rcd@opus.UUCP (05/22/84)
On one query from Todd Vierheller: >My low gear is a 40.5 (42/28 * 27)... Do any of you in shape >mountian climbing bikers use gears this stiff? Am I merely a pansy? No here, and definitely not. Get some lower gears for the hills. One of the unfortunate bits of foolishness (which came largely from European manufacturers, as far as I can tell) back some years was to set up a bike for touring and then put narrow-range gears on it. We're finally past that macho stage on most modern touring bikes; you're more likely to see a low gear at least down in the low 30's, and many are in the 20's. The best argument for lower gears is that it lets you keep up your cadence while climbing - that's a lot easier on the knees. Sometime figure out just what demands that 40-inch gear puts on your bod - assume a cadence of at least 50, figure a substantial hill (like 10-12%), work out how fast you're climbing, and figure out what the horsepower requirement turns out to be. You're likely to be surprised. -- ...Stop to smell the flowers. Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303) 444-5710 x3086