Gearing down The Black Kite...

[Always Cross]

Hi I'm from Devizes. I saw another trike the other week going in the opposite direction and waved hello at one of the round abouts on London Rd if that wasn't you there must be 3 of us around.

 

[Pikey]

Hi I'm from Devizes. I saw another trike the other week going in the opposite direction and waved hello at one of the round abouts on London Rd if that wasn't you there must be 3 of us around.

Hmmm, could be that there is three of us then

I do go through Devizes on the London Road to get up to Avebury, that one of my favourite rides, but I haven't been up there since probably late October... So it could be the other guy.

I'm in Trowbridge, if you want a bit of company on a trike ride out drop me a pm.

 

[fatjel]

I'm seriously thinking about changing the crankset , cassette and chain on mine
The chain has many joins (7) and clonks atrociously and the crank arm are kinda long for me
The whole lot looks quite used so will change it all
At present the chain rings are 22/36/50 with a 9-32 9 speed
I'm thinking deore 26/36/48 and an 11-32 cassette
Me I'm worried abot not being high geared enough
I do have a 20" rear wheel which may / may not lower the gearing ?
Can buy a 22 ring for the deore so that is not a problem if it's needed
Will 48 - 11 be enough ?

 

[flake99please]

Personally I would keep your current chain ring set up.

 

[Tigerbiten]

Me I'm worried abot not being high geared enough
............
Will 48 - 11 be enough ?

How often do you spin out.
A 48/9-20" is a 100" gear, which means you should spin out just over 30 mph.
A 48/11-20" is a 80" gear so you'll be spinning out ~25 mph.
So 3-4% down with a slight tailwind and you'll spin out.
So how do you ride.
Do you like to spin all the time or do you like coast down hill a lot.
One reason I have a silly high top gear (172") is I like to keep the legs moving.

 

[Andrew1971]

Hi All
@fatjel I would keep the current gear setup. My KMX gearing is close to your's and i am slowly running out of gear's.
As you have 20inch rear wheel it's got spin alot more than a 26inch 700c rear wheel so need bigger chain ring's on crank set. i am finding 48t a little low. Dont forget you have not got your bent leg's yet.
Andrew

 

[fatjel]

That's very informative @Tigerbiten I've oft wondered about what this gear inches means.. Thank you

Also interesting @Andrew1971 .. I am still getting used to the trike so the decision on gears can wait awhile
perhaps in time I shall need the higher gears . not this week tho lol

@flake99please I shall keep it for now but I have no real idea how many miles it has done
It won't last forever .. I tend to cycle about 1500km a month so the time will come
presumably a new 22/36/50 can be bought

 

[Tigerbiten]

With gearing the easy one to remember is ..........
If you spin a 100" gear at 100 rpm you will be doing 30 mph.

With a bent trike I'd always go for the maximum range which is easily possible.
So I try and stick with your original setup.
If not a 48-36-22 and a 9-32 is almost as good, you'll only loose around a mile per hour off the top end.
So for a rebuild
Around £30-£50 a 48-36-26 crankset with 165 mm cranks.
So add around £10 for a 22 tooth 64 BCD chainring.
About another £30 for three chains.
Then a new 9-32 Capreo cassette from ICE (at a pure guess around £50).
Also you may as well check your drive pulley bearings and get a new one as needed while your at it.

 

[BlackPanther]

Then a new 9-32 Capreo cassette from ICE (at a pure guess around £50).

£94.83+p&p. Gulp.

 

[Tigerbiten]

£94.83+p&p. Gulp.

ok.
A Capreo cassette from Evans for £40.
Lockring removal tool for £10 from the net.
Take the cassette apart and remove the rivets which hold the 5 large sprockets together.
Keep the 15t and 26t sprockets.
A 9 speed Shimamo Alivio HG300 11-32 cassette for £15 to get the 18t, 21t and 32t large sprockets needed.
Rebuild with the new sprockets in place.
Total cost around £65.

 

[Pikey]

Now the weather has got less Baltic, I've been able to get the trike out on a few rides and took in the steepest hills I could find. Loving the new lower gearing, alright, I'm slower on the ascents but I've got more in the tank later on, or so I've found.

The only time I have spun out was on the way back down again, and tbh I was fine just coasting.

Just need to shorten the chain a bit more.

 

[ufkacbln]

My Gekko has a Schlumpf which gives a 34/85 chain ring with no change in the chain line

The rear end is a Rohloff, so again no change in the line.

It simplifies things

 

[Tigerbiten]

My Gekko has a Schlumpf which gives a 34/85 chain ring with no change in the chain line

The rear end is a Rohloff, so again no change in the line.

It simplifies things

I've ended up with twin chainrings on my Schlumpf.
It means the shift into overdrive is at a higher speed without loosing the silly low first gear.
Again a Rohloff on the back end.