Adammax263

Hello World.


I feel like I am trying to find a unicorn and going to my local bike shops isn't working. If anyone can recommend a bike I can buy with these requirements, I would be very grateful.

• Non-negotiable requirements
  • Cost under $1,200
  • Has a small frame or a frame that can fit me (I am 5'1")
  • Has flat style handlebars
  • Comes with or can be Easily upgraded to a 55T+ chainring. <---This is the hard part
• Optional (nice if it comes with it but not a deal breaker)
  • has a minimum of 7 gears
  • Front shocks
  • Can easily be ridden on dirt and/or gravel paths.

Background

A few months ago I decided I needed to start exercising. I ended up buying Trek Dual Sport 1 and have been using it daily for a nice 45-60 minute ride around a local paved bike path. While this wasn't a bad entry bike, I have outgrown it. The gearing on the dual sport doesn't allow me to go as fast as I want and peddling around on the most difficult gearing, isn't challenging or even a good exercise anymore. I took my bike to a few different bike shops and they all advised that due to the shape of the frame, there isn't anything they can easily do to fix these issues. I was repeatedly advised that I should just buy a road bike. This is what started my search.

I have done several test rides on road bikes and I don't like the drop-style handlebars on most mainstream road bikes. The other issue with road bikes is that they get expensive quickly! I also don't care about the weight of the bike so paying a premium for carbon parts doesn't make sense and quickly blows my budget. One of the bikes I test rode, came with a 53T chainring/crank on the front and a 11-48T cassette. I liked this drive train. It was a major step up from my current 46/30 crank and 11-32 Cassette However, I could still easily peddle this bike using the most difficult gear setting. Part of the problem is I like a slow to middling cadence with a lot of resistance. I don't like spinning my legs like a cartoon character. This is why I am looking for a bike that can accommodate Really big cranks/chainrings. I also live in southern Florida. The train around here is extremely flat. There is no noticeable elevation gain. I will practically never use a gear to go uphill. I would also like a bike I can ride use on some of the non-paved paths in the nearby state parks.

The issue I am running into is that I can't find an off-the-shelf bike that comes with a stupid big chainring/crank. A few shops have advised me I can order a bike and then put a bigger chainring on it. I even put a deposit on a bike for a local shop to order. They told me they could put as big of a chain ring as I want on. However, when it came in... They admitted to being a little wrong and the biggest they could do was a 54T. While this is a big improvement and maybe all I need, I don't want to buy the bike now and be in the same situation in another few months where I want a faster, harder-to-peddle bike.

bboy314

I can’t imagine actually needing that gearing, but…

Why can the shop fit a 54 but not a 55? Is it a frame clearance issue? I’d start with finding out exactly what the issue is and going from there.

Adammax263

I don't know why they could only fit the 54.

I placed the order/deposit over the weekend and I got the call about the bike coming in, previously today. The guy I spoke with wasn't the mechanic and couldn't go into details. He just advised he would get back to me. The bike I ordered was a Trek FX3 Disc. The odd thing is that he mentioned it was the ring they could install was 54 oval. As a layman, I would assume that if a 54 oval would fit, a bigger round ring should also fit. I plan on calling them tomorrow for more info. FYI: I am not locked into buying the bike. I can get by deposit refunded.

mstateglfr 

You rode a bike with a 53t chaining and 11-48 cassette? What bike is that?
And why do you need an 11-48 cassette if you ride flat land?

You accurately identified not only part of the problem, but the full problem- ywou ant to ride with a slow cadence.
55x11 gearing at just 60 rpm, which is not fast spinning, is 24mph. I strongly doubt you could hold that for any extended length of time.


I know of nothing stock that has a 55t chaining, front suspension, costs less than $1200, and has an 11-48 cassette(that you say is ideal yet say you don't need).

Best of luck. Post up pics when you bag your unicorn.
...or learn to pedal faster.

Outrider1

I could not come up with a better observation and summary.

Outrider1

Front suspension road 🚲

Outrider1

I'm nearly a foot taller than OP and cannot imagine a 55 chainring. At 5'1"???

Adammax263

🤷
Potholes suck and I don't care about weight. So why not?

Barry2 

Most people new to cycling pedal at too slow an RPM (cadence).
From what you describe, this might be you.

If you were to ask 6 cyclists what cadence should be, you’ll get 6 or more answers.

But I’ve my flame proofs on, so I’ll take a stab at it.
I tell beginners to aim for 80RPM at first.
Increasing that number as you become accustomed to it.

With these higher RPMs you will utilize a different muscle fiber giving you more endurance.

