Quickbeam gearing for hills and weak knee?

[Tim Whalen]

Hi All,

I love my Quickbeam but the combo of living on a hill and having a deteriorating knee that I want to avoid mashing on is limiting my riding with it.  I now have 40/30 front and a 17/19 freewheel.  I'd love to get it set up so I could spin home uphill and am willing to sacrifice top speed to do so, but also need to keep enough top end to ride safely on streets with cars.  I'd also like to avoid flipping the wheel to get to an even lower outer freewheel. 

So, any thoughts about how I could modify my current gearing to favor easy climbing yet still have a bike that was geared high enough to be rideable on streets downtown?

Thanks in advance.

Tim
Still wanting it all in
Colorado Springs

[Ray Shine]

My QB is currently set with a 26/34 chain ring comb, and a 16/18 FW.  I do have a 22 FW on the flip which I seldom use. My comfortable top speed on flats is only 14-16 mph. I live in SF, though, and I climb lots of hills of varying degrees of grade. I like the current configuration.

---

From: Tim Whalen <whal...@gmail.com>
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, December 14, 2011 8:03:01 AM
Subject: [RBW] Quickbeam gearing for hills and weak knee?

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[Joe Bernard]

How 'bout a 36-24 combo up front?

[NickBull]

A little over a hundred years ago, Paul de Vivie popularized an
invention that might be useful here, he called it a derailleur.
Alternatively, an epicyclic hub gear, popularized around the same time
period, could keep your current drivetrain setup with only a little
additional weight and complexity while solving your problem of needing
different gears on the flat and on hills.

[islaysteve]

NickBull:  The courage to publish what more that one of us are thinking ; ).

[Eric Norris]

I've had very good luck with Sturmey Archer's S3X fixed gear 3-speed hub.  The low gear is 60% of the top gear, so a reasonable flatland gear around 72 inches would give you a 43-inch low gear. That should be enough to get you up most hills, and you can shift on the fly.  If you don't want to ride fixed, you can spin a single-speed freewheel onto the S3X, turning it into a "standard" 3-speed hub (but with simpler internals, since the pawls would be in the freewheel).

--Eric N

Sent from my iPad2 

[Seth Vidal]

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 12:51 PM, NickBull <nick.bi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> A little over a hundred years ago, Paul de Vivie popularized an
> invention that might be useful here, he called it a derailleur.
> Alternatively, an epicyclic hub gear, popularized around the same time
> period, could keep your current drivetrain setup with only a little
> additional weight and complexity while solving your problem of needing
> different gears on the flat and on hills.
>

What an elegant solution! Tell me more about these 'derailleurs'.
-sv

[Joe Bernard]

I'm sure the OP is enjoying all the "derailer snark", but I've seen a QB with a rear derailer in a Reader. As I recall (it's around here somewhere) it kept the standard flip-flop hub, then added a cheap Shimano derailer with the "claw" attached so it would fit the tabless frame, and had a wide range double up front. The derailer's ability to take up slack made it possible to have a big gap up front without having to readjust the rear wheel after front shifts, or deal with a drooping chain. No front derailer, no shifters...still basically a two-speed riding experience, but with one flat gear and one super-low. With this arrangement you could run a 40-24.

[Larry Powers]

I will second the internal hub.  Sounds like your knees are no longer up to having only one speed any more so it is time to get some gears.  When I have to do something with my QB because of my old knees this is the way I will go.  It has much more cool factor then a deraileur bike. 

Larry Powers
 
Get a bicycle.  You will not regret it if you live. - Mark Twain

 

---

Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:03:01 -0700

Subject: [RBW] Quickbeam gearing for hills and weak knee?

From: whal...@gmail.com
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

One thing to consider when riding low gears, besides speed, is comfort. If you ride a low gear, your butt and hands will bear a great deal of the weight that would normally be offset by the pedaling force. Several years ago, I ran a 42/22 with 26" wheels to maximize my climbing torque. I could spin fast enough to go 14-15 mph, but the bike was ridiculously uncomfortable despite various stem swaps and adjustments. Wanting to keep up on a faster ride, I geared up to 42/17, and the improbvment in comfort was amazing. It's now among my most comfortable bikes, regardless of which handlebar/stem configuration I happen to be trying.

[Ray Shine]

Actually, you can't have more than an 8 gear tooth difference in chain wheels or the movement in the rear slots won't work

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 14, 2011, at 8:28 AM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

How 'bout a 36-24 combo up front?

