Best bike for uphill
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I use one bike for riding uphill and another for going downhill. The trick is getting someone to put my uphill bike at the base of the next hill and my downhill bike at the top. Oh and I guess I need a third bike for flat terrain.
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The "BEST" bike will be in the $12,000+ range. A good bike will be in the $4000 range.
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You need to evaluate the gearing that you currently have on your bicycle.
If you do not fully understand the simple relationship that "GEARING" provides, you have little chance in getting it right on your "NEW" bike, and you'll just be pissing in the wind and throwing your money away.
Old timey, super-simple way to calculate "GEAR" number, that is entirely relevant and compareable among various bicycles:
Your numerator is the number of teeth on the front sprocket.
Your denominator is the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
EXAMPLE: 45 front , 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 x INCH diameter of wheel = "GEAR"
(For 27" 630mm, and 622mm 700C tires, USE (27) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
For 26" 597mm, 590mm, 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, 584mm, 571mm, and 559mm cruiser/mountain bike tire , USE (26) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
******* Yes, this does make certain assumptions and isn't precise as to such various differences as well as then the differences among the various production tires bearing the same sizing, BUT THIS Super-Simple method IS COMPAREABLE and HIGHLY ACCURATE when the bicycles being compared are not too disparate.**********
Remember that this simple calculation is:
FRONT divided by REAR = "result"
TAKE THAT "result" AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER IN INCHES OF THE WHEEL = "GEAR" number
Example: 45 front, 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 X 27" = 81 GEAR
You can further do a very simple calculation that will tell you the DISTANCE IN INCHES TRAVELLED WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE PEDALS.
To do this, you simply take that GEAR number and MULTIPLY IT TIMES Pi and that gives you distance in INCHES Travelled.
*****You do recall from 4th grade math that Pi is equal to 3.14******************
Recall that Pi = 3.14
So taking the 81 GEAR x Pi
81 GEAR X 3.14 = 254 inches
converting to feet, for something a bit more meaningful and useful..........Simply divide the inches by 12 to get distance Travelled in feet with each Pedal Revolution.
Well that 254 inches comes close to something like 20 ft.
THE COMPUTATION FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED WITH EACH PEDAL REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE AS MEANINGFUL AS THE SIMPLE GEAR number CALCULATION FOR COMPARING BIKES, BUT IT GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEVANT AS TO HOW slow THAT YOU MAY BE STEADILY MOVING WHILE CLIMBING SAID HILL(S). Obviously your pedal spinning rate factors in, but the DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER PEDAL REVOLUTION IS A FIXED NUMBER, so assuming that your cadence (pedal spin rate) wouldn't vary significantly among the various bikes that you are comparing, then those DISTANCE numbers are totally relevant and compareable in figuring just how slow you'd be going in any significant low gear for hill climbing. Obviously comparing widely different bicycles for example, say a 40 pound Schwinn with an Ashtabula one piece crank and factory steel wheels, with something 27 pounds or less with lightweight alloy wheels, --and unless you're almost super-human, you will not be able to SPIN the old Schwinn's crank at the same cadence as you can SPIN the lightweight bike's crank. For similar bicycle comparisons, you should have relatively comparative numbers that will help you decide what is and what is not.
I suggest that you do take stock of what your current gearing is.
Make a gear chart table that tells you the "GEAR" number for each of your bicycle's gears.
SINCE YOU ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE BEST HILL CLIMBING FOR YOUR NEEDS, BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL PLEASANT RIDING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP MUCH OR ANY OF YOUR TOP-END CRUISING RANGE! This is seldom ever a problem as long as you have enough gears, but you obviously can see that it would become an issue with a single speed cruiser bike... I simply want you to understand and consider the ramifications of just doing something cave-man ultra simple as some folks do with old mountain bikes or ancient ten speeds where they simply place the chain on the smallest front sprocket and forget about the other front sprokets and front derailleur.....this limits the GEAR range significantly where one might miss the cruising top end ability. YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO A 1 x in the front versus a double or tripple BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE front's TEETH number must PROVIDE REASONABLE ENOUGH GEARING WITH WHATEVER THE CASSETTE-or-FREEWHEEL THAT YOU DO CHOOSE TO EMPLOY ON THE REAR WHEEL. You have to calculate that GEARING to see if it ultimately is both LOW geared enough and WIDE RANGING ENOUGH to Suit Your Needs!!!
That is where that your focus needs to be.
Everybody in the world can tell you that you should go this way, or look at this bike or that bike model, and perhaps some might have really useful advice in that the bike(s) that they suggest might be geared most closely to what you might need. THE PROBLEM IS YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT GEARING AND ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OUT THERE AMONG VARIOUS MODEL BIKES, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL CHOICES IN CASSETTES WITH LOW GEAR AND STILL A WIDE ENOUGH RANGE. You're getting well meaning responses from smart experienced cyclists that have probably significant riding differences from your type of riding and geographic-elevation range. What you're getting is essentially the same as their opinions on favorite color, or favorite music artist/group. They aren't necessarily wrong or anything like that, but you gotta look at it as it has to be applicable to what you need and want. Shaq wears something like size 18 shoes and Tiger plays with blade irons with old school Dynamic steel shafts that are extra-stiff, those are are going to be next to impossible for someone that isn't pro caliber with the swing speed to match, or unless you've got the massive foot to wear the same size shoe as Shaq.
You can't simply just say, oh well, this is the most popular, most expensive bike, so it must be the most desireable for me. IT MIGHT BE, BUT IT JUST THE SAME, MIGHT NOT BE.........YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF SAID BIKE(S) BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE AN GOOD INFORMED DECISION. Many bike shops don't give a damn, as if you want it, they will sell it to ya. In fairness to the LBS community, they cannot read minds and unless you plainly explain to them in terms that they can understand, they have no way of knowing exactly what might be best for you. You, as the consumer, are responsible for knowing how to compare bicycle gearing and what might meet your needs. You cannot fault the LBS community so much because their proprietors and employees typically are usually predominantly road-bike oriented, and are typically on average, high-ability road bike riders, and may not need the LOW gearing that normal folks might need.
