Gear ratios

slomax

Dirt Disciple
Hi Folks,

Just wondering what to do.

I dont find it especially difficult to max out my bike, even on a small hill.

I have a 52 tooth outer chainring and my freewheel is a 6 speed 14-28tooth.

looking at the options available, it seems this is likely to be the only 6 speed freewheel i am likely to easily get my hands on.

is it possible to get say an 11-24 freewheel?

can i put a 7 speed freewheel on my bike without a new rear wheel?

or can i just get a bigger chainring? something like a 54?
 
Cheapest and easiest option would probably be to fit a 54. Generally you can fit a 7 speed in place of a 6, the oln for both are normally 126mm.

If you have a cassette freewheel it is likely to be a Shimano Uniglide which has limited options. If it is HyperGlide then your options are wider as modern sprockets will slide on and you can create your own cassette using 7 speed spacers and new sprockets so you could have an 11-24 if you wish.
 
Hi Tel,

Thanks for the reply, its a screw on freewheel and im using down tube friction shifters with plenty of movement left in them. So you think i could fit a 7 speed screw on freewheel in place of the 6?

If i can locate a 12 tooth sprocket could i just put it in and remove the 28 from the top?
 
I've had problems with 7 speed freewheels in place of 6 speed in that I ended up with the smallest sprocket so close to the frame that there wasn't enough clearance for the chain. With a Shimano 7 speed freewheel it was even worse because the sprocket itself fouled the frame - I think that was an MTB freewheel though.

A 13-24 six speed should be fairly easy to find - Hilary Stone usually has some Suntour ones. A 52/13 combination will give you a bigger gear than 54/14.

Moving the sprockets around on the freewheel isn't always possible depending on the manufacturer/model. Most use a combination of screw-on and splined sprockets and the body tends to increase in diameter as the sprockets get bigger. What make and model is yours?

Mark.
 
What are you trying to do? Go faster?
Get a 12 tooth top gear free wheel. I assume you are still on downtube type levers so you can happily bung a 7 speed freewheel on or an 8. The wheel may or may not want adjusting.
 
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