[qayaq_alaska]

Wondering what gearing folks are using on their SS SnoBikes?

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Sheldon Brown's spreadsheet is what I'm using to calculate:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

Assuming Endomorphs on Marge rims - avg. tire pressure...closest assumption on the spreadsheet is 29 inch (700x56)...175 crank length...Calculating in 'Meters of Development'.

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I'm running 35, 38 up front / 19, 21 rear ... 3.9MD, 4.2MD, 4.3MD, 4.7MD

Any comparative numbers out there!

Martin

 

[Sixty Fiver]

I run a 38:18 (55 gear inches / 4.4 MD) on my Kuwahara rigid (my commuter / ice bike) and just switched to a 32:18(46 gear inches / 3.7 MD) on my Trek HT which sees more aggressive winter riding and is set up to handle more snow and singletrack riding than it is for covering icy stretches. The Kuwahara runs some skinnier studded 1.75's while the Trek is running some aggressive 1.95 Maxxis Alphabites.

If it's simply cold and dry or warm and wet I run my three speed hybrid on the commute... it runs 43, 57, and 77 gear inches through it's 3 gears so has similar gearing to my other 2 winter bikes plus an added high gear to take advantage of better road conditions.

The Kuwahara even handles the snow packed singletrack quite well despite it's middle range gearing...the 38 tooth ring is a Biopace which really aids in maintaining a good spin rate on climbs.

 

[Jouko]

I run 32:16 with Nokian Extreme 294's in 26x2.1. This is on an old Cannondale M700 (CAAD2) with a DMR simple tension seeker. I really don't get into any soft deep stuff, but try to stay on the packed singletrack or the ski and/or snowmobile trails.

As much as I love them, the Nokians are the skinniest 2.1 tires that 've used.

 

[Cygnus]

34x18, but...

I really don't think gearing matters that much in snow. to optimize gearing, i'd think about terrain (slope) plus snow condition (packed, deep, wet, ice?) and how this works into whatever speed you want to maintain. i'm riding 34x18 on 26" homemade studs and fixed. could go steeper, but i don't care what gear i'm using. for me, though, riding in snow is not about speed, it's more about riding places that aren't available in summer.