Gears?

[Puddles]

If I have 6 gears on my hybrid cycle and only really use the 3 middle ones I do pootling not speeding (and also trail a child bike trailer) would I be better going for this 3 gear one

http://www.dutchie.co.uk/classic-ladies-bike.html

or this 8 gear one

http://www.dutchie.co.uk/dutchie-chic-8-speed.html

When they are just one speed would it be sort of middle gear they are set at? (if that makes any sense)

 

[biggs682]

why change at all unless your exsisting bike has had it and is beyond economical fix

 

[Puddles]

Not changing right now, I am saving pennies for a "decent" one, and because I really love these.

I will be changing because my bike is a crappy 1/2 price £50 one from Argos, which was my first one to get me on the bike as at that point I might have said bugger this after a couple of rides so would not allow lots of pennies to be spent.

I like the features on these Dutchies, the style, the skirt guard, the lock (I know they advise extra lock too) the Dynamo lights all fixed etc the elegance, yes I am a bad bad cyclist person cos I am looking at ooh it looks nice rather than the mechanical features

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I can't help noticing the weights of the Dutchie bikes. 19kg for the 3 speed and 20kg for the 8 speed.

If it's the style you're after, could I suggest these from Dawes. Still decent quality and quite a bit lighter.

Another point is that having toyed with the idea of building up a bike with the Sturmey Archer X-RD8 hub I suspect you may find the bike overgeared on 700c wheels unless they have fitted the biggest sprocket and smallest chainwheel possible. This is because it's designed for small wheel bikes so the gearing is a bit OTT for those with larger wheels.

 

[Puddles]

I can't help noticing the weights of the Dutchie bikes. 19kg for the 3 speed and 20kg for the 8 speed.

If it's the style you're after, could I suggest these from Dawes. Still decent quality and quite a bit lighter.

Oooh thank you they are pretty from dawes, typical of course the one with the pretty skirt guard is the most expensive lol no dynamo light thingies tho but they are pretty enough to overlook that as not much light needed cycling is currently done I would have to weight that up with future needs.

Another point is that having toyed with the idea of building up a bike with the Sturmey Archer X-RD8 hub I suspect you may find the bike overgeared on 700c wheels unless they have fitted the biggest sprocket and smallest chainwheel possible. This is because it's designed for small wheel bikes so the gearing is a bit OTT for those with larger wheels.

I did not understand a word of that? Can you explain in simple thick person language please?

 

[RedFeend]

The smaller the chainring where the pedals are and the larger the ring on the back wheel, the easier it is to pedal. You need to pedal a lot of turns to make the wheels turn one rotation (low gear).

The bigger the chainring where the pedals are and the smaller the one on the rear hub, the harder it is to pedal (high gear). You only turn the pedals a little way to make the wheels turn a lot.

Small wheels turn more times for each pedal turn and large wheels (700cm for eg) turn less times. This makes them harder work, or as Phil says 'higher geared'.

It sounds as if you want a medium sized front chainring and a medium sized back ring and medium sized, say 600cm wheels.

Best bet is go to your LBS (local bike shop) and tell them your needs. If they try and sell you 27 gears and say that is the style these days then just walk away and try somewhere else. Also make sure they will let you have a try out round their car park or somewhere. If not then ditto, walk away.

Hope this helps.

 

[Puddles]

Have just found out my bike weighs 17kg "naked" so does 2-3 kg really make a lot of difference when you are already dragging 18kg bike trailer + weight of child (12kg ish) + assorted stuff (i.e. Buckets, spades, lifejackets, picnic, towel, spare clothes, locks, etc) also I have a basket & panniers which have assorted stuff in too lol

Will do the LBS thing when I have pennies all saved up in my sweaty little paws I don't really want to waste their time to much before I have the monies, at the moment I am trying to get a sort of target figure for saving.

That explanation was very helpful too - Thanks

 

[RedFeend]

Re: my previous post.
I am a pre metric model. I meant 700mm, or 70cm.
I think 700cm might require a ladder to mount it and stilts to reach the pedals. I still think in yards, feet and inches.

Come to think of it I still have a habit of converting to L.S.D. when grocery shopping. Even worse was when I needed a pee at Birmingham railway station. It used to be 1d when I was young. Now it is 30p or 6 shillings (72 pence).

I've turned into a grumpy old woman.

