Ok, I've tried to understand this before, unfortunately my C in GCSEs maths has let me down...
I currently run a 2 x 9 setup with the following:
Front:
36T for Middle Ring
22T for Small Ring
Rear:
11-32
I kind of need this in the simplest of simple simple terms 🙂 And would no doubt have made this more difficult then it needs to be but I will understand it in this way 😀
So the way I think I'll understand it best, is currently I have the following 18 gears to play with (Not in easy to hard order, bracketed numbers are there for later)
[u]Rear/Front[/u]
1l-22 (1)
12-22 (2)
14-22 (3)
16-22 (4)
18-22 (5)
21-22 (6)
24-22 (7)
28-22 (8)
32-22 (9)
[u]Rear/Front[/u]
1l-36 (10)
12-36 (11)
14-36 (12)
16-36 (13)
18-36 (14)
21-36 (15)
24-36 (16)
28-36 (17)
32-36 (18)
So, if I ended up going 1 x 10 with a 34T Front and 11-36 rear, by specifing the appropriate bracketed number gears, what will I lose?
Possibly the same question for 32T Front also?
eg/ You'll no longer have 16/17/18 etc.
Wow this is confusing...
Sorry to anybody that puts effort into answering this! Thanks!
Sorry for not putting any effort into my reply but defo seems like a bad case of over-thinking things...
this is all you need! [url= http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/ ]sheldon brown gear calucator[/url]
I'll be honest that link hasn't helped 🙁
Bradley - It's no overthinking I really care about, it's working out roughly how many high and low gears I'll be losing out on.
assuming you are on a 26er...
current range in gear inches =
17.8" bottom gear (22x32) and 85" top (36x11)
If you went 1x10 (32 x 11-36) this would give you:
23" bottom and 75.5" top
So the way I think I'll understand it best, is currently I have the following 18 gears to play with (Not in easy to hard order, bracketed numbers are there for later)
Forgive me for blaspheming, but Jesus Christ I can see why you almost failed GCSE maths! 😕
You're over complicating things massively. Work out the ratios, it's much easier...
Currently, your bottom ratio is 22/32 and your top ratio is 36/11. This gives you a bottom gear of 0.6875:1 and a top ratio of 3.2727:1
With a 34T and 11-36 10spd, you will have bottom ratio of 0.9444:1 and top ratio of 3.0909:1.
In other words, you'll effectively lose your current easiest two gears, and a very very minute bit off the top end (about half a gear).
Personally, I run a 32T with 11-36, I get a slightly lower bottom gear and it works well for where I ride mainly, and I don't miss the top end speed so much.
rootes - Ok I think I could work out what I'd loose, if I can figure out how the 22x32 for example = 17.8", what mathematical method is used for this calculation?
Inches are pretty pointless in this case. You only need the ratio for comparison as long as the wheel size is the same.
All you need to know is that you will loose your top gear (number 10) and 7, 8 and 9 at the bottom.
Your bottom gear will be about between 6 and 7 (closer to 7)
mboy - Half way through typing I did feel I may have gone about this all wrong 🙂
Ok your explanation seems straight forward, the only bit I'm getting cofused with time and time again is, if I lose my 2 easiest, and lets say my top end gear. in theory from 18 gears I'd be left with 15 of my current. Is this because on 2 x 9 setups theres a lot of duplicate gear rations when in the small and when in the middle?
ac282 - Is that with a 32 or 34 upfront?
Thanks for all the replies!
I'd be left with 15 of my current. Is this because on 2 x 9 setups theres a lot of duplicate gear rations when in the small and when in the middle?
Correct, lots of duplication.
For instance, going from a 3x10 to a 1x10 you lose 3 gears off the bottom end, and two off the top. Those "25 ratios" you should be left with don't actually exist, theres a lot of duplicates.
You don't lose your top gear, it's just very slightly lower now, as if you'd fitted a 2.1" tyre instead of a 2.3".
Righttttt, I wasn't aware of the duplicate gears this makes a lot more sense! It was always the unaccounted missing gears that added to my confusion so thanks for that.
The new Saint gearing offers a 34T upwards for 1 x 10, so judging by your comments and ac282s advice if I can make do currently not using my bottom 3 gears while in my granny ring, then I should be ok with a 1 x 10.
Officially wiser! Thank you!
The new Saint gearing offers a 34T upwards for 1 x 10, so judging by your comments and ac282s advice if I can make do currently not using my bottom 3 gears while in my granny ring, then I should be ok with a 1 x 10.
Bottom 2 gears, not bottom 3. Your 34/36 bottom gear on your new setup is all but identical to your current 22/24, which is your 3rd gear whilst on your granny ring now.
rootes - Ok I think I could work out what I'd loose, if I can figure out how the 22x32 for example = 17.8", what mathematical method is used for this calculation?
Gear inches gives you the equivalent diameter of a penny farthing wheel..
ie your 22x32 on your 26er = penny farthling with a wheel of 17.8" dia..
or put it other way one rotation of the pedals of penny farthling with wheel of 17.8" dia would mean you travelled 55.9" (17.8x3.142) or 1.42 metres...
basically it is a very low gear..... better of walking
formula is wheel diameter x number of teeth in chainring then divide by number of teeth of sprocket..
(26" x 22teeth) / 32teeth - 17.875
Have a play with this: [url= http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/ ]Enlightenment via Sheldon Brown's gear calculator![/url]
Found it really useful to tape the small chart on sheldon's page printout on my stem(as he says).
that way you see the gears you're using,the ones that are too high,too low.
most important I'd say was seeing the gears I was mostly using,so for example I changed the gearing to only go down into the granny for 2-3 long climbs I usually do.
running 22-32 with a 14-28 6sp enables me to use the 32-28 without any crossover.
that's the best reason I run 6sp,I wasn't using the 13-12-11,nor did I need 32 or 34 to get the 28 into an acceptable position.
but it's what YOU need.tape the chart to your stem and after a month or so you'll be thinking gear inches instead of cog size.