Just wondering...... What gearing do you have?

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peanut

Guest
jimboalee said:
Ok, let's follow the 'new and improved' Jimbo theory ( to include excess bodyweight which the original Charlie 'dancing uphills' Holland method didn't ) and see what we get.

How tall are you?
What is your wrist circumference?
What is your Supra illiac skinfold measurement? ( Kellogs 'pinch an inch' test )
How heavy are you?
How heavy is your bike?
How heavy is all it's luggage?


I have another question. What are you going to compare my result with?
You could go to PowerCalc and punch in your details for 30 kmh flat road cruising, and find for a 10% slope, you would need to double your power output to get up the slope. Believe me, you will!

What's that got to do with gearing? you ask. The answer is keeping a reasonable cadence where power can be produced.

OK, send me your details and I'll come back when I've adapted my BodyFat% spreadsheet with your numbers. Probably after I get home tonight.

Jimbo I've started a new dedicated thread in technical so that we don't hyjack this thread . Is that ok ?
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
peanut said:
Jimbe I've started a new dedicated thread in technical so that we don't hyjack this thread . Is that ok ?

OK, going there.
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
Steve Austin said:
This shouldn't be in beginners Jim.

As i've said, its confusing, and misleading. and Based on nothing but your musings.

I do hope any beginners reading don't take it in, as it would put folk off cycling and not enlighten.

When a twenty something young lady goes into a bike shop and looks at a 35lb 'city' bike with a Sturmey 3 speed, 46 chainring and 18 sprocket ( which results in a 50" lowest gear ), you suggest she takes no notice of my formula ( which recommends a 36 chainring to a 24 sprocket, giving 29, 39 and 52" gears ), buys the bike and stops dead on the first 10% gradient?
She than gets totally dismayed and annoyed and puts the bike on e-bay.

BTW, 52" was what John Kemp Starley decided was the appropriate SS gear for a beginner on his Rover.
 

Will1985

Über Member
Location
South Norfolk
I think today when we have such a vast range of compatible componentry which can be easily swapped, anybody with a bit of sense will go back to their LBS and ask for something to make it lower gearing before consigning it to eBay. Hell, I have a range of different cassettes, sprockets, and chainrings which will suit practically any terrain.

A decent LBS in a hilly area should know that 50" is too much for normal people and offer a more suitable range; it is probably satisfactory in a flattish area like central London or Norwich.
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
jimboalee said:
When a twenty something young lady goes into a bike shop and looks at a 35lb 'city' bike with a Sturmey 3 speed, 46 chainring and 18 sprocket ( which results in a 50" lowest gear ), you suggest she takes no notice of my formula ( which recommends a 36 chainring to a 24 sprocket, giving 29, 39 and 52" gears ), buys the bike and stops dead on the first 10% gradient?
She than gets totally dismayed and annoyed and puts the bike on e-bay.

BTW, 52" was what John Kemp Starley decided was the appropriate SS gear for a beginner on his Rover.

The average person will not understand your post Jim.

What is a gear inch they will say?
Does it matter?
She may buy the bike, she may not ride it, she may sell it on Ebay. But i guarantee a quicker way to put her off cycling is to confuse her with numerous equations about gear inches.

You are applying your X amount of years on the subject and applying it to buying a bike. Its far too complicated. Its confusing, and elitist.

You obviously think you have a point. You think you are being helpful. You are not.
I'm sorry i'm being so confrontational, but you are not thinking about this in context of "a beginner learning about cycling" which is what this section of the board is for.
It is not for you to chunter on about gear inches, thats Know how where you will oft find me debating the merits of various cassette variations
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
Steve Austin said:
The average person will not understand your post Jim.

What is a gear inch they will say?
Does it matter?
She may buy the bike, she may not ride it, she may sell it on Ebay. But i guarantee a quicker way to put her off cycling is to confuse her with numerous equations about gear inches.

You are applying your X amount of years on the subject and applying it to buying a bike. Its far too complicated. Its confusing, and elitist.

You obviously think you have a point. You think you are being helpful. You are not.
I'm sorry i'm being so confrontational, but you are not thinking about this in context of "a beginner learning about cycling" which is what this section of the board is for.
It is not for you to chunter on about gear inches, thats Know how where you will oft find me debating the merits of various cassette variations

We've moved to 'Know how' in the technical section.

When I joined this forum, I went straight to the so called ''Technical" section and found 'Know how'. I asked a perfectly reasonable question :- "Has anyone performed a coastdown test to measure their Cd and got a Roadload curve?"

There was a short silence, whistling of tumbleweed and the distant clang of a chapel bell, then a few contributors replied with what could only be described as 'piss take'.

Some hopes of being technical!

Since then, it has been my undying pleasure to 'piss take' with little bits of cycling lore that no-one on this site has ever heared of.

The 'hill climbing gear' determination formula being the most juicey and provocative item yet, on many occasions.
Simply due to the fact it is SIMPLE and has no scientific or mathematical connection to the laws of physics, is it pure 'magic' and if it weren't because a famous man explained it to me, I would poo poo it.

After X years of cycling, the 'magic' still works.

Peanut has forwarded his most personal details and we will see what happens.
After I fail, I am hoping someone will come up with a string of physics that gives the correct gearing for Peanut.

After X years of cycling, I have it a string of physics already, but do you really think I'm going to share it with you?
 

buddha

Veteran
Hello Rich,

How are you getting on. I tried going up Hesiers Hill again they other day. Made it to the top eventually but got scalped by an 'older' guy on a power assisted bike! LOL

Anyway, I have:
Road bike: 39/53 > 25-12
Fixie/SS : 48/16 (with the 5speed hub gear wheel fitted: 52, 63,79, 100, 118 gear inches)
MTB: triple with millions of extremely low gears
 

ajb

Well-Known Member
Location
North Devon
Trek 1.7 with 50/39/30 - 12-25
Specialized Tarmac s-works 52/39 - 12-27
 
OP
OP
R

Rider Rich

Active Member
buddha said:
Hello Rich,

How are you getting on. I tried going up Hesiers Hill again they other day. Made it to the top eventually but got scalped by an 'older' guy on a power assisted bike! LOL

Anyway, I have:
Road bike: 39/53 > 25-12
Fixie/SS : 48/16 (with the 5speed hub gear wheel fitted: 52, 63,79, 100, 118 gear inches)
MTB: triple with millions of extremely low gears


Hi Buddha (never said that before!)

I am getting on ok thanks. :laugh:

I did my ride the other way round as you suggested, going down Limpsfield Road, Ledgers Road, Church Lane, Fairchildes Road, Hesiers Hill, Beddlestead Lane, Clarks Lane, Croydon Road, Limpsfield Road & then back to Warlingham.

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=12348


Made it up Church Lane the other way, and rode up Beddlestead Lane (not so steep, but 2 miles long).

Didn't need to stop at all, although I had to drop it in to my easiest gear for the above inclines for a while

Still Loving it too :biggrin:

Rich
 

purplepolly

New Member
Location
my house
Steve Austin said:
The average person will not understand your post Jim.

What is a gear inch they will say?
Does it matter?
She may buy the bike, she may not ride it, she may sell it on Ebay. But i guarantee a quicker way to put her off cycling is to confuse her with numerous equations about gear inches.

When I was looking to upgrade from a BSO I looked for specs with gear inches because I could understand that and it's easy to visualise.


sram dual drive 21" - 114"
 
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