 

[RedFeend]

Have just found out my bike weighs 17kg "naked" so does 2-3 kg really make a lot of difference when you are already dragging 18kg bike trailer + weight of child (12kg ish) + assorted stuff (i.e. Buckets, spades, lifejackets, picnic, towel, spare clothes, locks, etc) also I have a basket & panniers which have assorted stuff in too lol

Will do the LBS thing when I have pennies all saved up in my sweaty little paws I don't really want to waste their time to much before I have the monies, at the moment I am trying to get a sort of target figure for saving.

That explanation was very helpful too - Thanks

I would look at it this way: That is another 3 big bags of sugar/flour you are lugging around with you. Seems a bit heavier when you think of it that way. Next time you are shopping, stick 3 bags of said produce in a basket and carry it around for a bit. See what you think afterwards :-(

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I like the features on these Dutchies, the style, the skirt guard, the lock (I know they advise extra lock too) the Dynamo lights all fixed etc the elegance, yes I am a bad bad cyclist person cos I am looking at ooh it looks nice rather than the mechanical features

Must get one of these.

I can't help noticing the weights of the Dutchie bikes. 19kg for the 3 speed and 20kg for the 8 speed.

.

My road bike weighed in at 19Kg on Friday for 60 mile round trip. Puddles is only pottering around, not racing the Tour de France.

 

[Puddles]

The shopping thing, well yes that is what I use it for some my (bike) weight varies immensely as I go shopping on the bike go empty come back with a good 1/2 trolley load of stuff, i.e. my most usual trip to the supermarket = 10 x 4 pint Milk plus other stuff and I have that in the bike trailer and panniers so I am wondering considering the fluctuations I am used to whether in reality I will notice at all, also if I have the double trailer & it pees with rain the largest small person ( Squidge 7 1/2 yrs) will shove himself in the trailer as well as the smallest (User76 Almost 3 yrs) so with him that is an extra 25 kg and I don't have a problem with doing that.

 

[RedFeend]

[quote="Puddles, post: 2521815, member: 28178 the largest small person ( Squidge 7 1/2 yrs).[/quote]
I have a squirrel that tries to pinch the peanuts out of my bird feeder. My husband christened him 'Squidgey'.

How come your ?son got that name?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Have just found out my bike weighs 17kg "naked" so does 2-3 kg really make a lot of difference when you are already dragging 18kg bike trailer + weight of child (12kg ish) + assorted stuff (i.e. Buckets, spades, lifejackets, picnic, towel, spare clothes, locks, etc) also I have a basket & panniers which have assorted stuff in too lol

My road bike weighed in at 19Kg on Friday for 60 mile round trip. Puddles is only pottering around, not racing the Tour de France.

Was just trying to point out that they aren't light bikes, not trying to suggest that Puddles should be a racing weight weenie. I mentioned it because I thought my knockabout bike was a heavy old lump and that is 18kg.

If the extra weight doesn't bother you Puddles (and from your list of extras it looks like it doesn't) then go for it - they look like nice bikes.

I did not understand a word of that? Can you explain in simple thick person language please?

Sorry about that. I think @RedFeend has described it fairly well but I shall add a wee bit:

The thing is that this 8 speed hub is designed to be quite high geared so that it will work well on small wheeled bikes (shoppers and folders) without having to fit a massive chain ring to get sensible gearing. If you put the same hub gear into a bike with large wheels (like the Dutchies) you would have to fit a much smaller chainring and bigger sprocket than standard otherwise the gears will range from a fast pootle gear in 1st to one that Chris Hoy would think twice about in 8th.

My exercise in fantasy bike building suggested that something like a 32 tooth chainring up front and a 25 tooth sprocket at the back would be what you'd need to get sensible gearing out of this hub on those size wheels. (I'd prefer a 28 tooth chainring but they don't appear to exist for this fitment)

I hope that makes some kind of sense.

 

[Puddles]

[quote="Puddles, post: 2521815, member: 28178 the largest small person ( Squidge 7 1/2 yrs).

I have a squirrel that tries to pinch the peanuts out of my bird feeder. My husband christened him 'Squidgey'.

How come your ?son got that name?

Cos he was a very fat Squidgey baby hence Squidge

 

[Puddles]

If the extra weight doesn't bother you Puddles (and from your list of extras it looks like it doesn't) then go for it - they look like nice bikes.

Yes but now I have a dilemma cos the Dawes are pretty lol... Mr Puddles peered and just rolled his eyes and then went pale and said how much more than the other one lol