- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
No way is a 34x28 going to come remotely near a triple with 32/30 on the back
I think i've made a mistake with the gears
- Thread starter Accy cyclist
- Start date
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Nortones2
Guru
- Location
- Burbage, Derbyshire
Try climbing Jeffrey Hill from Ribchester. Quite an exercise. The hill seems to have a concave shape: it gets steeper as you ascend! Lived in Longridge so very fond of Longridge Fell on the MTB, and the back of Chipping, down to Whitewell and around on the road bike! As for Birdy Br. Didn't quite make it beyond the hairpin, so had to walk the final few yards to quell the din in my ears. From the circulation at 100%
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
[Sorry for the thread hijacking! 
]
I have just plotted a 110 km route which goes up Birdy Brow, Jeffrey Hill from the north, Whalley Nab, Nick o'Pendle from the Clitheroe side, Black Hill/Padiham Heights and various other easier climbs. I'll try to get that done in the next couple of weeks.
I will definitely need my triple to cope with that route without being completely done in by it, and I can see why Accy wants a triple too, living round there!
] Yes, I have done it from the south side. I haven't done it from the north side, which I think is steeper.Try climbing Jeffrey Hill from Ribchester. Quite an exercise. The hill seems to have a concave shape: it gets steeper as you ascend! Lived in Longridge so very fond of Longridge Fell on the MTB, and the back of Chipping, down to Whitewell and around on the road bike! As for Birdy Br. Didn't quite make it beyond the hairpin, so had to walk the final few yards to quell the din in my ears. From the circulation at 100%
I have just plotted a 110 km route which goes up Birdy Brow, Jeffrey Hill from the north, Whalley Nab, Nick o'Pendle from the Clitheroe side, Black Hill/Padiham Heights and various other easier climbs. I'll try to get that done in the next couple of weeks.
I will definitely need my triple to cope with that route without being completely done in by it, and I can see why Accy wants a triple too, living round there!
OP
OP
Accy cyclist
Legendary Member
- Location
- The hills of Accrington
The friend who works at Evans did say it might or might not work for me. He said if it didn't he could convert the bike to a triple for around a hundred quid. Ok i'll be a hundred pounds down but if i sell the bike i'll lose a lot more than that,and i do like the bike despite this problem. That's another lesson learnt in the school of experience my dad would've said.
I'll see what the bike shop says tomorrow.
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andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
The current 34x24 bottom gear is about 38"
A 30T cassette will normally be OK with road gears, though specification is 28T. 34x30 is about 30" - about 2 gears lower.
32T can sometimes be made to work, but normally you would have to change the rear mech to allow the top jockey wheel to clear the cassette teeth as it moves into the bottom gear position.
Changing to a 9-speed MTB rear mech will allow a 36T cassette (giving 34x36 = 25"). Note that 10-speed MTB rear mechs use a different cable pull and won't work with your shifters.
After that, it's expensive.
There's a sugino ox601d "touring double" chainset available, which has 110 and 74 mm bolt circles allowing chainrings like 44/28 or whatever (down to 24T). £215, or thereabouts, depending on chainrings.
Or you can change to a triple, which involves a new chainset, new shifters*, new front mech, and new bar tape. Whether you need a new BB depends on what you currently have. * You only actually need the LH front shifter, but they are generally only available in pairs.
A regular, as sold, road triple will give a 30x24 = 33" bottom gear. By changing the inner chainring to 24T and the cassette to 30T, you can go down to 24x30 = 21" without any major expense. I've been riding a 48/38/24 chainset for many years - it works fine.
I'd recommend starting off by going back to the shop and asking to see the manager, prepared for a rant, and aiming for a change of bike. However, it's good to know what the alternative options are.
A 30T cassette will normally be OK with road gears, though specification is 28T. 34x30 is about 30" - about 2 gears lower.
