I ride many hills around here--steep with switchbacks, on my single. Just stand. The Warner parks switchbacks are so steep as to require at least a 34/25 on a road bike, and you go so slow that you almost tip over, but I dont ride there as its in way boring old money Belle Meade. Al Gore lives over there though.

http://www.nashville.gov/parks/warner.htm#
http://www.bellemeadeplantation.com/

I ride many hills around here--steep with switchbacks, on my single. Just stand. The Warner parks switchbacks are so steep as to require at least a 34/25 on a road bike, and you go so slow that you almost tip over, but I dont ride there as its in way boring old money Belle Meade. Al Gore lives over there though.

http://www.nashville.gov/parks/warner.htm#
http://www.bellemeadeplantation.com/

I used to do that, my first bikes were single speeds, then I ended up with arthritis and I got a racer that had a high set of gearing ratios, the lowest was just about OK for hill climbs and the highest pushed it for downhill use. Now its just too painful to use a single gear, I would have to push uphill.

I used to do that, my first bikes were single speeds, then I ended up with arthritis and I got a racer that had a high set of gearing ratios, the lowest was just about OK for hill climbs and the highest pushed it for downhill use. Now its just too painful to use a single gear, I would have to push uphill.

My riding route is definitely not one for the arthritic or weak kneed. :mrgreen: My cadence varies wildly, Ill do 20rpm on climbs and 120rpm descents.

I ride 42/16 which is ~2.6/1, but thats street and with 700c wheels. Most offroaders do 2:1, and 32/16 is a popular combo. You might want tougher gearing for your little moo-children. Better too low than too high, imho--but do what feels right.

your conversion kit comes with a 16T.

Id get a couple more Shimano DX cogs for fun and giggles. You should be able to go up or down 2 teeth with the same size chain. Bring a chain whip and lockring tool in yer camelpack and experiment trailside. :mrgreen:

DX cogs come in:    14T,15T,16T,18T

Wiggle has gusset brand cogs in 14, 16, 18 and 20t for  Ã‚£3.99.

Despite what anybody says, do not try to break your cassette and use hyperglide cogs--your chain will jump and you will get hurted. Old 80s Uniglide cassette cogs, however, work great.

Ohh, bash ring! Youll have a drive train that makes Chuck Norris cry.

Quote from: maximusotter

Ohh, bash ring! Youll have a drive train that makes Chuck Norris cry.

 :?:  :shock:

Youll boulder jump like Jack Baur torturing terrorists, like Arnie wielding two AK47-s, like the Gravedigger crushing cars!





I have seen Gravedigger live, btw, at the Seattle Kingdome. I took a reluctant hippie chick, but by the end she was screaming "go Gravedigger, GO!"