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[Joe Bernard]

Ah, found it. RR36. The derailered QB was a 40/24 with an 18 freewheel. It did have a front derailer, but that seems like a needless complication to me.

[Tim Whalen]

Joe, Your snark comment made me laugh, thanks, and thanks for looking up the RR.  I'll dig it out. 

Thanks also Ray, Eric, Larry and Jim.  All of your good ideas give me a lot to research and experiment with.  I think there is a solution in there somewhere and really appreciate your help!

Good riding,
Tim

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:42 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ah, found it. RR36. The derailered QB was a 40/24 with an 18 freewheel. It did have a front derailer, but that seems like a needless complication to me.

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[James Warren]

That was (and still is) mine. Joe, you have it mostly accurate. A couple corrections will follow shortly, but first and foremost, I did successfully run a 40-24, so that was nice. I wanted to have a two-mode singlespeed basically (one gear for flats and one for serious uphills), and I wanted the two modes to be more different than what Rivendell was offering in the stock QB. Also, I wanted to be able to shift while riding.  So the bike did actually have a working front derailleur attached to a shifter, and my gear changing did occur betwen the 40 and 24, and it did happen with a shifter without needing to get off the bike. The rear thing that looked like a derailleur was actually not a functioning derailleur. It was just a former derailleur now put into a service as a massive chain-slack-taker so that the difference from 40 to 24 chainrings would be possible during shifts. And Joe was right about the claw. Anyway, here's the description:

 

http://www.cyclofiend.com/Images/rbw/rr36_pg27.jpg

 

This always worked fine and could be a solution for saving one's knees. Over time, I changed that bike from a two-chainring to a three-chainring bike. Most recently, I've lost interest in the limited gear choice thing, and now the bike is 11-speed Alfine! I had the rear spread to 135. Pretty good way to go so far. But I want to set it up with drop bars, so I'm eagerly awaiting JTEK's bar-end shifter for 11-speed Alfine.

 

-Jim W.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Bernard

I've seen a QB with a rear derailer in a Reader. As I recall (it's around here somewhere) it kept the standard flip-flop hub, then added a cheap Shimano derailer with the "claw" attached so it would fit the tabless frame, and had a wide range double up front. The derailer's ability to take up slack made it possible to have a big gap up front without having to readjust the rear wheel after front shifts, or deal with a drooping chain. No front derailer, no shifters...still basically a two-speed riding experience, but with one flat gear and one super-low. With this arrangement you could run a 40-24.

--

[James Warren]

Yeah, I'm finding my Alfine-11 QB cooler than my 2-speed wide-ranging front shifter QB, even though the latter got my name in the paper!

[James Warren]

Interesting. Are you thinking use a finger or stick to shift it, sort of like the Rivendell plan for their new bike? I've thought about that, but it's not for me. I need to be able to shift with a lever while staying on the bike. That was part of the reason I was not tempted at all by the new Rivendell when they advertised that it's not a bike that can take a front derailleur.

-Jim "FDs all the way" Warren

[Joe Bernard]

I realize you're asking Tim, but you quoted me saying I think a front derailer is unnecessary, so I'll give my opinion. I wouldn't use a bike like this as an "almost derailer-bike". I would still treat it as mainly a singlespeed intended to have you either mashing hills, or walking them. I'd leave it in the 40-18 most of the time, then stop and drop the chain to the 24 for a big/long one. Where I live, this would work out to starting in the big ring at the top of the hill; staying in it for a city ride; then making the switch - after a nice rest and drink - at the bottom on the way home.

 

Joe Bernard

Fairfield, CA.

 

PS. Dang, now I really wish I'd bought that last small Quickbeam. The SimpleOne is too big for me.

[Philip Williamson]

My experience with the S3X has been mixed. I like it when it works.
A Surly Dingle fixed cog (17/21) will also give you what you want, if
you like to ride fixed. I've used the 40/32 stock QB gear with the
17/21 and really liked it. The single-sided gear change can take as
little as 15 seconds.

Currently you have: 40/30 x 17/19 for 64" and 43" gears
One possibility: 40/28 x 17/21 for 64" and 36" gears. The lower low is
nice, but I like a taller top end for a fixed gear.

If you prefer coasting, you could spread the frame to 130 or 135 and
set up a nice cassette 2-speed in any combo you want.

Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

[Peter Morgano]

See now I would buy a simple one if rivendell would spread it to 135 and realign the track ends (make them parallel again) so I could run an alfine hub.  I called to ask them about it but they said they don't do that sort of thing, bummer.

