Cycling stories.

[redsturgeon]

Just building up a Surly Straggler frame as a "go anywhere bike" for a mate.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/straggler

Nice versatile steel frame disc brake bikes that will take 700c or 650b wheels and people build up what they want using either drops or flat bars. People use them as commuters, gravel bikes, distance road bike and tourers.

I am trying to sort out the gearing as we speak, atm it has 50/34 compact on the front and I have just put a 12-34 HG on the rear. I will let him have a ride around for a week or two on that and if he likes it all is good. He is a reasonably fit 60 year old but it might be actually be better to future proof it for him wit an option of easier gearing.

However if he wants an easier lower gear then life gets a little more difficult. You would think that I could just get smaller chainrings for the front but it is not that easy to get anything smaller than 34 teeth for the 110 BCD standard that most double cranksets run. And a larger cassette on the rear would require a different rear mech or less smooth larger jumps between ratios.

However on the excellent Spa cycles website I found the perfect thing, A "super compact" crankset that is basically a triple but with the inner two chainrings only and a chain guard where the outermost ring would normally sit. Perfect, and supplied in a huge range of options from 46-30 to 40-24 and with crank lengths, 165, 170 and 175. Decent price too at under £80

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p33 ... cral-Rings

[BigB]

Just building up a Surly Straggler frame as a "go anywhere bike" for a mate.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/straggler

Nice versatile steel frame disc brake bikes that will take 700c or 650b wheels and people build up what they want using either drops or flat bars. People use them as commuters, gravel bikes, distance road bike and tourers.

I am trying to sort out the gearing as we speak, atm it has 50/34 compact on the front and I have just put a 12-34 HG on the rear. I will let him have a ride around for a week or two on that and if he likes it all is good. He is a reasonably fit 60 year old but it might be actually be better to future proof it for him wit an option of easier gearing.

However if he wants an easier lower gear then life gets a little more difficult. You would think that I could just get smaller chainrings for the front but it is not that easy to get anything smaller than 34 teeth for the 110 BCD standard that most double cranksets run. And a larger cassette on the rear would require a different rear mech or less smooth larger jumps between ratios.

However on the excellent Spa cycles website I found the perfect thing, A "super compact" crankset that is basically a triple but with the inner two chainrings only and a chain guard where the outermost ring would normally sit. Perfect, and supplied in a huge range of options from 46-30 to 40-24 and with crank lengths, 165, 170 and 165. Decent price too at under £80

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p33 ... cral-Rings

I would only worry about the gearing if you really want to - a shorter crank can make quite a difference, in conjunction with the right lower gears if you want to make it easier.

I'm 57 and "reasonably fit" but also reasonably about 10-12kgs overweight.

I've got 3 different bikes on 50-34 sub-compacts
10 sp Tiagra with a 12-30 on the back - 172.5 cranks
10 sp 105 with a 12-25 on the back - 172.5
11 sp 105 with a 11-32 - 170 cranks

Have done a few longish climbs on the 2 lower geared bikes - the 34/32 with 170 cranks feels much better/easier than the 34/30 with 172.5. So I think a 34/34 with a shortish crank would be plenty of range.

Only caveat to this is that I'm talking about road setup with decent tyres - if this was for a gravel setup and possible steep knobbly climbs, you can't get enough gearing.

[redsturgeon]

[
Have done a few longish climbs on the 2 lower geared bikes - the 34/32 with 170 cranks feels much better/easier than the 34/30 with 172.5. So I think a 34/34 with a shortish crank would be plenty of range.

Only caveat to this is that I'm talking about road setup with decent tyres - if this was for a gravel setup and possible steep knobbly climbs, you can't get enough gearing.

If it was just for the road I would be confident that the 34/34 gearing would be fine but he is considering using it off road. I will leave the choice to him. I am 6ft 3ins so it's 175 cranks all the way for me but I am aware that shorter riders might get on better with shorter cranks.

[HillManMill]

What about fitting MTB or gravel double chainset?

I quite often push the limits on my builds. TA used to do a 33T inner ring on 110BCD. I have a 105 double running 33/50 [and another running 34/51] both work well enough.

Dependent on the hanger type you can sometimes fit a slightly wider range cassette too. e.g. If the Shimano compatibility chart suggests you can run up to 34 on the back you can often run a 36 big sprocket.