Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 10:29:31 -0700 From: "Doug Van Cleve" <dvancleve@cox.net> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]Dumb gearing question
Howdy folks.
I realize that most serious riders have always tweaked their gearing to suit their taste and terrain, but I am wondering what typical 1975 road bike gearing would have been. For instance, 99% of new performance road bikes in say the past 10 years have come with 53/39 up front and something like 12-23 in back. I gather most older bikes would have been 52/42 up front, but what was a typical 5 speed freewheel? Thanks in advance :^)
Doug Van Cleve Chandler, AZ
Nothing wrong with that question.... It was likely 13-21 or 14-22, if you're talking racer-boy (or girl) stuff. Sometimes 14-24 if it was a "stock" bike. 14-18 or 13-17 straight blocks if you liked pain or were more than a wannabe. :-) Come to think of it, on most complete ten-speed Production-type bikes of that era, you probably got a 14-28 or a 14-24 in most cases. The 14-24 was "racier" and far less common (maybe 9:1 ratio of usage?) Greg Parker Ann Arbor, Michigan