[Andrew Johnson]

I'm digging the QB with a 40-16 fixed setup, for the gently-sloped flats of Berkeley, and will try a 18T fixed cog on the other side of the hub, so see how that fares on steeper slopes (like Tunnel Road). It's not too bad standing up and posting on hills, just shows up the weakness in the motor (me) more than anything else. I can ride the LongLow if I want 18 speeds (Half-step + granny up front, wide-spread six-speed Sachs in back).

Yes, my knees are a bit sore, but at 50... more things are, generally.

- Andrew, Berkeley

[Bill M.]

Philip,

Can you tell us what happens when the S3X doesn't work, and how often
that is?

Bill

On Dec 14, 6:29 pm, Philip Williamson <philip.william...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Philip Williamson]

When the S3X stops working, you ride in the big gear, or jury rig it
to the middle gear and strip the internals.
If you've stripped the internals, S/A will replace them and/or do the
repair for free.
S/A will send you new guide nuts for free if they're broken or
stripped.
On the off chance you may have an "early-production" shifter with bad
detents, S/A will send you a new one for free.

Things to Do:
Do make sure your dropout and (steel!) washers keep the axle from
bottoming out on the dome of the guide nut.
Do get the beefy guide nut: http://www.biketinker.com/2011/projects/sturmey-s3x-new-guide-nut/

Things to Don't:
Don't mount your shifter on the seatstay. (Who would do that?) The
shifting is fine (left hand cross body), but it's too easily knocked
by a big saddlebag, and it can come a little loose, which lets you pop
out of low gear. http://www.biketinker.com/2011/projects/s3x-quickbeam-on-the-road/

When it does work, it feels like "damn it feels good to be a
gangster."
Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

[PATRICK MOORE]

Me! I'd mount it on the seatstay! But I will take good note of this warning and position out of the way of any saddlebag.

--
Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
Patrick Moore, ACRW
http://resumespecialties.com/index.html

[Philip Williamson]

Make sure to keep the bolt tight.

Philip

[Philip Williamson]

> ...I would buy a simple one if rivendell would spread it to 135 and

> realign the track ends (make them parallel again) so I could run an alfine

> hub....

If you really would buy the SimpleOne if the spacing was different,
you might consider just having a shop spread the frame. It doesn't
need to come from "the factory" that way.
You can do the frame spreading yourself, but I'd have a shop align the
dropouts. http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Then you could get a matching dynamo front wheel, as well. The OE
Alfine dynamo hubs seem to be out of stock, but they were a great deal
at ~$50.

Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

On Dec 14, 7:52 pm, Peter Morgano <uscpeter11...@gmail.com> wrote:
> See now I would buy a simple one if rivendell would spread it to 135 and
> realign the track ends (make them parallel again) so I could run an alfine
> hub.  I called to ask them about it but they said they don't do that sort
> of thing, bummer.

> On Dec 14, 2011 9:29 PM, "Philip Williamson" <philip.william...@gmail.com>

[James Warren]

I had a shop spread the QB to 135. So far no problems (after a whopping 50 miles!)

If I can get a drop-bar compatible shifter someday for this Alfine 11, this could end up being the perfect do-all bike.

So I share Philip's optimism about the SO.

[Peter Morgano]

I did the spreading on a raleigh international myself and it was seen as forbidden for desecrating a classic frame and riv was really against it although it was pretty simple and my lbs realigned the drops real in two minutes but that was a 300 dollar frame not 1k....

[PATRICK MOORE]

Hell, boys and girls, I have gleefully taken hacksaw, grinder, Dremel and Vise Grips to various brazed on bits on a custom Rivendell frame and lived not only to tell the tale but to boast of it. This was when I took my 1995 Waterford-built 559-wheeled Road Custom and made it into a fixie. Tout 753! (Fork was 531.)

I *did* have the much more expensive and even nicer 2003 Curt adapted to fixed gear use by a professional builder, though.

Let me tell you, there are few thrills more thrilling than the suspense-cum-excitement of taking a claw hammer to a frame. I've successfully adapted a Nishiki mixte and, latterly, my Worksman grocery trike, to exotic cranksets by beating dimples into the right stay. Excitement apart, the results (obtained with the help of a mandrel) were quite good.

Quoting Stalin: "Beat, beat, and beat again!"

On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 8:46 PM, Peter Morgano <uscpet...@gmail.com> wrote:

I did the spreading on a raleigh international myself and it was seen as forbidden for desecrating a classic frame and riv was really against it although it was pretty simple and my lbs realigned the drops real in two minutes but that was a 300 dollar frame not 1k....