You certainly have a few LBS that are more mountain bike oriented, etc....................but this goes to show that there are indeed differences in both bicycle preference and styles of riding............one matters just as much as the others, so you do need to focus on what is RIGHT for you. You cannot blindly go on just what the 23 year old spandex boy that is the $15 hour LBS technician that still dreams of doing the tour de france but because he has no education beyond HS and makes so little in annual wages that he still lives at home in his parents' basement, and has no plan in place to further his education or immediately significantly improve this situation.
You simply need to know enough about GEARING and how it relates to your bicycling needs. Once you know enough, you can easily determine what NEW or USED models have what might suit you the best. DON'T GUESS, or LET THE LOCAL BIKE SHOP FLUNKIE TELL YOU THAT, Oh Yeah Dude, You'll Love This, I Guarantee You Man....... in a nutshell, they simply want to ring-up a sale.
Generally, a ball-park WIDE RANGE for "GEAR" number is from about maybe (28) to about maybe (104). YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT REALLY APPROACHES (100) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE YOU DECENT ABILITY TO GET UP THE HILLS NEAR YOU.
You can certainly go a little LOWER or a little HIGHER in the "GEAR" number than those numbers.
Obviously the lower number indicates BETTER HILL CLIMBING (low gear) CAPABILITY and generally the higher the number close to ~100+ indicates typically the GREATER POTENTIAL FOR TOP-SPEED assuming that one can turn the crank at a cadence that allows for this.
Just knowing how various gearing combinations give the "GEAR" numbers that you can calculate, will allow you or anyone to instantly compare among very similar bicycles. It isn't super-scientific or perfect without flaws because there are other minor variables that could and do sometimes come into play, but if the bikes have the same size wheels and are similar enough, then those other variables will be immaterial.
If you do not fully understand the simple relationship that "GEARING" provides, you have little chance in getting it right on your "NEW" bike, and you'll just be pissing in the wind and throwing your money away.
Old timey, super-simple way to calculate "GEAR" number, that is entirely relevant and compareable among various bicycles:
Your numerator is the number of teeth on the front sprocket.
Your denominator is the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
EXAMPLE: 45 front , 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 x INCH diameter of wheel = "GEAR"
(For 27" 630mm, and 622mm 700C tires, USE (27) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
For 26" 597mm, 590mm, 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, 584mm, 571mm, and 559mm cruiser/mountain bike tire , USE (26) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
******* Yes, this does make certain assumptions and isn't precise as to such various differences as well as then the differences among the various production tires bearing the same sizing, BUT THIS Super-Simple method IS COMPAREABLE and HIGHLY ACCURATE when the bicycles being compared are not too disparate.**********
Remember that this simple calculation is:
FRONT divided by REAR = "result"
TAKE THAT "result" AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER IN INCHES OF THE WHEEL = "GEAR" number
Example: 45 front, 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 X 27" = 81 GEAR
You can further do a very simple calculation that will tell you the DISTANCE IN INCHES TRAVELLED WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE PEDALS.
To do this, you simply take that GEAR number and MULTIPLY IT TIMES Pi and that gives you distance in INCHES Travelled.
*****You do recall from 4th grade math that Pi is equal to 3.14******************
Recall that Pi = 3.14
So taking the 81 GEAR x Pi
81 GEAR X 3.14 = 254 inches
converting to feet, for something a bit more meaningful and useful..........Simply divide the inches by 12 to get distance Travelled in feet with each Pedal Revolution.
Well that 254 inches comes close to something like 20 ft.
THE COMPUTATION FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED WITH EACH PEDAL REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE AS MEANINGFUL AS THE SIMPLE GEAR number CALCULATION FOR COMPARING BIKES, BUT IT GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEVANT AS TO HOW slow THAT YOU MAY BE STEADILY MOVING WHILE CLIMBING SAID HILL(S). Obviously your pedal spinning rate factors in, but the DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER PEDAL REVOLUTION IS A FIXED NUMBER, so assuming that your cadence (pedal spin rate) wouldn't vary significantly among the various bikes that you are comparing, then those DISTANCE numbers are totally relevant and compareable in figuring just how slow you'd be going in any significant low gear for hill climbing. Obviously comparing widely different bicycles for example, say a 40 pound Schwinn with an Ashtabula one piece crank and factory steel wheels, with something 27 pounds or less with lightweight alloy wheels, --and unless you're almost super-human, you will not be able to SPIN the old Schwinn's crank at the same cadence as you can SPIN the lightweight bike's crank. For similar bicycle comparisons, you should have relatively comparative numbers that will help you decide what is and what is not.
I suggest that you do take stock of what your current gearing is.
Make a gear chart table that tells you the "GEAR" number for each of your bicycle's gears.
SINCE YOU ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE BEST HILL CLIMBING FOR YOUR NEEDS, BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL PLEASANT RIDING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP MUCH OR ANY OF YOUR TOP-END CRUISING RANGE! This is seldom ever a problem as long as you have enough gears, but you obviously can see that it would become an issue with a single speed cruiser bike... I simply want you to understand and consider the ramifications of just doing something cave-man ultra simple as some folks do with old mountain bikes or ancient ten speeds where they simply place the chain on the smallest front sprocket and forget about the other front sprokets and front derailleur.....this limits the GEAR range significantly where one might miss the cruising top end ability. YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO A 1 x in the front versus a double or tripple BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE front's TEETH number must PROVIDE REASONABLE ENOUGH GEARING WITH WHATEVER THE CASSETTE-or-FREEWHEEL THAT YOU DO CHOOSE TO EMPLOY ON THE REAR WHEEL. You have to calculate that GEARING to see if it ultimately is both LOW geared enough and WIDE RANGING ENOUGH to Suit Your Needs!!!
That is where that your focus needs to be.
Everybody in the world can tell you that you should go this way, or look at this bike or that bike model, and perhaps some might have really useful advice in that the bike(s) that they suggest might be geared most closely to what you might need. THE PROBLEM IS YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT GEARING AND ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OUT THERE AMONG VARIOUS MODEL BIKES, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL CHOICES IN CASSETTES WITH LOW GEAR AND STILL A WIDE ENOUGH RANGE. You're getting well meaning responses from smart experienced cyclists that have probably significant riding differences from your type of riding and geographic-elevation range. What you're getting is essentially the same as their opinions on favorite color, or favorite music artist/group. They aren't necessarily wrong or anything like that, but you gotta look at it as it has to be applicable to what you need and want. Shaq wears something like size 18 shoes and Tiger plays with blade irons with old school Dynamic steel shafts that are extra-stiff, those are are going to be next to impossible for someone that isn't pro caliber with the swing speed to match, or unless you've got the massive foot to wear the same size shoe as Shaq.
