Which chainring to get?

[Karl]

I was wondering why Sofrider does not come with a triple chainring. Is it because it's not a good idea to have super-low gears because the front tire might slip while climbing a hill under so much power?

I would like a triple chainring just because I have never had one and have always thought it would be nice to have the low gear range they provide. Since the Sofrider does not offer a triple, instead of buying the model with the double I was thinking of ordering the model with the single, then replacing it with a triple a few years down the road when the chain and chainring need replacement. But if there is a good reason not to do this, I would buy the model with the double chainring to begin with.

Is there a good reason for the gearing provided on the double-chainring Sofrider, such that it is a preferable to a triple? If the double is not preferable to a triple, is there anything wrong in my reasoning to buy a single chainring Sofrider and then, after a year or two, upgrade it to a triple?

 

[John Tolhurst]

I suggest you buy the double and you will find the gear range is positioned exactly where you need it, low enough and high enough.

 

[Trevski]

I don't know, John. How much extra weight at the front of the boom would a 26 or 24 tooth granny add? I know I could have used it trying to get up the hill on Crystaluna Drive in Golden Bay - I want to spin, not mash....and if you check the gradient in Bikely or Map My Ride - THEY LIE!!!!

 

[KenM]

I would like a bit more range at both the top and bottom ends on my Sofrider. I look enviously at the triple on the Quest 559. My large chainring on the front was damaged and I acquired a 50 tooth replacement very cheaply which is a bit better at the expense of an increase in the gap between the two but I think a 52 would be even better for the top end. On the flat or on moderate hills the standard setup would be fine, but maybe as I live in a hilly area I really feel as though I could make use of a more extended range.

Can Cruzbike supply the front triple & derailer from the Quest as a spare part or do we have to go hunting?

If I had more cash available I'd look seriously at a Schlumpf Speed-Drive on the front and a NuVinci 360 on the back. In a perfect world I'd also use a belt rather than a chain as well.

However given budgetary constraints I'll probably have to settle for a triple on the front and possibly a 9 on the back, hopefully at a higher spec level than the current set. Also, I can't really see much benefit in the shorter cranks as I don't have knee problems, so I might go for standard cranks as well - which will make the search for components easier anyway.

-Ken

 

[John Tolhurst]

You fellas are making my point for me. Now that you have been riding a while you know exactly what you need. That's what I suggest people do. Not everyone needs a triple, in fact not everyone needs a double. It would be easy to fit a triple and have less spread than someone with a double, so study the ratios carefully.