Increasing gearing on MTB
Discussion
I've bought a 2nd hand MTB, as it was cheap and from a mate, and fitted some slick road type tyres to it. I'm just riding for fittness, not trying to break records, so the additional weight and sub-optimal riding position are not a great concern at the moment - just means I have to pedal harder!
Anyway, it's working reasonably well on the routes I tend to do - with the exception of the gearing. The gears are obviously setup for off road, but on my route I'm rarely off the biggest chain ring and frequently at an uncomfortable cadence in top gear on downhill sections.
So I'd like to increase my gear ratios. What's the most straight forward and least cost way to achieve this?
Cheers
Anyway, it's working reasonably well on the routes I tend to do - with the exception of the gearing. The gears are obviously setup for off road, but on my route I'm rarely off the biggest chain ring and frequently at an uncomfortable cadence in top gear on downhill sections.
So I'd like to increase my gear ratios. What's the most straight forward and least cost way to achieve this?
Cheers
I would have expected that its already got an 11 tooth smallest rear cog cassette fitted (as most do, but worth checking) so larger front ring would be the best fix though how large depends on how crap you can stand the front shifting tobe... check whats on it (count teeth if necessary) then check what the shops sell as alternatives... you may need to adjust front mech postion and chain length to get it all "working" after a fashion.
I looked into this some time ago as I was in the same predicament. Is it a triple or a double, how many teeth does the biggest chainring have? ,is it a 7/8/9/10 speed, what bottom bracket does it have. What sounds like a fairly simple thing to do can very quickly get expensive. Before you know it you are looking at cassette, chainrings (possibly cranks), bottom bracket, chain, derailleur.
I abandoned the idea in the end and bought a road bike.
I abandoned the idea in the end and bought a road bike.
nsi said:
Ok, makes sense. So if I leave the inner ring the same but increase the big ring, then I should also increase the middle one by a little bit? Increases the step from inner to middle but prevents the increase from middle to outer becoming too big?
If you are just using it for fitness on the road there is no need for any of the smaller rings unless you are climbing some really steep hills so you could get rid of them altogether.paulmon said:
I looked into this some time ago as I was in the same predicament. Is it a triple or a double, how many teeth does the biggest chainring have? ,is it a 7/8/9/10 speed, what bottom bracket does it have. What sounds like a fairly simple thing to do can very quickly get expensive. Before you know it you are looking at cassette, chainrings (possibly cranks), bottom bracket, chain, derailleur.
I abandoned the idea in the end and bought a road bike.
Lol that's the same boat I'm in at the moment - do I customise the MTB to suit what I'm using it for - or do I just go and but a roadie!I abandoned the idea in the end and bought a road bike.
It's been suggested to me that riding gravel cycle paths, tarmac cycle paths, (regular paths!! but not much) and road will be borderline between keeping what I have an getting a road bike. So, like you, I'm looking into the cost and feasibility of converting the MTB to be more road friendly. It has slick tyres and a front fork lockout, but the gearing is too short in top.
The bike is a Specilized Rockhopper Comp. I don't know how many teeth the cassette or chainrings have at present, nor the type of cranks or BB, but I'd imagine they are all as standard for the bike.
Thinking I might just have to take it to the shop and let them have a look at it!
Depends how much you want to do yourself and how specific you want it to be.
I'll be building something simular myself soon (if my mate won't sell me his Charge Duster 8!)
I'd bin the granny, you won't need it and fitter a larger outer ring. Depending much bigger you go you might have to fit another, slightly longer chain, if the cassette has been allowed to wear with the existing chain you might have to replace that too, if you do you can fit a road cassette, it won't give you a higher gearing, but it will make the gears closer - personally I stick with the MTB one and have the range,
Your fitness will grow to the new gearing reasonably quickly, you might be able to ditch the middle ring and front mech/shifter all togeather soon, but you'll need to add some sort of guide if you do.
I'll be building something simular myself soon (if my mate won't sell me his Charge Duster 8!)
I'd bin the granny, you won't need it and fitter a larger outer ring. Depending much bigger you go you might have to fit another, slightly longer chain, if the cassette has been allowed to wear with the existing chain you might have to replace that too, if you do you can fit a road cassette, it won't give you a higher gearing, but it will make the gears closer - personally I stick with the MTB one and have the range,
Your fitness will grow to the new gearing reasonably quickly, you might be able to ditch the middle ring and front mech/shifter all togeather soon, but you'll need to add some sort of guide if you do.
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