MTB on the road

[Apeman]

I have a Trek 6300 with 11-34 cassette on rear and a 44/32/22 triple chainwheel.I have Schwalbe Kojaks on the rims but I find that I am spinning too much when on the road. How can I go about making it more suitable for roaduse incurring too much expenditure? Any solutions would be welcome.

 

[C R]

I have a Trek 6300 with 11-34 cassette on rear and a 44/32/22 triple chainwheel.I have Schwalbe Kojaks on the rims but I find that I am spinning too much when on the road. How can I go about making it more suitable for roaduse incurring too much expenditure? Any solutions would be welcome.

An easy change would be going for a 48/38/28 at the front. Should be able to get a reasonable one for around £30. Check the bottom bracket recommended size, as it may be different from the one you have.

 

[Vantage]

Your front mech 'might' allow a 46 tooth ring. Maybe.
Otherwise you're looking at a new chainset with/or bigger rings all round. A new chainset might need a different size bottom bracket though.

edit: CR beat me to it.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I have a Trek 6300 with 11-34 cassette on rear and a 44/32/22 triple chainwheel.I have Schwalbe Kojaks on the rims but I find that I am spinning too much when on the road. How can I go about making it more suitable for roaduse incurring too much expenditure? Any solutions would be welcome.

You don't specify tyre size but according to https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_inches 44x11 with 50mm tyres gives a 104" gear.

By contrast, my road bike came with a 50/34 and 12/28 block, which gives just a 110" gear - and one I only really use on downhills.

That's a cadence of 70rpm at 22mph, which is very comfortable; at 100 rpm you'll get 31mph.

Under what conditions are you spinning too much? Or is it the large gaps? In which case you should be able to find say an 11-25 cassette to help that?

 

[Jody]

What do you class as spinning? I run a 44/11 and don't spin out until in excess of 35/40mph.

 

[sleuthey]

I assume you pull away in the middle chainring then swap to the larger chainring as soon as you hit the middle gears on the rear cassette? I am supprised you are spinning too much with a 104" setup.

 

[Spiderweb]

I was on the road this weekend with a 46/11 gearing, apart from some downhill bits it’s almost impossible to spin out. On your heavy roadified MTB sat in a non aero upright riding position you should be absolutely fine on your current set up.

 

[Crackle]

As Roubaix says that gearing is fine up until about 30mph, so you're either going faster than that or you need to increase your cadence some.

 

[Vantage]

Tyre size and gradient make lots of difference to the ability to spin out.
My old 26" wheeled tourer on Kojaks with 46 - 11 gearing easily had me spinning out at 30mph going down the main road towards the town centre.
Same gearing on the newer 700c wheeled bike it aint so easy although I've not looked at what speed I spin out. Certainly not 30 though.

 

[derrick]

I have a Trek 6300 with 11-34 cassette on rear and a 44/32/22 triple chainwheel.I have Schwalbe Kojaks on the rims but I find that I am spinning too much when on the road. How can I go about making it more suitable for roaduse incurring too much expenditure? Any solutions would be welcome.

We have a few supermen on here.

 

[Drago]

We have a few supermen on here.

My ears are burning!

 

[si_c]

As above. I tend to find myself spinning out above 100rpm - which is the max cadence I can comfortably manage for a reasonable period of time (I'm much happier at 85 though). I think it most likely that you are viewing spinning out as being an uncomfortably high cadence; the good news is that by raising your cadence you get used to it and just go faster and this is totally cost free. I have a 32t chainring on my Trek and I am comfortable up to around 19mph.

If you want to spend money making your road riding experience better then a set of slick 26" tyres would be much better if you haven't already done that.

 

[Shadow121]

The OP is using a mountain bike on the road, this may indicate he is not so
comfortable at sustained high cadence, as he is probably used to rougher terrain
where he does not spin out.
Only solution is get higher gearing, and through time on the road get used to increased
cadence, my biggest chain ring is only 48, with 11-34 and I know I would have the same
issue with a 44 setup, as technically am only new to road bikes and trying to keep up
a reasonable cadence is something that requires time and effort, so I understand where the OP is coming from. Higher gearing will keep him within his physical limits until he is able
to manage a higher cadence.

 

[fossyant]

See if you can get a larger chain ring to keep costs down. You may even find a whole triple chainset on sale somewhere, but factor in the BB may need changing if square taper as the required axel length can vary

 

[Apeman]

Thanks guys for your input to my query.All I have to do is decide whether a chain ring replacement or cassette replacement is the way forward.I am a bit baffled by talk of cadences ect when all I want to do is ride my bike fast and furiously.Maybe I will keep the Beast for the rough stuff and keep riding my Ridley road bike for the foreseeable future.Thanks again from one who is easily confoosed.com......lol.