question about changing gear ratios

I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did notice
was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill (somewhere
between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom gear. I prefer to
spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and
13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7 speed
cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am
hoping to use this bike for commuting as well as club runs so would like to
be able to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming
at me.

Adam

Why not just get a wider range 7 speed cassette? say 13x26. I would have
thought that 30 x 26 would get you up most things and once you got used to
the road bike you might feel that you could go back to the 13/23.
My road bike was 7 speed 52/42 x 13/23 which I found too high especially as
I was used to mountain bike gearing. The first thing I did was to put my MTB
7 speed cassette 12/28 on which was much better. I also changed the small
chainring from 42 to 38 and after a while I felt that was now too low so I
went back to the 13/23.
Jim J

"Adam Lea" wrote in message
...
I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did notice
was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill (somewhere
between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom gear. I prefer to
spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front
and 13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7
speed cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27
teeth)? I am hoping to use this bike for commuting as well as club runs so
would like to be able to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and
knees) screaming at me.

Adam

Adam Lea wrote:
I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club
and I tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way
it cuts through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing
I did notice was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham
hill (somewhere between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the
bottom gear. I prefer to spin up the hills. The current gearing is
3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and 13/23 on the rear. The question
is: is it possible to change the 7 speed cassette for an 8 speed
cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am hoping to use
this bike for commuting as well as club runs so would like to be able
to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming
at me.

Depending on shifters and hub, there may be extra complication and expense
going to 8-speed.

Instead you could change the cassette to a 14-28 7-speed (Shimano HG37 from
Wiggle), and the inner chainring to a 26-tooth as well, if you like (any
74mm ring from Settle Cycles, SJSC or LBS).

Get a new chain as well if replacing the cassette, and ensure it's long
enough to work with the largest chainring + largest rear sprocket
combination (even if you don't normally use that gear). The rear derailleur
may need adjusting or even replacing if you're unlucky, but still it will be
worth it.

Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a granny
gear and need to "get fit". Ignore them if you feel you're already as fit
and strong as you can be, or want to be.

~PB

in message , Adam Lea
') wrote:

I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did
notice was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill
(somewhere between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom
gear. I prefer to spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with
52/42/30 on the front and 13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it
possible to change the 7 speed cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a
larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am hoping to use this bike for
commuting as well as club runs so would like to be able to get up
Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming at me.

It's possible to change the 7speed cassette to a new 7speed cassette with
wider ratios. If it's a Campag cassette it's possible to change individual
cogs - it probably is on a good Shimano road cassette, too, but I'm not
certain. You'll probably need to change the rear derailleur to a long-cage
model at the same time, unless is already is long cage.

If it has indexed shifters (Campag ErgoPower or Shimano STI), then it isn't
possible to go from 7speed to 8speed without also changing the shifters,
and they tend to be expensive. Also you won't get 8speed shifters new
now - you'd need to go to 9speed or 10speed, which would mean changing
more stuff, or else get your shifters second hand.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Ye hypocrites! are these your pranks? To murder men and give God thanks?
Desist, for shame! Proceed no further: God won't accept your thanks for
murther
-- Robert Burns, 'Thanksgiving For a National Victory'

in message , Pete Biggs
c') wrote:

Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a
granny gear and need to "get fit". Â*Ignore them if you feel you're
already as fit and strong as you can be, or want to be.

Speaking as one of the people Pete is probably referring to, I'd agree with
him. 1 in 5 is a steep hill for a race bike, and as a gravitationally
challenged older man I struggle with them. I am personally too cussed to
fit a granny ring, so I'll go on struggling - but there's no sense in it
if you don't enjoy it.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This mind intentionally left blank ]

"Pete Biggs" wrote
in :

Instead you could change the cassette to a 14-28 7-speed (Shimano HG37
from Wiggle), and the inner chainring to a 26-tooth as well, if you
like (any 74mm ring from Settle Cycles, SJSC or LBS).

FWIW, there are even wider ranges available. Shimano do at least 12-28 and
13-30 seven-speed cassettes, and SRAM do a 12-32 and (unlike Shimano
Megarange) these have reasonable ratios. See Simano HG70, HG30, and SRAM
PG730 at Wiggle etc.

HTH,

--
Geoff

Simon Brooke wrote:

in message , Pete Biggs
c') wrote:

Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a
granny gear and need to "get fit". Ignore them if you feel you're
already as fit and strong as you can be, or want to be.

Speaking as one of the people Pete is probably referring to, I'd agree with
him. 1 in 5 is a steep hill for a race bike, and as a gravitationally
challenged older man I struggle with them. I am personally too cussed to
fit a granny ring, so I'll go on struggling - but there's no sense in it
if you don't enjoy it.

there is also the element of even if you go up in higher gears, knowing
that you can drop down to the granny can be help ie knowing that you
will make it up the hill what ever just maybe not in gear X. certinaly
last time i went on a club run, one of the new lot who came did say that
the last hill before the cake stop did slightly worry as she was
struggling a bit and was on the lowest gear.

on the other hand some would find the lower gears a cop out i guess
personally i like to spin up hills if i can.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Adam Lea wrote:

I have acquired a road bike from a member of the local cycling club and I
tried it out on Sunday morning. I was very pleased with the way it cuts
through the wind compared with my current bikes but one thing I did notice
was the gearing is much higher. I found going up Bedham hill (somewhere
between 1:7 and 1:5) a bit of a grind, even in the bottom gear. I prefer to
spin up the hills. The current gearing is 3x7 with 52/42/30 on the front and
13/23 on the rear. The question is: is it possible to change the 7 speed
cassette for an 8 speed cassette with a larger big cog (e.g. 27 teeth)? I am
hoping to use this bike for commuting as well as club runs so would like to
be able to get up Holmbury hill without having my legs (and knees) screaming
at me.

Adam

you could either get a cassette with a lower gear ie wider spread. i
guess you could also if you want get a smaller granny gear for the steep
hills.

partically as your cassette would have nice tight ratios, a lower granny
would make the jump from middle to granny less smooth ie a bigger jump
down in gears, but would keep the ratios tight for when zipping along.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

In article , Pete Biggs wrote:

Hardcore and old skool cyclists will tell you that you already have a granny
gear and need to "get fit". Ignore them if you feel you're already as fit
and strong as you can be, or want to be.

Or indeed if you want to get fitter by riding the bike now, instead of
waiting until it happens some other way so you suit the bike as it is.

Geoff Lane said the following on 03/07/2007 09:47:

FWIW, there are even wider ranges available. Shimano do at least 12-28 and
13-30 seven-speed cassettes, and SRAM do a 12-32 and (unlike Shimano
Megarange) these have reasonable ratios.

Shimano also do an 11-32T in 9-speed that isn't Megarange. A bit of
judicious juggling with sprockets and spacers could give a reasonably
spaced 7-speed cassette, I would have thought.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/