higher gears and training

[marinyork]

Yes, there is a reason for this being in health, fitness and training.

I've had a 7 speed freewheel on my bike since I've got it 14-16-18-20-22-24-28 and 28-38-48. Anyway it's going now and I'm probably getting a 11-13-15-18-21-24-28.

So is it worth going with this cassette? It's not like there's any benefit going for anything lower. As I see it the benefit would be my normal gear would be 38/18 rather than 38/20. I've tried for months to use the higher gears more often in the result that my average speed has gone down and not up.

Is it better to get this higher cassette and trick my body into cycling in a higher gear all the time than trying unsuccessfully to do it?

 

[jimboalee]

You've been happily riding a 38/20 or 51". ( 700 C ?? )

With your new cassette, 38/18 is 57" and 48/24 is 54".

If you opt for using the 48 ring with the 24 sprocket, a quick down change with both front and rear ( both onto smaller teeth ) will get you to 38/21, 49".
When you've regained your speed, the front lifts back onto the 48 and immediately after, the rear climbs back onto the 24.

Bloody fiddly. What other cassettes are available?

 

[marinyork]

I've been riding a 38/20 on a 700x35 for most of that time. I've changed the tyres recently so they are 28-622 and 32-622 at the back now.

As I'm on a 7sp there's less available than might otherwise be the case and at my LBS. The two options were 11-28 or 11-34 and the latter was instantly dismissed, certainly don't need more than 28 teeth (obviously I could order in an L or something). If i was building my own custom one I'd probably get something like 12-24 or 14-24.

I agree actually jimbo but I think 38/18 will be useful and I might start using 48/21 as that now isn't a duplicated gear. I think something where the standard gears will be in the 60"s would be most useful.

I view useful gears as 38"-72"

I view 11th gear 52"--> 57" and 57"--> 68" as pretty useful especially as I get a middle of the two gear 48/21 that'd be 62"