You can't simply just say, oh well, this is the most popular, most expensive bike, so it must be the most desireable for me. IT MIGHT BE, BUT IT JUST THE SAME, MIGHT NOT BE.........YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF SAID BIKE(S) BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE AN GOOD INFORMED DECISION. Many bike shops don't give a damn, as if you want it, they will sell it to ya. In fairness to the LBS community, they cannot read minds and unless you plainly explain to them in terms that they can understand, they have no way of knowing exactly what might be best for you. You, as the consumer, are responsible for knowing how to compare bicycle gearing and what might meet your needs. You cannot fault the LBS community so much because their proprietors and employees typically are usually predominantly road-bike oriented, and are typically on average, high-ability road bike riders, and may not need the LOW gearing that normal folks might need.
You certainly have a few LBS that are more mountain bike oriented, etc....................but this goes to show that there are indeed differences in both bicycle preference and styles of riding............one matters just as much as the others, so you do need to focus on what is RIGHT for you. You cannot blindly go on just what the 23 year old spandex boy that is the $15 hour LBS technician that still dreams of doing the tour de france but because he has no education beyond HS and makes so little in annual wages that he still lives at home in his parents' basement, and has no plan in place to further his education or immediately significantly improve this situation.
You simply need to know enough about GEARING and how it relates to your bicycling needs. Once you know enough, you can easily determine what NEW or USED models have what might suit you the best. DON'T GUESS, or LET THE LOCAL BIKE SHOP FLUNKIE TELL YOU THAT, Oh Yeah Dude, You'll Love This, I Guarantee You Man....... in a nutshell, they simply want to ring-up a sale.
Generally, a ball-park WIDE RANGE for "GEAR" number is from about maybe (28) to about maybe (104). YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT REALLY APPROACHES (100) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE YOU DECENT ABILITY TO GET UP THE HILLS NEAR YOU.
You can certainly go a little LOWER or a little HIGHER in the "GEAR" number than those numbers.
Obviously the lower number indicates BETTER HILL CLIMBING (low gear) CAPABILITY and generally the higher the number close to ~100+ indicates typically the GREATER POTENTIAL FOR TOP-SPEED assuming that one can turn the crank at a cadence that allows for this.
Just knowing how various gearing combinations give the "GEAR" numbers that you can calculate, will allow you or anyone to instantly compare among very similar bicycles. It isn't super-scientific or perfect without flaws because there are other minor variables that could and do sometimes come into play, but if the bikes have the same size wheels and are similar enough, then those other variables will be immaterial.
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#31
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You need to evaluate the gearing that you currently have on your bicycle.
If you do not fully understand the simple relationship that "GEARING" provides, you have little chance in getting it right on your "NEW" bike, and you'll just be pissing in the wind and throwing your money away.
Old timey, super-simple way to calculate "GEAR" number, that is entirely relevant and compareable among various bicycles:
Your numerator is the number of teeth on the front sprocket.
Your denominator is the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
EXAMPLE: 45 front , 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 x INCH diameter of wheel = "GEAR"
(For 27" 630mm, and 622mm 700C tires, USE (27) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
For 26" 597mm, 590mm, 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, 584mm, 571mm, and 559mm cruiser/mountain bike tire , USE (26) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
******* Yes, this does make certain assumptions and isn't precise as to such various differences as well as then the differences among the various production tires bearing the same sizing, BUT THIS Super-Simple method IS COMPAREABLE and HIGHLY ACCURATE when the bicycles being compared are not too disparate.**********
Remember that this simple calculation is:
FRONT divided by REAR = "result"
TAKE THAT "result" AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER IN INCHES OF THE WHEEL = "GEAR" number
Example: 45 front, 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 X 27" = 81 GEAR
You can further do a very simple calculation that will tell you the DISTANCE IN INCHES TRAVELLED WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE PEDALS.
To do this, you simply take that GEAR number and MULTIPLY IT TIMES Pi and that gives you distance in INCHES Travelled.
*****You do recall from 4th grade math that Pi is equal to 3.14******************
Recall that Pi = 3.14
So taking the 81 GEAR x Pi
81 GEAR X 3.14 = 254 inches
converting to feet, for something a bit more meaningful and useful..........Simply divide the inches by 12 to get distance Travelled in feet with each Pedal Revolution.
Well that 254 inches comes close to something like 20 ft.
THE COMPUTATION FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED WITH EACH PEDAL REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE AS MEANINGFUL AS THE SIMPLE GEAR number CALCULATION FOR COMPARING BIKES, BUT IT GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEVANT AS TO HOW slow THAT YOU MAY BE STEADILY MOVING WHILE CLIMBING SAID HILL(S). Obviously your pedal spinning rate factors in, but the DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER PEDAL REVOLUTION IS A FIXED NUMBER, so assuming that your cadence (pedal spin rate) wouldn't vary significantly among the various bikes that you are comparing, then those DISTANCE numbers are totally relevant and compareable in figuring just how slow you'd be going in any significant low gear for hill climbing. Obviously comparing widely different bicycles for example, say a 40 pound Schwinn with an Ashtabula one piece crank and factory steel wheels, with something 27 pounds or less with lightweight alloy wheels, --and unless you're almost super-human, you will not be able to SPIN the old Schwinn's crank at the same cadence as you can SPIN the lightweight bike's crank. For similar bicycle comparisons, you should have relatively comparative numbers that will help you decide what is and what is not.
I suggest that you do take stock of what your current gearing is.
Make a gear chart table that tells you the "GEAR" number for each of your bicycle's gears.
