I have an old Huffy 26 in. Cruiser geared 44/19. Pedals pretty easy but I added a large front basket plus rear rack and some old Wald 533 rear baskets. What difference would a 22t rear sprocket make?
Gearing Question
- Thread starter wheelhorseman
- Start date
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Going from 19T to 22T will make the bike a lot easier to pedal.Tire diameter matters too.So that is a 2 to 1 gearing, which is a 26" single speed cruiser setup that is very popular.Also requires adding some length to the chain if you do not have enough room in the dropouts to slide the wheel forward enough.
I put 44/22 on our red rat store bike which has a full load of baskets. Works great when loaded but pedals really easy.
I put the 22 on and didnt have to lengthen the chain. Its on the edge of the dropouts but clamped tight. Cant say it made a huge difference but somewhat better. Will keep it for now.
Ha. This thread is so RRB. "PEdals easier" without mention of a much lower top-end speed. There ain't nothing easy about spinning really fast just to go 10mph...
I tend to go for about 50" gearinches (2:1 is 52" for a 26")on trail bikes, but most of my 26" street bikes have 44/19 or 44/18 gears (60-64"). I live on flatland, and I cannot stand spinning fast but going nowhere....
FWIW, I got a 44/22 on my Wife's worksman inb, which has a 20" front, 26" rear, a basket, and a banana seat.... She likes the low gearing.
I tend to go for about 50" gearinches (2:1 is 52" for a 26")on trail bikes, but most of my 26" street bikes have 44/19 or 44/18 gears (60-64"). I live on flatland, and I cannot stand spinning fast but going nowhere....
FWIW, I got a 44/22 on my Wife's worksman inb, which has a 20" front, 26" rear, a basket, and a banana seat.... She likes the low gearing.
Honestly I didnt notice any difference putting on the 22. Pedals the same speed as the 19. Going up a smallhill no easier just as hard. Its a cruiser so speed isnt an issue. To me ittravels just as fast with the same crank rpms. You arent spinning the crank like a circus monkey.
wheelhorseman said:
You may not have noticed it, but there is a difference. 52 gear-inches versus 60. Or, to put it in more relatable terms, it's the difference between going 10.7mph at 60 rpms versus going 9.3mph at 60rpms.
I get it that "speed" isn't a factor for cruisers, at least not in the competitive sense. But, we do have our preferred cruising speeds that we're comfortable with, as well as different rpms that we're comfortable with. Personally, I don't like spinning like crazy, and I like to stay at 10-12 mph on average. So I gear up. 44x18 is prolly my favorite, for where/how I ride. I definitely notice a difference between 44x18 and 44x22. I can even notice a difference between 44x18 and 44x19 (not dramatic, but noticeable).
Doug, I think I said it before on a different thread, but you're an animal pushing big gears like that. :mrgreen:
Where I live is semi hilly. Not much fun riding a single speed bike any distance. If you go very far on a beach cruiser you will be standing up pedalling if you had 50 tooth rear sprocket. If I take a ride over a mile from home I use my 6 speed BCA.
