Modern trend for extremely low gearing

[matticus]

Luvvin your new GPS display Mr Ajax!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Luvvin your new GPS display Mr Ajax!

Remember plotting those type of graphs in geography at school.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The good old days, ehh?
There seemed to be no way I could swap from 'miles' to 'kilometres'.
As an aside I was pleased to climb out of Lynmouth without putting a foot down. Is the hardest (albeit short) climb I've ever ridden (harder than Hardknott or Rosedale Chimney).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The good old days, ehh?
There seemed to be no way I could swap from 'miles' to 'kilometres'.
As an aside I was pleased to climb out of Lynmouth without putting a foot down. Is the hardest (albeit short) climb I've ever ridden (harder than Hardknott or Rosedale Chimney).

Robin Hoods bay is a decent climb out

 

[Ajax Bay]

That's true (RHB) - on the way back on Day 3 of Mille Pennines for me. Suspect Bushcombe Lane climbing out of Bishop's Cleeve is the very hardest (UK), because of its narrowness and road surface - I have been down but never up (except many times by car to visit relative).

 

[8mph]

my lowest gear is 22/34, I could do without it for off-road, it only gets used on road climbs during longer rides.

 

[jowwy]

Wrong. I'm pretty fussy about my beer and I don't drink cans as a rule. Nearly all bottled for home consumption and quite a bit is bottle conditioned. I take full advantage of any multibuy offers to get the best value.



I really really can't recall ever thinking "my old triple equipped bikes are really useless, so what I need is a single chainring instead" The market never demanded 1 x transmissions at all, it was the industry that started pushing them. Same goes for different wheel sizes and suspension. For what most riders actually use their bikes for you don't need suspension, you don't need dropper seatposts, you don't need 1 x gears, and you don't need stupidly long wheelbases combined with ultra-slack geometry.
The actual proportion of riders who gain anything from modern design trends is tiny, because only a tiny minority do anything more extreme than riding on gravel tracks and tame dirt banks in woods.
What happened is the bikes made back in the 80's and 90's were so practical as multi-purpose machines that riders saw no need to keep replacing them. All the 27.5" and 29'er hype and the long wheelbase full sus stuff was just an attempt to push bikes that most riders simply didn't and don't need. I don't need to buy a "gravel" bike as my steel touring and hybrid frames will take decent size tyres even with mudguards fitted, and the MTB/Touring gearing means they will go anywhere the tyres can find traction. I already have "gravel" bikes, they just aren't called that.

Is that because you haven’t found any single chain ring bikes in the skip yet?..or carbon bikes??.....cause I bet if you did, you wouldn’t turn down the chance of having one

 

[simongt]

Saw an MTB recently with 'reverse' gears - a single what looked like at least a 48 tooth chainring and an umpteen speed cassette.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Is that because you haven’t found any single chain ring bikes in the skip yet?..or carbon bikes??.....cause I bet if you did, you wouldn’t turn down the chance of having one

I've acquired two FOC single chainring scrappers so far, both 20" shopper types. I did my usual trick of taking off all the useful bits then ditching the frame and any other unwanted parts.
Not interested in carbons at all. If I found one I would salvage any bits that would fit my steel bikes. The frame would go back in the skip. I don't consider them proper bikes.

 

[jowwy]

I've acquired two FOC single chainring scrappers so far, both 20" shopper types. I did my usual trick of taking off all the useful bits then ditching the frame and any other unwanted parts.
Not interested in carbons at all. If I found one I would salvage any bits that would fit my steel bikes. The frame would go back in the skip. I don't consider them proper bikes.

So single chainring bikes are a useful trend to you then???

 

[matticus]

That's true (RHB) - on the way back on Day 3 of Mille Pennines for me. Suspect Bushcombe Lane climbing out of Bishop's Cleeve is the very hardest (UK), because of its narrowness and road surface - I have been down but never up (except many times by car to visit relative).

Yeah, I've only been down it. Sketchy, but o doubted it was a Top Ten climb ...

Internet says it has a max of 25%
https://cyclinguphill.com/cleeve-hill-bushcombe-lane/

 

[Milzy]

It’s complete poppy cock and it makes me throw my best China cups & sauces on the hard floor.

 

[matticus]

Saucy.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

So single chainring bikes are a useful trend to you then???

Single chainrings have the virtue of reduced weight and simplicity if you want to run a minimalist set up like converting a 3 x 6 MTB or hybrid to a basic 6-speed hack for local use on flattish terrain. I've got no intention of running a single front chainring in conjunction with an oversized rear cassette. If I remove something from a bike it is purely because I don't want to have to maintain it or lug it around all the time.

 

[jowwy]

Single chainrings have the virtue of reduced weight and simplicity if you want to run a minimalist set up like converting a 3 x 6 MTB or hybrid to a basic 6-speed hack for local use on flattish terrain. I've got no intention of running a single front chainring in conjunction with an oversized rear cassette. If I remove something from a bike it is purely because I don't want to have to maintain it or lug it around all the time.

So it’s not marketing guff then just to sell bikes....as you have put it many times on this forum