

Ha ha. I'm a worrier. I'm cycling Faro to Malaga and we are going through Ronda and from the look of it, it's steep. I have ordered the bike so we will see soon enough.

 

[jay clock]

Ha ha. I'm a worrier. I'm cycling Faro to Malaga and we are going through Ronda and from the look of it, it's steep. I have ordered the bike so we will see soon enough.

Faro to Malaga? Done that the other way! see here http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=6005&v=B6

re the gears, I have never seen a 36 tooth cassette. I used to have Dawes Galaxy and stuck a Stronglight Impact on which gave ideal touring gears. Give Spa Cycles a call for advice and one of these would be up your street.. http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s109p3 - think I had a 46 34 24. Small rings by roadie standards

Also I disagree with "Stop worrying about it; with a 34 chainring and a 27 or 28 cassette you'll be able to get up most hills." I have 50/34 and 12-27 on my road bikes and use that a lot and no way would I want those gears on a bike weighing 5kg more, and with 15-20kg of bags

 

[insurin]

Faro to Malaga? Done that the other way! see here http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=6005&v=B6

re the gears, I have never seen a 36 tooth cassette. I used to have Dawes Galaxy and stuck a Stronglight Impact on which gave ideal touring gears. Give Spa Cycles a call for advice and one of these would be up your street.. http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s109p3 - think I had a 46 34 24. Small rings by roadie standards

Also I disagree with "Stop worrying about it; with a 34 chainring and a 27 or 28 cassette you'll be able to get up most hills." I have 50/34 and 12-27 on my road bikes and use that a lot and no way would I want those gears on a bike weighing 5kg more, and with 15-20kg of bags

Fuelled by Jamon! I have read your blog a few times now over the last year and mapped exactly where you went from/to. It has been my resource for planning so thanks indeed for sharing that.

I use my bike for commuting to work and once a year I do a tour. Below is the bike I am getting

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/sirrus-comp-2013-hybrid-bike-ec030743#features

I will be selling my Specialized Tricross Sport 2008 triple. That's my current bike but it needs a service and some tlc

 

[GrumpyGregry]

insert [noway] comment of choice aimed at spec of chosen bike here [/noway]

For me it would be flat bars. Which I think suggests it is all very much a matter of personal choice.

Me? I tour on a dropped bar mtb chainset equiped, disc braked, ali framed bike that only comes out of the shed for touring trips. Or a Brompton. Or a mountain bike with a trailer. Or a rucksack. Or summit.

Everybody is different. Everybody's body is different. There is no right or wrong just what works for you and what doesn't.

 

[insurin]

insert [noway] comment of choice aimed at spec of chosen bike here [/noway]

For me it would be flat bars. Which I think suggests it is all very much a matter of personal choice.

Me? I tour on a dropped bar mtb chainset equiped, disc braked, ali framed bike that only comes out of the shed for touring trips. Or a Brompton. Or a mountain bike with a trailer. Or a rucksack. Or summit.

Everybody is different. Everybody's body is different. There is no right or wrong just what works for you and what doesn't.

Don't get me started on drops/flats I have a thread on here seeking advice about converting my Tricross from drops to trekking. I never use the drops but I like the huds? Anyway it was too costly to make the change. I test rode a Sirrus in Evans a few weeks back and found it very comfy. I bought the Tricross in 2009 on ebay for a decent price as good as new. It has been a great servant but its time for a change. This Sirrus I have just bought funnily enough the same price is going to be fine. If not I will have to sell it.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Don't get me started on drops/flats I have a thread on here seeking advice about converting my Tricross from drops to trekking. I never use the drops but I like the huds? Anyway it was too costly to make the change. I test rode a Sirrus in Evans a few weeks back and found it very comfy. I bought the Tricross in 2009 on ebay for £360 as good as new. It has been a great servant but its time for a change. This Sirrus I have just bought funnily enough the same price is going to be fine. If not I will have to sell it.

The great thing about cycle touring is the perfect cycle touring bike for you is whatever you say it is. Sounds like your Tri doesn't owe you a bean and the sirrus is the way forward for you.

But hell, I know nothing. One of my mtb's even has drop bars. Simply because I can. My bet is you won't notice the difference in gearing on the two bikes and any difference you do notice will be down to riding position, tyres, wheels, geometry, etc..

Enjoy your new bike, give yourself time to ride yourself into it, and have a great trip.

 

[jay clock]

The British seem to be unique in having an affection for dropped bar tourers. I had one, and the braking in particular was cantidanger. But would happily have drops with disks. Now got a Koga Miyate World Traveller. Lives in the loft except for tours. Next likely trip is le Tour de Yorkshire (cycle from Winchester to Yorkshire to see t'Tour, then back again)

 

[jay clock]

Sevilla by the way is a must see. Crossing the river south of the city is a challenge. See my other journal for the north south version of the city. The Hotel I stayed at seemed grottier second time around and there is plenty of choice so hunt online

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The British seem to be unique in having an affection for dropped bar tourers. I had one, and the braking in particular was cantidanger. But would happily have drops with disks. Now got a Koga Miyate World Traveller. Lives in the loft except for tours. Next likely trip is le Tour de Yorkshire (cycle from Winchester to Yorkshire to see t'Tour, then back again)

I was personally affronted the first time I rode in Austria and discovered they all had touring bikes with butterfly bars and ALUMINIUM frames. Some of them even had hub gears for pity's sake.