Gears!?

[quote=Oliver Schick;443490]Probably not that many, although much of the LeMond range was changed to steel/carbon some years ago.quote]

The lemond Zurich was carbon/steel framed untill it went all carbon. I was very tempted by the model below when it was half price in Evans (should this be in the confessions thread?)

So, truthfully, how many of your gears do you actually use? Do you ever use the front mech?

I'm not sure I've ever ridden on the small chainring, and I'd say I've probably never used more than 5 cogs on the back of my mountain bike.
On my 3 speed I never use top. Although I'm upgrading it to a 4 speed so I'll see which of those gears I never use ;-)

I fail completely to see the point of the Campag 11 speed cassette. Or even a 10 speed one.

If you want to find out how much gears you really need come to Austria. And don't forget your MTB. (I should get paid for this tourism commercials.)
Hm,.. I use all cogs except the two smallest ones on the small chainring and backwards on the big chain ring. I can't stand the chattering of the chain and the derailleur.
But the big chainring just for long distance or on the Donauinsel with downwind. Windy.
The small ratios for climbs. Just as intended.

But I have a classic 8sp not a 11.

honestly out of 27 gears on my other bike i only use the 2 front chainrings and only the bottom 7 of the rear cassette.
I come from North Wales, and it's fucking hilly.
Truth be known, most gears are there for no reason at all other than just being there.

oh and i used more than ur tootling around

Cant believe it.. thought a SS forum would be one place where the old campy vs shimano never-ending argument would never have to raise its head!... It really will never end

Generally if you dont use all there gears you A) have the wrong ratios or B) just aren't riding very efficiently. I use every one of my 12-27 on both rings (with standard chain rings find I run out of gears up the steep ones).Spend most of the time spinning the legs quickly in the low gears, especially up hills, reserving the lower cadence stuff for the short bursts attack/sprints/out the saggle stuff or when your sat at the back out the wind. When I started I found I really had to force myself to spin the legs as it almost feels harder but in the long run staves off the blactic much more effectively.

BTW for any one after an OTP charge plug, this looks like a pretty good deal (note the £40 worth free accesories)
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=14037&catID=752

It's the shape of the old DA (and new Campag) hoods that kill me. So uncomfortable when not on the drops. The new DA hoods are much shallower and everything I've heard about the grouppo has been really good. If I was ever to change from the SRAM Red it would be on to the new DA.

Anyone thinking about buying Red should note the following:

[]The red-dome cassette is absolutely crucial for the buttery shifting. I went for the cheaper Force one and ended up having to swap it out.
[]The brake pads are dog wank on carbon rims and will need changing for something carbon friendly.
[*]The gear cables are well stretchy. I had to readjust both mechs after a week and then again after a month.

i use sram cassettes always. its all we carry at my shop, thought the other branch (which is higher end) also carries dura ace.

i like the campy hood because i have large hands.

Probably not that many, although much of the LeMond range was changed to steel/carbon some years ago. I tried to verify whether it still is just now but the web-site only comes up with a 'product registration' page, probably because Trek has dropped LeMond:

http://www.cyclelicio.us/2008/04/trek-sues-lemond.html

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2008-04-08-trek-lemond_N.htm

Nasty. And it's all over geared bikes. Strange passions, eh?

(NB I have four geared bikes and one fixed. ;) )

LeMond has a damn cheek accusing Armstrong of cheating, when he won the 1989 tour on an illegal bike that had not been UCI approved. Fignon pissed all over him in the mountains.

Oh, and does anyone have experience of Rohloff hubs?

when i paid my subscription to this forum i didn't expect all the gear talk. how do i get a refund?

This sort of makes sense (in my head), in that the chainstays and down tube are 853. So the springy flex of the 853 should be apparent, yet the vibration damping of the carbon should also be present.

Personally, I think its mainly a marketing ploy aimed at people with a taste for both retro and high-tech materials.

In my experience such 'best of both worlds' frames don't work as you'd expect. Someone I know bought a Casati with steel lugs and carbon tubes and it was a very dull ride.

LeMond has a damn cheek accusing Armstrong of cheating, when he won his first tour on an illegal bike that had not been UCI approved. Fignon pissed all over him in the mountains.

You Tories crack me up.

Never mind the factual inaccuracies.

Finding it hard to get excited about 953 when it seems to ride similar to Titanium, and looks similar to titanium, and weighs similar to titanium etc,. Why not just use Titanium?

titanium is for spacecraft. steel is for bikes.

and God touched my 953 frame this morning, proof:

Thought I'd leave this one for you Andy :)

Um hello! they are not called 'geared bikes'.
The new young folk who claim that whole non peddling zen thing call them gearies[I][/I].
Old farts.

You Tories crack me up.

Pray explain?

What has being a Tory got to do with being an Armstrong fan?

Genuinely curious.

titanium is for spacecraft. steel is for bikes.

metallist

Pray explain?

What has being a Tory got to do with being an Armstrong fan?

Genuinely curious.

prolly a reference to this or this, or possibly this.

Nothing to to with being an armstrong fan...

correct me if I'm wrong will

Not sure about the first 'this' which is a reference to Ed's bullhorns; unless Nitto are owned by Boris.
But otherwise, yeh.

The former. I grew up in East Anglia.

I grew up in Norwich, East Anglia. Try walking up Gas Hill let alone riding the bastard.

Hello, just wondering if there is much point in going fixed/singlespeed in Bristol-which is quite hilly in places? I have seen a few people on these fancy looking bikes on park street, but they seem to be pushing them a lot and not riding much .I actually like gears somewhat but I do fancy the Idea of a minimal velocipede can somebody out there break down the benefits of no gears, thanks.D

No gears makes you look cooler and get with more hot girls

Pushing them! Hah.

No

Wait - No?

ask on the bristol fixed gear and single forum.

This is London-No where else matters TM

How can you be a fixie skidder with no fixie?