Granny Gears

[Black Lightning]

is it worth putting a granny gear on a road bike?
Someone suggested it but being new to all this im not sure what good or not worth while

 

[themosquitoking]

Good question. I'm about to buy a bike without one and i'm a little bit scared about it, not really the best at hills as strava will testify.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Apart from a very small increase in weight, there's nothing wrong with a triple on a road bike. You get the small graduations for the cadence plus the wide range of gears.

 

[HLaB]

Personally I think you can live with two rings and increase the cassette range to get lower gears as thats more effective. But if you can justify the expense of putting a granny ring on (new shifters and bb) and you think it'll make it better for you its worthwhile.

 

[themosquitoking]

Personally I think you can live with two rings and increase the cassette range to get lower gears as thats more effective. But if you can justify the expense of putting a granny ring on (new shifters and bb) and you think it'll make it better for you its worthwhile.

TBH i hadn't given buying new shifters a thought.

 

[Davidc]

Nothing like a 22 front + 32 rear for getting up the steep ones.

 

[Rob500]

is it worth putting a granny gear on a road bike?

BL - Only you know what your ability on the steep stuff is and whether a granny gear would be good for you.

I do have one, 30 front - 25 back and make use of it. I read on here all the time that you could climb a vertical wall with such and such a gear etc. But it's all relative tbh. If I was fitter, perhaps I could but I can't. I need the granny gear.

 

[MrJamie]

My hybrids 28-38-48 and 11-32 cassette, very very few places I use the 28 32 on the road as its ridiculously low but I like having it. I also wondered if there was much of a benefit from having a smaller range of gears, with smaller steps between?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It's all relative really, because a 30x26 (30.3")is much the same as 34x28 (31.94"), I run a 7sp triple with a range from 28.5" 26x24 to 114.8" (48x11), I did have it at 26x34 at one point but found it too low after a while for the riding I do. I ran it at 26x28 and 26x26 for a while but I spun out at about 27mph, and I rarely used the 26x26 combination so I shifted the gearing, even now I dont use the 26x24 much and that gives the same gearing as a 34x32

 

[Nigelnaturist]

My hybrids 28-38-48 and 11-32 cassette, very very few places I use the 28 32 on the road as its ridiculously low but I like having it. I also wondered if there was much of a benefit from having a smaller range of gears, with smaller steps between?

I think there is, I would love a 9 or 10 sp triple, with the steps much close but the same range I have now, because I have found sometimes going down a gear its too low and vica-versa, its just to much in a given situation, but that one between would have been ideal.

in inches

 

[slowmotion]

is it worth putting a granny gear on a road bike?
Someone suggested it but being new to all this im not sure what good or not worth while

If you are old and useless on hills, get some really low gears. How do I know?.....I'm both. I have 50:39:28 on the front and 12 to 28 on the back. I have very little pride, but walking the bike up hills is a lot more miserable than spinning like a hamster at about 5mph.

 

[Rob3rt]

is it worth putting a granny gear on a road bike?
Someone suggested it but being new to all this im not sure what good or not worth while

Do you struggle an inordinate amount on the hills?

Yes = Get easier gears.
No = Get on with it.

 

[Boon 51]

Close to my heart this thread...

Do I want to go fast on the straights.. I cant because there is none where I live?
Do I want to go down hills fast... NO
Do I want to put my average speed up Yes remembering I live on a mountain.
Do I want to climb better on the hill with lower gearing Yes..
So in an ideal world I would change my road bike gearing from the standard 50/36 front and 11/28 rear to 46/30 front and 11/36 rear..

 

[Kies]

The hybrid has a triple,but i don't remember the last time i used the granny cog. Roadie has a double .... More than enough for any hills i have encountered.
If that changes as i get older and slower,no biggy about adding a granny ring.

 

[mattobrien]

I don't get out of the big ring on my compact roadie, but then I do live in Suffolk and we don't have anything remotely hilly round here. If I were tackling mountain terrains day in day out, I may have a different view about gearing.

N+1 (on order) has a standard double 53-39 and 11-26, so I might actually have to start thinking about making use of both chain rings.