SINCE YOU ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE BEST HILL CLIMBING FOR YOUR NEEDS, BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL PLEASANT RIDING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP MUCH OR ANY OF YOUR TOP-END CRUISING RANGE! This is seldom ever a problem as long as you have enough gears, but you obviously can see that it would become an issue with a single speed cruiser bike... I simply want you to understand and consider the ramifications of just doing something cave-man ultra simple as some folks do with old mountain bikes or ancient ten speeds where they simply place the chain on the smallest front sprocket and forget about the other front sprokets and front derailleur.....this limits the GEAR range significantly where one might miss the cruising top end ability. YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO A 1 x in the front versus a double or tripple BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE front's TEETH number must PROVIDE REASONABLE ENOUGH GEARING WITH WHATEVER THE CASSETTE-or-FREEWHEEL THAT YOU DO CHOOSE TO EMPLOY ON THE REAR WHEEL. You have to calculate that GEARING to see if it ultimately is both LOW geared enough and WIDE RANGING ENOUGH to Suit Your Needs!!!
That is where that your focus needs to be.
Everybody in the world can tell you that you should go this way, or look at this bike or that bike model, and perhaps some might have really useful advice in that the bike(s) that they suggest might be geared most closely to what you might need. THE PROBLEM IS YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT GEARING AND ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OUT THERE AMONG VARIOUS MODEL BIKES, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL CHOICES IN CASSETTES WITH LOW GEAR AND STILL A WIDE ENOUGH RANGE. You're getting well meaning responses from smart experienced cyclists that have probably significant riding differences from your type of riding and geographic-elevation range. What you're getting is essentially the same as their opinions on favorite color, or favorite music artist/group. They aren't necessarily wrong or anything like that, but you gotta look at it as it has to be applicable to what you need and want. Shaq wears something like size 18 shoes and Tiger plays with blade irons with old school Dynamic steel shafts that are extra-stiff, those are are going to be next to impossible for someone that isn't pro caliber with the swing speed to match, or unless you've got the massive foot to wear the same size shoe as Shaq.
You can't simply just say, oh well, this is the most popular, most expensive bike, so it must be the most desireable for me. IT MIGHT BE, BUT IT JUST THE SAME, MIGHT NOT BE.........YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF SAID BIKE(S) BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE AN GOOD INFORMED DECISION. Many bike shops don't give a damn, as if you want it, they will sell it to ya. In fairness to the LBS community, they cannot read minds and unless you plainly explain to them in terms that they can understand, they have no way of knowing exactly what might be best for you. You, as the consumer, are responsible for knowing how to compare bicycle gearing and what might meet your needs. You cannot fault the LBS community so much because their proprietors and employees typically are usually predominantly road-bike oriented, and are typically on average, high-ability road bike riders, and may not need the LOW gearing that normal folks might need.
You certainly have a few LBS that are more mountain bike oriented, etc....................but this goes to show that there are indeed differences in both bicycle preference and styles of riding............one matters just as much as the others, so you do need to focus on what is RIGHT for you. You cannot blindly go on just what the 23 year old spandex boy that is the $15 hour LBS technician that still dreams of doing the tour de france but because he has no education beyond HS and makes so little in annual wages that he still lives at home in his parents' basement, and has no plan in place to further his education or immediately significantly improve this situation.
You simply need to know enough about GEARING and how it relates to your bicycling needs. Once you know enough, you can easily determine what NEW or USED models have what might suit you the best. DON'T GUESS, or LET THE LOCAL BIKE SHOP FLUNKIE TELL YOU THAT, Oh Yeah Dude, You'll Love This, I Guarantee You Man....... in a nutshell, they simply want to ring-up a sale.
Generally, a ball-park WIDE RANGE for "GEAR" number is from about maybe (28) to about maybe (104). YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT REALLY APPROACHES (100) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE YOU DECENT ABILITY TO GET UP THE HILLS NEAR YOU.
You can certainly go a little LOWER or a little HIGHER in the "GEAR" number than those numbers.
Obviously the lower number indicates BETTER HILL CLIMBING (low gear) CAPABILITY and generally the higher the number close to ~100+ indicates typically the GREATER POTENTIAL FOR TOP-SPEED assuming that one can turn the crank at a cadence that allows for this.
Just knowing how various gearing combinations give the "GEAR" numbers that you can calculate, will allow you or anyone to instantly compare among very similar bicycles. It isn't super-scientific or perfect without flaws because there are other minor variables that could and do sometimes come into play, but if the bikes have the same size wheels and are similar enough, then those other variables will be immaterial.
If you do not fully understand the simple relationship that "GEARING" provides, you have little chance in getting it right on your "NEW" bike, and you'll just be pissing in the wind and throwing your money away.
Old timey, super-simple way to calculate "GEAR" number, that is entirely relevant and compareable among various bicycles:
Your numerator is the number of teeth on the front sprocket.
Your denominator is the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
EXAMPLE: 45 front , 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 x INCH diameter of wheel = "GEAR"
(For 27" 630mm, and 622mm 700C tires, USE (27) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
For 26" 597mm, 590mm, 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, 584mm, 571mm, and 559mm cruiser/mountain bike tire , USE (26) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
******* Yes, this does make certain assumptions and isn't precise as to such various differences as well as then the differences among the various production tires bearing the same sizing, BUT THIS Super-Simple method IS COMPAREABLE and HIGHLY ACCURATE when the bicycles being compared are not too disparate.**********
Remember that this simple calculation is:
FRONT divided by REAR = "result"
TAKE THAT "result" AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER IN INCHES OF THE WHEEL = "GEAR" number
Example: 45 front, 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 X 27" = 81 GEAR
You can further do a very simple calculation that will tell you the DISTANCE IN INCHES TRAVELLED WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE PEDALS.
To do this, you simply take that GEAR number and MULTIPLY IT TIMES Pi and that gives you distance in INCHES Travelled.
*****You do recall from 4th grade math that Pi is equal to 3.14******************
Recall that Pi = 3.14
So taking the 81 GEAR x Pi
81 GEAR X 3.14 = 254 inches
converting to feet, for something a bit more meaningful and useful..........Simply divide the inches by 12 to get distance Travelled in feet with each Pedal Revolution.
Well that 254 inches comes close to something like 20 ft.
