Granny Gears

[cyberknight]

thanks for all your comments however as a beginner i dont have a clue when you start talking 53/38 on the front and 12/27 rear. it means nothing to me. if i understand correctly getting a granny ring means changing the gear shifters so is more expensive. now other mention changing gears on the rear which i am having trouble understanding. how to i know what i have got and what i need, all i do know is that i have 8 gear rings on the rear.

You have a carrera tdf ?If i remember rightly it comes with larger front gears with 52 teeth big ring and 38 tooth small ring.A compact double has 50 and 34 making the gears easier to turn.The back gears of your bike should be a 12-26 or 12 being your fastest and 26 being the easiest by the number of teeth they have,
If you are struggling on hills a lot maybe ask your local bike shop about the possibility of changing the front chain rings from 52/38 to a more friendly compact double as it should not be to expensive to do.After that you could change the rear gears to one with an easier lower gear , specs for your rear derailiier says it goes up to a 26 which you should have but normally you can got a few teeth more.After that you would need a replacement rear derailiier with a longer cage (the little wheels are further apart) so you could use a set of gears with a wider spread.
Do not worry about top end on the flat gears, i do not run out of gears for speed with a compact (50/34) and a 12-26 rear gears till over 40 mph down hill and on the flat i can commute on the flat fully laden at 21 mph mid block on the same rear cassette as you should have.

 

[Rob500]

Chainset: Shimano FCA050 52/39
Cassette: 12-26T

BL you've got a 'standard' double chainring setup. How much of a nightmare is your lowest gear 39/26 for you?
As cyberknight says, perhaps you could try a compact double 50/34 chainring setup instead of going for the 3 ring granny route.
Do you know anybody who rides a compact that let you give it a go up some hills?

 

[Black Lightning]

thanks this really helped and I have looked at suitable compact double, only question is about a square taper. please see spec below, im not sure if my bike has a square taper?
Shimano 2300 FC2350 square taper double chainset 8speed 50 34T 170 mm

 

[Black Lightning]

Sadly I dont know anyone around here, is a bit of a lone mission at the moment

 

[oldfatfool]

Yes you have a square taper interface, well according to Halfords you do http://answers.halfords.com/answers/4028/product/266309/questions.htm?expandquestion=672306

 

[Boon 51]

Sorry to but in..
On my road bike I have a 50/36 front.. so would I be able to drop to a 34 on the front?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Ricshaw Phil,

thanks for the info, below is all I can find relating to the gears. if i was to change the rear cassette to make it better for hills what are the options?

• Front Mech: Shimano FD-A050
• Gear Shifters: Shimano ST-2300
• Rear Mech: Shimano RD-2300
• Chainset: Shimano FCA050 52/39 / Prowheel

Cassette: 12-26T


Thanks for all your comments

Here is the instruction sheet for your rear mech. Unfortunately it shows that for this derailleur 26 teeth is the recommended maximum on the cassette.

However, looking at the 2300 rear derailleur on Evans Cycles website, in their Q&A section they claim it will cope with up to 30 teeth. Can anyone else on here advise whether they have this right?

If this is correct, fitting the compact double chainset and a cassette that has either a 28 or 30 tooth 1st gear would lower the bottom end gearing quite substantially.

 

[boydj]

Sorry to but in..
On my road bike I have a 50/36 front.. so would I be able to drop to a 34 on the front?

That's an unusual combo, but it should be a simple change from 36 to 34. You'll need to check the BCD (probably 110, but could be 130) to make sure a replacement ring will fit - your lbs should be able to help there. Note that a cassette change may be cheaper and more effective, or could give you additional help if you are struggling on hills.

 

[Boon 51]

That's an unusual combo, but it should be a simple change from 36 to 34. You'll need to check the BCD (probably 110, but could be 130) to make sure a replacement ring will fit - your lbs should be able to help there. Note that a cassette change may be cheaper and more effective, or could give you additional help if you are struggling on hills.

I'm having a 11-36 cassette put on with new chain etc... but I just wondered for future use.

 

[cyberknight]

I have often considered changing my boardman from a 50/34 to a 50/36.

 

[kerndog]

I got my bike recently and live in a hilly part of the world so switched my cassette from an 11/25 to 12/28 (I think lol) and it made getting up those steep long buggers easier, I have. Compact double up front

 

[Boon 51]

I have often considered changing my boardman from a 50/34 to a 50/36.

Thats funny I want to do the reverse.. 50/36 to a 50/34.

 

[Boon 51]

I got my bike recently and live in a hilly part of the world so switched my cassette from an 11/25 to 12/28 (I think lol) and it made getting up those steep long buggers easier, I have. Compact double up front

To coin a phrase thats the road I'm going down..

 

[Cubist]

The old Boardman pro had a 50/34 over a 11-32 with a mountain bike rear mech (sramx9). Hills were easy, and it flew down them, but there were huge holes in the ratios for smooth operating. OP I'd look to get a compact double, 50/34 and an 11-30 . Your mech should handle it ok, but be prepared to do a lot of hunting for the right gear on the flat or gentle uphills. You'll also need to learn to double shift when changing chainrings.

 

[Cubist]

Sadly I dont know anyone around here, is a bit of a lone mission at the moment

Where's round here?