in message , Geoff Lane
') wrote:
After years away from cycling, I'd like to get back into recreational
cycling. I'm 6ft 4in tall and so need a large-framed bike. I've got a
low budget and the Giant Cypress SE (23" frame) seemed ideal. My local
bike shop got one for me but there's a problem. In top gear (largest
chainring/smallest rear cog), there is enough flex in the chainset
etc. for the chain to foul the outside of the front changer cage every
time I push down on the right-hand pedal. This only happens when
riding the bike (i.e. no fouling occurs when testing on a stand).
The bike shop have had a go at fixing the bike. They've replaced the
chainset and bottom bracket (I hope that means the axle!) and they say
it's about 95% fixed. However, they tell me that if you really stand
on the pedals in top gear the chain still fouls the front changer.
Is this fouling to be expected with a budget bike in a larger frame
size? Is it acceptable, or should I reject the bike? If the latter,
any recommendations (up to about £250)?
Frankly yes, but it also has something to do with your pedalling style.
Firstly, all chainsets - even expensive ones - flex. All chainsets with
pressed steel chainrings flex a lot - easily enough to cause the
symptoms you describe. The frame also, obviously, flexes too but this
contributes relatively little to the problem.
But if you 'spin' - stay in lower gears and pedal with a higher cadence
- you put much less stress on the chainset (and, incidentally, on your
knees) than if you 'mash' - use high gears and pedal with a slow
cadence. If you use inappropriately high gears you will get the
symptoms you describe even with a £700 chainset. So no, it isn't really
a problem with the bike. The system will still work. But it will work
better if you develop your pedalling style to be kinder to your body
and the bike.
--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
The Conservative Party is now dead. The corpse may still be
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