THE COMPUTATION FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED WITH EACH PEDAL REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE AS MEANINGFUL AS THE SIMPLE GEAR number CALCULATION FOR COMPARING BIKES, BUT IT GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEVANT AS TO HOW slow THAT YOU MAY BE STEADILY MOVING WHILE CLIMBING SAID HILL(S). Obviously your pedal spinning rate factors in, but the DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER PEDAL REVOLUTION IS A FIXED NUMBER, so assuming that your cadence (pedal spin rate) wouldn't vary significantly among the various bikes that you are comparing, then those DISTANCE numbers are totally relevant and compareable in figuring just how slow you'd be going in any significant low gear for hill climbing. Obviously comparing widely different bicycles for example, say a 40 pound Schwinn with an Ashtabula one piece crank and factory steel wheels, with something 27 pounds or less with lightweight alloy wheels, --and unless you're almost super-human, you will not be able to SPIN the old Schwinn's crank at the same cadence as you can SPIN the lightweight bike's crank. For similar bicycle comparisons, you should have relatively comparative numbers that will help you decide what is and what is not.
I suggest that you do take stock of what your current gearing is.
Make a gear chart table that tells you the "GEAR" number for each of your bicycle's gears.
SINCE YOU ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE BEST HILL CLIMBING FOR YOUR NEEDS, BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL PLEASANT RIDING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP MUCH OR ANY OF YOUR TOP-END CRUISING RANGE! This is seldom ever a problem as long as you have enough gears, but you obviously can see that it would become an issue with a single speed cruiser bike... I simply want you to understand and consider the ramifications of just doing something cave-man ultra simple as some folks do with old mountain bikes or ancient ten speeds where they simply place the chain on the smallest front sprocket and forget about the other front sprokets and front derailleur.....this limits the GEAR range significantly where one might miss the cruising top end ability. YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO A 1 x in the front versus a double or tripple BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE front's TEETH number must PROVIDE REASONABLE ENOUGH GEARING WITH WHATEVER THE CASSETTE-or-FREEWHEEL THAT YOU DO CHOOSE TO EMPLOY ON THE REAR WHEEL. You have to calculate that GEARING to see if it ultimately is both LOW geared enough and WIDE RANGING ENOUGH to Suit Your Needs!!!
That is where that your focus needs to be.
Everybody in the world can tell you that you should go this way, or look at this bike or that bike model, and perhaps some might have really useful advice in that the bike(s) that they suggest might be geared most closely to what you might need. THE PROBLEM IS YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT GEARING AND ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OUT THERE AMONG VARIOUS MODEL BIKES, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL CHOICES IN CASSETTES WITH LOW GEAR AND STILL A WIDE ENOUGH RANGE. You're getting well meaning responses from smart experienced cyclists that have probably significant riding differences from your type of riding and geographic-elevation range. What you're getting is essentially the same as their opinions on favorite color, or favorite music artist/group. They aren't necessarily wrong or anything like that, but you gotta look at it as it has to be applicable to what you need and want. Shaq wears something like size 18 shoes and Tiger plays with blade irons with old school Dynamic steel shafts that are extra-stiff, those are are going to be next to impossible for someone that isn't pro caliber with the swing speed to match, or unless you've got the massive foot to wear the same size shoe as Shaq.
You can't simply just say, oh well, this is the most popular, most expensive bike, so it must be the most desireable for me. IT MIGHT BE, BUT IT JUST THE SAME, MIGHT NOT BE.........YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF SAID BIKE(S) BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE AN GOOD INFORMED DECISION. Many bike shops don't give a damn, as if you want it, they will sell it to ya. In fairness to the LBS community, they cannot read minds and unless you plainly explain to them in terms that they can understand, they have no way of knowing exactly what might be best for you. You, as the consumer, are responsible for knowing how to compare bicycle gearing and what might meet your needs. You cannot fault the LBS community so much because their proprietors and employees typically are usually predominantly road-bike oriented, and are typically on average, high-ability road bike riders, and may not need the LOW gearing that normal folks might need.
You certainly have a few LBS that are more mountain bike oriented, etc....................but this goes to show that there are indeed differences in both bicycle preference and styles of riding............one matters just as much as the others, so you do need to focus on what is RIGHT for you. You cannot blindly go on just what the 23 year old spandex boy that is the $15 hour LBS technician that still dreams of doing the tour de france but because he has no education beyond HS and makes so little in annual wages that he still lives at home in his parents' basement, and has no plan in place to further his education or immediately significantly improve this situation.
You simply need to know enough about GEARING and how it relates to your bicycling needs. Once you know enough, you can easily determine what NEW or USED models have what might suit you the best. DON'T GUESS, or LET THE LOCAL BIKE SHOP FLUNKIE TELL YOU THAT, Oh Yeah Dude, You'll Love This, I Guarantee You Man....... in a nutshell, they simply want to ring-up a sale.
Generally, a ball-park WIDE RANGE for "GEAR" number is from about maybe (28) to about maybe (104). YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT REALLY APPROACHES (100) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE YOU DECENT ABILITY TO GET UP THE HILLS NEAR YOU.
You can certainly go a little LOWER or a little HIGHER in the "GEAR" number than those numbers.
Obviously the lower number indicates BETTER HILL CLIMBING (low gear) CAPABILITY and generally the higher the number close to ~100+ indicates typically the GREATER POTENTIAL FOR TOP-SPEED assuming that one can turn the crank at a cadence that allows for this.
Just knowing how various gearing combinations give the "GEAR" numbers that you can calculate, will allow you or anyone to instantly compare among very similar bicycles. It isn't super-scientific or perfect without flaws because there are other minor variables that could and do sometimes come into play, but if the bikes have the same size wheels and are similar enough, then those other variables will be immaterial.
As a rule of thumb a 1:1 ratio is about as low as road race/endurance bikes go, with a 50/34 chainset and 11-34 cassette. Gravel bikes go a step lower than that for off-road climbing.
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Old enough, hmmm?
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You need to evaluate the gearing that you currently have on your bicycle.
If you do not fully understand the simple relationship that "GEARING" provides, you have little chance in getting it right on your "NEW" bike, and you'll just be pissing in the wind and throwing your money away.
Old timey, super-simple way to calculate "GEAR" number, that is entirely relevant and compareable among various bicycles:
Your numerator is the number of teeth on the front sprocket.
Your denominator is the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
EXAMPLE: 45 front , 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 x INCH diameter of wheel = "GEAR"
(For 27" 630mm, and 622mm 700C tires, USE (27) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
For 26" 597mm, 590mm, 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, 584mm, 571mm, and 559mm cruiser/mountain bike tire , USE (26) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
******* Yes, this does make certain assumptions and isn't precise as to such various differences as well as then the differences among the various production tires bearing the same sizing, BUT THIS Super-Simple method IS COMPAREABLE and HIGHLY ACCURATE when the bicycles being compared are not too disparate.**********
Remember that this simple calculation is:
FRONT divided by REAR = "result"
TAKE THAT "result" AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER IN INCHES OF THE WHEEL = "GEAR" number
Example: 45 front, 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 X 27" = 81 GEAR
You can further do a very simple calculation that will tell you the DISTANCE IN INCHES TRAVELLED WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE PEDALS.
To do this, you simply take that GEAR number and MULTIPLY IT TIMES Pi and that gives you distance in INCHES Travelled.
*****You do recall from 4th grade math that Pi is equal to 3.14******************
Recall that Pi = 3.14
So taking the 81 GEAR x Pi
81 GEAR X 3.14 = 254 inches
converting to feet, for something a bit more meaningful and useful..........Simply divide the inches by 12 to get distance Travelled in feet with each Pedal Revolution.
Well that 254 inches comes close to something like 20 ft.
THE COMPUTATION FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED WITH EACH PEDAL REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE AS MEANINGFUL AS THE SIMPLE GEAR number CALCULATION FOR COMPARING BIKES, BUT IT GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEVANT AS TO HOW slow THAT YOU MAY BE STEADILY MOVING WHILE CLIMBING SAID HILL(S). Obviously your pedal spinning rate factors in, but the DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER PEDAL REVOLUTION IS A FIXED NUMBER, so assuming that your cadence (pedal spin rate) wouldn't vary significantly among the various bikes that you are comparing, then those DISTANCE numbers are totally relevant and compareable in figuring just how slow you'd be going in any significant low gear for hill climbing. Obviously comparing widely different bicycles for example, say a 40 pound Schwinn with an Ashtabula one piece crank and factory steel wheels, with something 27 pounds or less with lightweight alloy wheels, --and unless you're almost super-human, you will not be able to SPIN the old Schwinn's crank at the same cadence as you can SPIN the lightweight bike's crank. For similar bicycle comparisons, you should have relatively comparative numbers that will help you decide what is and what is not.
I suggest that you do take stock of what your current gearing is.
Make a gear chart table that tells you the "GEAR" number for each of your bicycle's gears.
SINCE YOU ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE BEST HILL CLIMBING FOR YOUR NEEDS, BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL PLEASANT RIDING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP MUCH OR ANY OF YOUR TOP-END CRUISING RANGE! This is seldom ever a problem as long as you have enough gears, but you obviously can see that it would become an issue with a single speed cruiser bike... I simply want you to understand and consider the ramifications of just doing something cave-man ultra simple as some folks do with old mountain bikes or ancient ten speeds where they simply place the chain on the smallest front sprocket and forget about the other front sprokets and front derailleur.....this limits the GEAR range significantly where one might miss the cruising top end ability. YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO A 1 x in the front versus a double or tripple BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE front's TEETH number must PROVIDE REASONABLE ENOUGH GEARING WITH WHATEVER THE CASSETTE-or-FREEWHEEL THAT YOU DO CHOOSE TO EMPLOY ON THE REAR WHEEL. You have to calculate that GEARING to see if it ultimately is both LOW geared enough and WIDE RANGING ENOUGH to Suit Your Needs!!!
That is where that your focus needs to be.
Everybody in the world can tell you that you should go this way, or look at this bike or that bike model, and perhaps some might have really useful advice in that the bike(s) that they suggest might be geared most closely to what you might need. THE PROBLEM IS YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT GEARING AND ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OUT THERE AMONG VARIOUS MODEL BIKES, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL CHOICES IN CASSETTES WITH LOW GEAR AND STILL A WIDE ENOUGH RANGE. You're getting well meaning responses from smart experienced cyclists that have probably significant riding differences from your type of riding and geographic-elevation range. What you're getting is essentially the same as their opinions on favorite color, or favorite music artist/group. They aren't necessarily wrong or anything like that, but you gotta look at it as it has to be applicable to what you need and want. Shaq wears something like size 18 shoes and Tiger plays with blade irons with old school Dynamic steel shafts that are extra-stiff, those are are going to be next to impossible for someone that isn't pro caliber with the swing speed to match, or unless you've got the massive foot to wear the same size shoe as Shaq.
You can't simply just say, oh well, this is the most popular, most expensive bike, so it must be the most desireable for me. IT MIGHT BE, BUT IT JUST THE SAME, MIGHT NOT BE.........YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF SAID BIKE(S) BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE AN GOOD INFORMED DECISION. Many bike shops don't give a damn, as if you want it, they will sell it to ya. In fairness to the LBS community, they cannot read minds and unless you plainly explain to them in terms that they can understand, they have no way of knowing exactly what might be best for you. You, as the consumer, are responsible for knowing how to compare bicycle gearing and what might meet your needs. You cannot fault the LBS community so much because their proprietors and employees typically are usually predominantly road-bike oriented, and are typically on average, high-ability road bike riders, and may not need the LOW gearing that normal folks might need.
You certainly have a few LBS that are more mountain bike oriented, etc....................but this goes to show that there are indeed differences in both bicycle preference and styles of riding............one matters just as much as the others, so you do need to focus on what is RIGHT for you. You cannot blindly go on just what the 23 year old spandex boy that is the $15 hour LBS technician that still dreams of doing the tour de france but because he has no education beyond HS and makes so little in annual wages that he still lives at home in his parents' basement, and has no plan in place to further his education or immediately significantly improve this situation.
You simply need to know enough about GEARING and how it relates to your bicycling needs. Once you know enough, you can easily determine what NEW or USED models have what might suit you the best. DON'T GUESS, or LET THE LOCAL BIKE SHOP FLUNKIE TELL YOU THAT, Oh Yeah Dude, You'll Love This, I Guarantee You Man....... in a nutshell, they simply want to ring-up a sale.
Generally, a ball-park WIDE RANGE for "GEAR" number is from about maybe (28) to about maybe (104). YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT REALLY APPROACHES (100) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE YOU DECENT ABILITY TO GET UP THE HILLS NEAR YOU.
