Originally Posted by
T Pascal Parham
I always rode a corncob, nearly straight cog - you know, each gear 1 tooth from the last, the largest two maybe an extra tooth apartb. They were a joy to ride, looked right on my racing bikes, and never kept me from ascending the steepest climbs. However, lately, I found I was really dragging behind on hills, behind cycle mates pushing much lower gears. Well, as the old saying goes, I ain't proud! Mind you, I was proud, but at this point, I'm proud to still ride, still hauling Columbus steel and Campy alloy, and if I want the numerical advantage of lower gears, well, I can't hide it, so go ahead and smirk at my new 11-28 cluster. See you at the top!
You'll find a lot of that around here.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera