| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 1384.1 | | TALLIS::JBELL | Zeno was almost here | Fri Dec 15 1989 14:14 | 23 |
| > The Wheels are Araya and are both 36 spoke. I
> added a gel seat, a Avercet 30, and upgraded the tires to IRC
> triathlon's.
>... Since I'm well over 200lbs., ...
> ... The gearing is 52/42 X 13/24. I would like a
> little lower gearing for the hills right now. Can I move to a
> different freewheel?
Speaking as an 1/8 ton cyclist, these are what I'd worry about:
How wide are the tires? This matters more than the brand. (Even
more important is that you always keep them full.)
Watch for bent rear axles. Always use the best you can find,
or go to solid axles.
The easiest way to change the gearing is to change freewheels.
That gearing might be a little steep. I use 52/39 X 13/32,
but then half of my miles are with a tent etc. At least try
this freewheel before swapping. You'll know if you need lower,
as long as you don't try to mash your knees.
-Jeff Bell
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| 1384.2 | Careful with that derailleur | CESARE::JOHNSON | Matt Johnson, DTN 871-7473 | Fri Dec 15 1989 14:45 | 15 |
| 24tooth is about the max for a Sprint derailleur. They have a really
short cage, so they can't take up the slack of a big freewheel. (They
shift great, though....) If you want to go to something with more
teeth, now might be the time to buy an indexed derailleur set.
Ditto on the tires. If they're tubulars, make sure they're at least
21.5mm, if not 24mm. For clinchers, look for 1 1/4", and stay away
from anything 1" or less. Your rims will last lots longer this way!
Everything else on the bike should be fine. Enjoy it! And remember to
read the note titled "A Thanks from Minnesota" in this conference for
inspiration.
MATT
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| 1384.3 | Try changing the chainring for a lower ration | NCADC1::PEREZ | Just one of the 4 samurai! | Mon Dec 18 1989 00:09 | 29 |
| Hm... How 'bout this... the guy from Minnesota will stick his nose in
here. As someone who started out 1/7+ of a ton... now down to 236!
As far as tires - definitely keep them full. I found that makes a huge
difference in how easy the bike is to ride and how much in control you
feel.
On rear axles... My TREK (had to get a plug in!) has Dura-Ace hubs and
axles. They have always been VERY tough... I've gone 1000 miles this
year, several hundred of them at 275 pounds and up, and gone up and
down over Minnesota potholes (only when I couldn't avoid them) and curb
cuts with absolutely no problem.
On gearing... it depends on what kind of shape you are in... when I
started in June I couldn't ride on the flat much less climb anything.
I put a set of Deore XT 28-38-48 triple chainrings on and it gives me a
lot better set of ranges for my capabilities. Even now, I can't see
many situations where I'd need taller gears for the way I ride. On
downhills I've been over 35 mph in a 48-13 which is plenty fast for me.
I get over 20 mph and start having visions of stories from the note in
here about crashes.
You can probably change the 52 to a 50 or 48 chainring if you want a
little lower gearing. I think that will also work with your
derailleur.
Good luck.
D
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| 1384.4 | my 2� | CLYPPR::FISHER | Pat Pending | Mon Dec 18 1989 09:12 | 7 |
| RE:.3: Are those Dure-Ace free-hub hubs (the rear one). If so that is
a strong plus for durability. The load on the axle is much farther out
on the right side which causes much less stress. The bike in .0 most
likely has a conventional rear hub which could result in axle bending
or breaking.
ed
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| 1384.5 | YOU'RE DOIN' FINE... | WMOIS::C_GIROUARD | | Wed Dec 20 1989 11:53 | 11 |
| What a coincidence. I owned the exact bike (still do in fact but
built a new one last winter) you have. All I can tell you is I
have never had a lick of trouble with mine. If you're just doing
road riding, that 24 gear should be plent for you unless you're
planning some mountains. The frame is extremely well built and
the factory set-up should do nicely (200lbs. isn't really that
much unless 5'0"). You'll like it. It's very durable, relatively
stiff for the price range and the components are very good. If
you have rim or axel problems, it won't be due to equipment.
My .02 cents
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