I agree with Steve - you can only ride so slow. Balance and steering quirkiness was my experience with riding a 24x34 (18.3") up steep stuff at around 4.25 MPH. Charlie: if you are concerned with your knees, as we all should after the age of ~55, the ole "heel/toe" gear might be safer and besides it let's you stretch out those muscles in the back of your legs.
Say - Patrick - I'm surprised to see you going for the lower end gearing, particularly after your career of fixed riding. How's that Fargo project going? What chainrings are you planning on using? I never ride with much of a load so I doubt my present gearing is relevant but 50-40-24 with a 12-23 in the rear works well for me around, about and up most places in Sonoma County. YMMV - Phil B On Jan 15, 11:47 am, charlie <[email protected]> wrote: > If rested and on short rides I'd probably never use it but I carry a > full "touring load" all the time and in spite of my efforts to reduce > by riding, I only drop 20 pounds at the peak of the riding season. > Grants recent writing clued me into the compensation eating that I > know I do so I am trying some things different this year. Using lower > overall gearing has preserved my knees. I wonder if a Deore rear > derailleur will shift to the 36 tooth cog? > > On Jan 15, 5:09 am, Steve Palincsar <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Sat, 2011-01-15 at 02:30 -0800, charlie wrote: > > > I've been flirting with the idea also. Right now I am using a 44x32x22 > > > and 7 speed 12-32 but wondered if a really low, low might be handy. > > > Last time I looked, a 22 front 32 rear already gave a really low low > > (18.6"). Going to a 36T would bring that down to 16". > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