Barry

shelbyfv

The Trek FX3 Disc is specified as a 1X with a max chainring size of 42. If the shop is willing to try to fit a 54, kudos, they are going above and beyond. You will be unable to distinguish a 54 from a 55. Of course, the elephant in the corner is that you could actually learn how to ride a bike instead of going non-negotiable about stuff you don't understand.

ARider2

Mashers burn through small cogs and chains at a very fast pace.

smd4

Who wants a bike that’s harder to pedal?

sdimattia

I know you like gears but if you want exercise and a hard ratio, get a single speed. You'd probably have an easier time finding a frame that'll accept a 55t and you live in a flat place, hence the single speed. What bike/frame that is, I honestly have no idea. And yes, I'm aware it doesn't meet any of your requirements.

veganbikes

As stated above by others your gearing ideas are way off. I don't know what bike you rode with such a massive front chainring and such a wide range at the back but that one is the unicorn. The trek you list has a max chainring on a 1x as 42T there is no way you should go larger and 55t which is absolutely beyond ridiculous will not fit as that is MASSIVE. I know people who race bikes and don't have a 55t chainring (though I think one former co-worker who does race has a 53t and is also on the slightly shorter side but taller than you)

I would learn how to pedal and find a bike that works best for you while pedaling a slow grinding slog through big gears just wears things out faster and gets more expensive if you learn how to pedal and shift and have the right gearing for your terrain you will be set . I would not at all recommend any suspension forks especially at those lower price points, get wider tires and a carbon fork. The cheap hybrid suspension is not worth your time or money and isn't going to be very comfortable and the gravel bike stuff from FOX, RockShox and MRP is going to up your budget quite a bit. Wider tires at lower pressures will give you plenty of comfort and if you get a Kinekt Seatpost you will eliminate a lot of the bumps and potholes without adding a ton of dead weight of less quality.

One should not need to spin their legs cartoonishly very much unless maybe on a fixed gear but on a regular bike you can shift around but most 1x setups are geared more towards gravel and mountain biking and hybrid usage. You seem to want a flat bar road bike at least more gearing wise which is fine but having such a massive gear on a 1x is quite hard to do without making huge sacrifices that will effect the comfort and usability of the bike.

In terms of 7 speed stuff that is pretty much at the bottom end of parts these days it came out in the late 80s and it is now the 2020s and we are in the 12 speed era so the quality has gone way down for all the 80s and 90s gearing. Look for 10 speed and above and you will have a good reliable bike generally. If you need to up the budget slightly I would recommend it you won't be unhappy you spent a little more down the road and have a better more reliable bike but you will be unhappy if you spend a little less up front and then down the road you have more issues or something like that. Luckily you have a budget near enough to get 10 speed.

If your budget weren't so low I would say get a custom bike built up. You can talk with a professional builder and get a dialogue going about your riding style where you are riding and what you are looking for and they can make good recommendations on what you need and build you a bike to suit you as best as possible.

Camilo

In addition to the suggestions that veganbikes made in lieu of a cheap suspension fork on an inexpensive bike (larger tires/lower pressure, suspension seat post), you can also mitigate rough roads with a suspension stem. I have used a Redshift Shock Stop stem for several years and it makes a good difference for rough paved roads and gravel. Is it a substitute for a suspension fork for actual roots, rocks and holes of a mountain bike trail? No, but it is a great modification for what it sounds like you'll use your bike for, general riding on smooth pavement, rough pavement and gravel. A frame that can handle, say, 35-40mm tires and a adding suspension stem will really serve you well. Bigger tires, even better.

I also agree with a few points that can't be emphasized enough, especially since you're really limiting your options due to the off the charts gearing you're looking for.

On flat Florida ground, if you can keep up a 20mph pace by yourself in a non-aero bike and position for any length of time, you're a hero. So, any gearing that lets you pedal at your preferred cadence @ 20mph or even 15mph will be more than you can handle - of course IMO, which is worth what you're paying me for it. A 55X11 high gear is unusual even for very, very strong riders. You don't need to spin like "cartoon character".

You'll also never notice the difference between 54t and 55t. That should not even be close to a deal breaker for you.

I hope you find what you're looking for but consider the good advice in this thread.

KerryIrons

Others have alluded to it, but the real answer is for you to learn how to ride at a higher cadence. The gearing you are seeking is close to that used by the fastest sprinters in the world. You are compromising your overall gearing by doing this. People seem to think that there are no skills associated with riding a bike, but learning to spin is definitely a skill that every rider should aspire to absent some specific physical limitation.