Most powerful gear set up on flat surfaces

[CanucksTraveller]

"Sur la plaque", big lad. As modelled here by Joaquin Phoenix.

Actually I once broke my left gear cable in the first 2 miles of a 100 mile charity ride, and it left me stuck in the low range all day. That was tough, constantly being overtaken by fatties and little girls. Keep it on the big dog is the painful lesson there.

 

[ColinJ]

Actually I once broke my left gear cable in the first 2 miles of a 100 mile charity ride, and it left me stuck in the low range all day. That was tough, constantly being overtaken by fatties and little girls. Keep it on the big dog is the painful lesson there.

Eh?

I used to ride a singlespeed bike with a 39 tooth ring and a 15 tooth sprocket. I could comfortably pedal at 30 kph (19 mph) in that gear. With an 11 on the back I'd have been doing 40 kph (25 mph) at the same cadence.

I'd say that most people rarely need a 'big dog'!

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Eh?

I used to ride a singlespeed bike with a 39 tooth ring and a 15 tooth sprocket. I could comfortably pedal at 30 kph (19 mph) in that gear. With an 11 on the back I'd have been doing 40 kph (25 mph) at the same cadence.

I'd say that most people rarely need a 'big dog'!

Sorry it was merely an attempt at levity, I'm not always 100% serious. I did miss the big ring that particular day though, there were silly long straights with tailwinds, and long descents, which is sods law personified.

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry it was merely an attempt at levity, I'm not always 100% serious. I did miss the big ring that particular day though, there were silly long straights with tailwinds, and long descents, which is sods law personified.

Yes, my 39/15 wasn't a lot of good on long gradual descents where 50+ kph would have been easy with some moderate effort - 160 rpm is way too high a cadence for me!

It didn't make a difference on steep descents, where the problem is more a question of trying to keep speed down! There are descents here which I have never dared to descend without braking and even then I sometimes exceeded 80 kph (50 mph).