You can certainly go a little LOWER or a little HIGHER in the "GEAR" number than those numbers.
Obviously the lower number indicates BETTER HILL CLIMBING (low gear) CAPABILITY and generally the higher the number close to ~100+ indicates typically the GREATER POTENTIAL FOR TOP-SPEED assuming that one can turn the crank at a cadence that allows for this.
Just knowing how various gearing combinations give the "GEAR" numbers that you can calculate, will allow you or anyone to instantly compare among very similar bicycles. It isn't super-scientific or perfect without flaws because there are other minor variables that could and do sometimes come into play, but if the bikes have the same size wheels and are similar enough, then those other variables will be immaterial.
If you do not fully understand the simple relationship that "GEARING" provides, you have little chance in getting it right on your "NEW" bike, and you'll just be pissing in the wind and throwing your money away.
Old timey, super-simple way to calculate "GEAR" number, that is entirely relevant and compareable among various bicycles:
Your numerator is the number of teeth on the front sprocket.
Your denominator is the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
EXAMPLE: 45 front , 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 x INCH diameter of wheel = "GEAR"
(For 27" 630mm, and 622mm 700C tires, USE (27) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
For 26" 597mm, 590mm, 650, 650a, 650b, 650c, 584mm, 571mm, and 559mm cruiser/mountain bike tire , USE (26) as INCH diameter of the wheel)
******* Yes, this does make certain assumptions and isn't precise as to such various differences as well as then the differences among the various production tires bearing the same sizing, BUT THIS Super-Simple method IS COMPAREABLE and HIGHLY ACCURATE when the bicycles being compared are not too disparate.**********
Remember that this simple calculation is:
FRONT divided by REAR = "result"
TAKE THAT "result" AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE DIAMETER IN INCHES OF THE WHEEL = "GEAR" number
Example: 45 front, 15 rear
45 divided by 15 = 3
3 X 27" = 81 GEAR
You can further do a very simple calculation that will tell you the DISTANCE IN INCHES TRAVELLED WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE PEDALS.
To do this, you simply take that GEAR number and MULTIPLY IT TIMES Pi and that gives you distance in INCHES Travelled.
*****You do recall from 4th grade math that Pi is equal to 3.14******************
Recall that Pi = 3.14
So taking the 81 GEAR x Pi
81 GEAR X 3.14 = 254 inches
converting to feet, for something a bit more meaningful and useful..........Simply divide the inches by 12 to get distance Travelled in feet with each Pedal Revolution.
Well that 254 inches comes close to something like 20 ft.
THE COMPUTATION FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED WITH EACH PEDAL REVOLUTION MAY NOT BE AS MEANINGFUL AS THE SIMPLE GEAR number CALCULATION FOR COMPARING BIKES, BUT IT GIVES YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEVANT AS TO HOW slow THAT YOU MAY BE STEADILY MOVING WHILE CLIMBING SAID HILL(S). Obviously your pedal spinning rate factors in, but the DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER PEDAL REVOLUTION IS A FIXED NUMBER, so assuming that your cadence (pedal spin rate) wouldn't vary significantly among the various bikes that you are comparing, then those DISTANCE numbers are totally relevant and compareable in figuring just how slow you'd be going in any significant low gear for hill climbing. Obviously comparing widely different bicycles for example, say a 40 pound Schwinn with an Ashtabula one piece crank and factory steel wheels, with something 27 pounds or less with lightweight alloy wheels, --and unless you're almost super-human, you will not be able to SPIN the old Schwinn's crank at the same cadence as you can SPIN the lightweight bike's crank. For similar bicycle comparisons, you should have relatively comparative numbers that will help you decide what is and what is not.
I suggest that you do take stock of what your current gearing is.
Make a gear chart table that tells you the "GEAR" number for each of your bicycle's gears.
SINCE YOU ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE BEST HILL CLIMBING FOR YOUR NEEDS, BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL PLEASANT RIDING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT YOU GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP MUCH OR ANY OF YOUR TOP-END CRUISING RANGE! This is seldom ever a problem as long as you have enough gears, but you obviously can see that it would become an issue with a single speed cruiser bike... I simply want you to understand and consider the ramifications of just doing something cave-man ultra simple as some folks do with old mountain bikes or ancient ten speeds where they simply place the chain on the smallest front sprocket and forget about the other front sprokets and front derailleur.....this limits the GEAR range significantly where one might miss the cruising top end ability. YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO TO A 1 x in the front versus a double or tripple BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHOICE OF THE front's TEETH number must PROVIDE REASONABLE ENOUGH GEARING WITH WHATEVER THE CASSETTE-or-FREEWHEEL THAT YOU DO CHOOSE TO EMPLOY ON THE REAR WHEEL. You have to calculate that GEARING to see if it ultimately is both LOW geared enough and WIDE RANGING ENOUGH to Suit Your Needs!!!
That is where that your focus needs to be.
Everybody in the world can tell you that you should go this way, or look at this bike or that bike model, and perhaps some might have really useful advice in that the bike(s) that they suggest might be geared most closely to what you might need. THE PROBLEM IS YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT GEARING AND ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OUT THERE AMONG VARIOUS MODEL BIKES, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL CHOICES IN CASSETTES WITH LOW GEAR AND STILL A WIDE ENOUGH RANGE. You're getting well meaning responses from smart experienced cyclists that have probably significant riding differences from your type of riding and geographic-elevation range. What you're getting is essentially the same as their opinions on favorite color, or favorite music artist/group. They aren't necessarily wrong or anything like that, but you gotta look at it as it has to be applicable to what you need and want. Shaq wears something like size 18 shoes and Tiger plays with blade irons with old school Dynamic steel shafts that are extra-stiff, those are are going to be next to impossible for someone that isn't pro caliber with the swing speed to match, or unless you've got the massive foot to wear the same size shoe as Shaq.
You can't simply just say, oh well, this is the most popular, most expensive bike, so it must be the most desireable for me. IT MIGHT BE, BUT IT JUST THE SAME, MIGHT NOT BE.........YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF SAID BIKE(S) BEFORE YOU CAN MAKE AN GOOD INFORMED DECISION. Many bike shops don't give a damn, as if you want it, they will sell it to ya. In fairness to the LBS community, they cannot read minds and unless you plainly explain to them in terms that they can understand, they have no way of knowing exactly what might be best for you. You, as the consumer, are responsible for knowing how to compare bicycle gearing and what might meet your needs. You cannot fault the LBS community so much because their proprietors and employees typically are usually predominantly road-bike oriented, and are typically on average, high-ability road bike riders, and may not need the LOW gearing that normal folks might need.
