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What is the gear range on your commuter bike?

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What is the gear range on your commuter bike?

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Old 08-09-11, 11:08 AM
  #26  
Booger1
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15.9 x 112

20x34x46------11x34-----700 wheel-----175 crank

Last edited by Booger1; 08-09-11 at 11:14 AM.
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Old 08-09-11, 11:18 AM
  #27  
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48/39,12-25= 41-106 gi
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Old 08-09-11, 11:24 AM
  #28  
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On the Cervelo 50/34, 12-25
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Old 08-09-11, 11:32 AM
  #29  
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All in gear inches

Salsa (main clear road commuter): 23-123
Stumpjumper (foul weather mountain bike), Moots (dually mountain bike), Epic (dually mountain bike): 17-103
Cannondale touring bike: 16-112
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Old 08-09-11, 11:46 AM
  #30  
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Don't know.

Don't care.
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Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
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Old 08-09-11, 12:09 PM
  #31  
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27.2 - 95.3 (22/32/44 x 12-21 7 speed)


If this bike was just for commuting I'd keep that range. But since I use it for other things, and I've hit some ridiculous hills, I'm going to get my gearing changed to this in a few weeks:

21.2 - 95.3 (22/32/44 x 12-27 9 speed)
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Old 08-09-11, 12:17 PM
  #32  
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Don't know exactly, it's way broader than I need. My main commuter is a Surly LHT. Could use either the big or the middle ring for the entire commute.
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Old 08-09-11, 01:23 PM
  #33  
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Sturmey-Archer SRF3: all in gear inches.
Low (75%): 54
Unity (100%): 72
High (133%): 96

99% of my riding is in the middle gear. (Old SS/FG habits die hard.) That will change once I start towing both my kids around. Even then, I do not envision much use for the high gear.
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Old 08-09-11, 01:40 PM
  #34  
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Today it was ~66gi.
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Old 08-09-11, 03:21 PM
  #35  
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Built up my 700c LHT this spring. Mounain crankset and 8 speed cassette ===> 19-103 gear inches.

99+% of my commute is spent between 43 and 75 gear inches. The low gears are there for hills on tour.
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Old 08-09-11, 03:27 PM
  #36  
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42/17-18-19, 59.7-66.7 GI (17/19 fixed dingle or flop to 18t free)
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Old 08-09-11, 06:39 PM
  #37  
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22.2 - 117.8 , 11-34 48/38/28. I had a 7 speed 13-30, but when I went to 9 speed (for equipment availability reasons) I didn't mind the existing ratios so I just added a lower and a higher. On my commute I don't use the 28 ring; it's for towing the kids.

On the flats I end up about 65 (stopped at lights)-100 inches; hills bring me down to about 35. If it weren't for the occasional towing a 1x9 would be great. Certainly I could live with a compact double.
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Old 08-09-11, 07:03 PM
  #38  
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Commuter is a single speed @ 73 gear inches. Hills are challenging but the biggest issue is that I spin out above 25 mph. Still a good compromise and love the simplicity. I have been told that when I hit 60 later this year, I am obligated to either go multi-gear or change my 46t chainring to a 38 (for 60 gear inches)

I sure would like to have a "Friday" gear though. Friday is the day that I haul all my dirty laundry home - adds maybe 20 lbs.

-Gary
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Old 08-09-11, 08:53 PM
  #39  
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22-119. The small ring is never used on the commute.
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Old 08-09-11, 09:22 PM
  #40  
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38-116 gear inches (53/39 front, 12-27T back)
I use them all each ride and still run out of gears at both ends of the range.
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Old 08-09-11, 11:37 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by mconlonx
Would my math be correct if I found a percentage by doing: (108/26) x 100 = 415% ?
No, it would be ((108/26) - 1) x 100 = 315% or ((108/26) x 100) - 100 = 315%. (108, however, is 4.15 times greater than 26).

An easier example to explain: You know going from 50 to 100 would be 100%, correct? It's ((100/50) - 1) x 100 = 100% NOT (100/50) x 100 = 200%, though 100 is 2 times greater than 50.

Steely Dan is off by 100 percentage points, too.
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Old 08-10-11, 07:20 AM
  #42  
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my folder only has one gear: 60 gi's
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Old 08-10-11, 08:49 AM
  #43  
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Assuming I'm reading the calculator correctly, 23.6 - 117.8
Tires: 700x32
Crank Length: 175mm
Chainring:48/38/28
Cassette:11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32

I never use (well, after 3 weeks I haven't yet), the big ring or the small ring. I tend to stay in 1st to maybe 7th? on the middle ring, with the majority being 3-5.

Hmm, I think I could have saved some money on my new bike and gone with a 3-speed
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Old 08-10-11, 09:03 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by JiveTurkey
Steely Dan is off by 100 percentage points, too.


according to shimano, the manufacturer of the Alfine 8 hub:

The inter-8 hub has increased its gear ratio to 307%, compared to 244% of the Inter-7 hub. The Inter-8 hub also incorporates a closer gear ratio allowing a more efficient and comfortable pedaling cadence. A trully "all conditions" internal hub has arrived.
source: https://www.shimano.com/publish/conte...L.-type-..html

the gear inch calcs i got from sheldon brown's site were off by 1% for the alfine 8, not 100%.
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Old 08-10-11, 09:28 AM
  #45  
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Gear range is calculated as high/low*100, or put another way, the highest gear is x times higher than the lowest gear.
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Old 08-10-11, 09:37 AM
  #46  
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My Steve Bauer Sirocco road bike has ~39-98 gear inches

My Sports-store MTB has ~ 20-98 gear inches

I really only commute on the roadie these days.
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Old 08-10-11, 09:58 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by alan s
Gear range is calculated as high/low*100, or put another way, the highest gear is x times higher than the lowest gear.
that was my understanding as well, but JiveTurkey claims otherwise? who's right?
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Old 08-10-11, 10:11 AM
  #48  
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17 - 115. I normally only use the middle chainring for my commuting route, though.
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Old 08-10-11, 11:30 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by Steely Dan
that was my understanding as well, but JiveTurkey claims otherwise? who's right?
It's calculated both ways by different people in different circumstances. Sheldon spells it out. Basically the question is do you consider a single speed bike to have a range of 100% or a range of 0%. To me, 0% makes more sense because there is effectively no range.
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Old 08-10-11, 11:34 AM
  #50  
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^ thank you for the clarification from the maestro himself.
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