32T can sometimes be made to work, but normally you would have to change the rear mech to allow the top jockey wheel to clear the cassette teeth as it moves into the bottom gear position.
Changing to a 9-speed MTB rear mech will allow a 36T cassette (giving 34x36 = 25"). Note that 10-speed MTB rear mechs use a different cable pull and won't work with your shifters.
After that, it's expensive.
There's a sugino ox601d "touring double" chainset available, which has 110 and 74 mm bolt circles allowing chainrings like 44/28 or whatever (down to 24T). £215, or thereabouts, depending on chainrings.
Or you can change to a triple, which involves a new chainset, new shifters*, new front mech, and new bar tape. Whether you need a new BB depends on what you currently have. * You only actually need the LH front shifter, but they are generally only available in pairs.
A regular, as sold, road triple will give a 30x24 = 33" bottom gear. By changing the inner chainring to 24T and the cassette to 30T, you can go down to 24x30 = 21" without any major expense. I've been riding a 48/38/24 chainset for many years - it works fine.
I'd recommend starting off by going back to the shop and asking to see the manager, prepared for a rant, and aiming for a change of bike. However, it's good to know what the alternative options are.
Fingers crossed that the bike shop listen to what your feelings are with this mis-sold bike and they offer a solution that works for you whether that be a new/different bike or changes to your current bike that you're happy with.
Here's hoping for a good outcome and update from you soon
Here's hoping for a good outcome and update from you soon
OP
OP
Accy cyclist
Legendary Member
- Location
- The hills of Accrington
I went back to the shop today. They offered to swap the rear cassette for a 28,but they wanted nearly £30 for a Tiagra including fitting, so i declined the offer and asked my friend to fit that 105 he had spare. It's a lot better,i tried a small steepish hill on the way home and it's a lot easier than before. I'll put the old cassette on E- Bay and ask 20 quid for it. as it's virtually new.
U
User33236
Guest
Sounds like pretty poor service from the shop. They miss-sell you a bike and then want to charge parts AND labour to try and put their wrongs right?!!!
Glad you have a fix via your friend.
OP
OP
Accy cyclist
Legendary Member
- Location
- The hills of Accrington
When i said that i felt i'd been sold the wrong bike they went quiet but to be honest i didn't push it as i didn't want any animosity between us. I've heard the shop's up for sale so they can't be making that much, and i've got the problem solved for 20 quid. So i'll draw a line under it.
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youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Don't think you've said what spec the rear derailleur is - Tiagra? Sora?, Long cage, short cage? The new 4700 Tiagra will take up to a 34T rear cog with a long cage mech - that may be the way to go in the future if your gearing is not low enough.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I really hope you end up with what you want and not too much out of pocket.
When I was considering a new bike I had a maximum bottom gear of 30" as a key criterion. Some people in shops looked at me like I was from Mars, and didn't have a clue what I meant. (That doesn't include the experts at Spa Cycles: they were happy to discuss gearing options til the cows came home)
IMO selling bikes with inappropriately high, close range, racy gears as the default (or only) option is a problem in the bike retail industry.
When I was considering a new bike I had a maximum bottom gear of 30" as a key criterion. Some people in shops looked at me like I was from Mars, and didn't have a clue what I meant. (That doesn't include the experts at Spa Cycles: they were happy to discuss gearing options til the cows came home)
IMO selling bikes with inappropriately high, close range, racy gears as the default (or only) option is a problem in the bike retail industry.
Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
Aah, an opportunity to talk about MTB gearing. One hardtail has 2x10, 38 24 on a 11-36 cassette, the other hardtail has a 32t ring with an 11-42 cassette, and the bouncer has a 32t ring, an 11-40 cassette, and a secret 26t granny ring. No mech, but if I can't make it up stuff with 32 40 I have an option to hand change the chain onto the granny.
Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
Glad you are now happy with it accy but I wouldnt spend another penny in that shop.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
I dunno, peeing on their carpet seems just what they deserve.