You certainly have a few LBS that are more mountain bike oriented, etc....................but this goes to show that there are indeed differences in both bicycle preference and styles of riding............one matters just as much as the others, so you do need to focus on what is RIGHT for you. You cannot blindly go on just what the 23 year old spandex boy that is the $15 hour LBS technician that still dreams of doing the tour de france but because he has no education beyond HS and makes so little in annual wages that he still lives at home in his parents' basement, and has no plan in place to further his education or immediately significantly improve this situation.
You simply need to know enough about GEARING and how it relates to your bicycling needs. Once you know enough, you can easily determine what NEW or USED models have what might suit you the best. DON'T GUESS, or LET THE LOCAL BIKE SHOP FLUNKIE TELL YOU THAT, Oh Yeah Dude, You'll Love This, I Guarantee You Man....... in a nutshell, they simply want to ring-up a sale.
Generally, a ball-park WIDE RANGE for "GEAR" number is from about maybe (28) to about maybe (104). YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT REALLY APPROACHES (100) AS MUCH AS YOU NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE YOU DECENT ABILITY TO GET UP THE HILLS NEAR YOU.
You can certainly go a little LOWER or a little HIGHER in the "GEAR" number than those numbers.
Obviously the lower number indicates BETTER HILL CLIMBING (low gear) CAPABILITY and generally the higher the number close to ~100+ indicates typically the GREATER POTENTIAL FOR TOP-SPEED assuming that one can turn the crank at a cadence that allows for this.
Just knowing how various gearing combinations give the "GEAR" numbers that you can calculate, will allow you or anyone to instantly compare among very similar bicycles. It isn't super-scientific or perfect without flaws because there are other minor variables that could and do sometimes come into play, but if the bikes have the same size wheels and are similar enough, then those other variables will be immaterial.
#34
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When it comes to climbing hills there is no difference between a $ 12000+ bike and a $ 4000 bike. At that price range it's all about the riders skill and fitness.
#35
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The uber-expensive bike will be at the UCI minimum weight limit, while the $4000 bike probably will be about 3 pounds heavier.
For an average-sized rider putting out 200 Watts on an 8% grade, that heavier bike will be slower by about 2%.
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Well, not exactly no difference. There's a small difference.
The uber-expensive bike will be at the UCI minimum weight limit, while the $4000 bike probably will be about 3 pounds heavier.
For an average-sized rider putting out 200 Watts on an 8% grade, that heavier bike will be slower by about 2%.
The uber-expensive bike will be at the UCI minimum weight limit, while the $4000 bike probably will be about 3 pounds heavier.
For an average-sized rider putting out 200 Watts on an 8% grade, that heavier bike will be slower by about 2%.
Bikes in the OPs price range will be acceptably light, so not something to really worry about.
#37
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So in my experience there is a difference.
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Best climbing bikes 2021 | 11 lightweight road bikes - BikeRadar
Here's a list. Any one of these should be fine. Want a good climbing bike?
Most important:
1) Fit to your body type
2) Light weight
3) Stiff-responsive
4) A great engine
5) Just barely affordable
Here's a list. Any one of these should be fine. Want a good climbing bike?
Most important:
1) Fit to your body type
2) Light weight
3) Stiff-responsive
4) A great engine
5) Just barely affordable
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#40
Senior Member
Will we be switching to a "downhill" bike at the top of the hill, or are we riding the climbing bike back down the hill?
#41
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Best climbing bikes 2021 | 11 lightweight road bikes - BikeRadar
Here's a list. Any one of these should be fine. Want a good climbing bike?
Most important:
1) Fit to your body type
2) Light weight
3) Stiff-responsive
4) A great engine
5) Just barely affordable
Here's a list. Any one of these should be fine. Want a good climbing bike?
Most important:
1) Fit to your body type
2) Light weight
3) Stiff-responsive
4) A great engine
5) Just barely affordable
#43
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What type of bike could be better? I'd like to know.
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Where did he state anything about "fast" climbing as a criterion? He also mentioned road and gravel on the same climbs. So maybe a road endurance bike or gravel bike would be "better"? Not faster, but more comfortable and easier to ride for extended periods. Listing a bunch of lightweight road race bikes is fine, but might not be the "best" option for everyone looking to climb. Actually I would suggest that most ordinary riders are better off with an endurance focused geometry, even if they don't admit it. Also note that the OP is coming from a hybrid here, so I'm guessing he's not a racer.
Last edited by PeteHski; 07-26-21 at 09:12 AM.
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OMG! It doesn’t need to be that complicated. If buying a road bike just make sure it has a compact crankset. If buying a gravel bike then the gearing will be plenty low enough without even looking at it.
As a rule of thumb a 1:1 ratio is about as low as road race/endurance bikes go, with a 50/34 chainset and 11-34 cassette. Gravel bikes go a step lower than that for off-road climbing.
As a rule of thumb a 1:1 ratio is about as low as road race/endurance bikes go, with a 50/34 chainset and 11-34 cassette. Gravel bikes go a step lower than that for off-road climbing.
#46
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Where did he state anything about "fast" climbing as a criterion? He also mentioned road and gravel on the same climbs. So maybe a road endurance bike or gravel bike would be "better"? Not faster, but more comfortable and easier to ride for extended periods. Listing a bunch of lightweight road race bikes is fine, but might not be the "best" option for everyone looking to climb. Actually I would suggest that most ordinary riders are better off with an endurance focused geometry, even if they don't admit it. Also note that the OP is coming from a hybrid here, so I'm guessing he's not a racer.
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#50
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LOL I'm on a photography forum that has a member who I am convinced is a robot or some sort of automated widget. Two members, really, but I think they are both the same person (or robot). When you're constantly making bizarre speculations, it helps to have a second identity to back you up ("Right you are again!"). It's easy to tell they are the same person (or widget) because both of them have the same weird way of typing where they hit the Return key at the end of every sentence.