3

I have a city bicycle with an internally geared hub. The problem with it is that all the 3 gears are too small, and I have a few hills around.

Is it possible to tune the gears so that they larger?

4
  • Ramps for stunts? What do you mean by speed vs strength? In my opinion, you have to be pretty strong to go fast.
    – Paul H
    Feb 9, 2015 at 23:22
  • I'm assuming ramps = hills and 'go larger' means make the gearing easier for going up hills.
    – Mac
    Feb 10, 2015 at 1:58
  • I mean hills. What do you call a road going up by the way?
    – nsn
    Feb 10, 2015 at 8:43
  • you call it a hill
    – Paul H
    Feb 12, 2015 at 17:04

1 Answer 1

5

This is done by changing the primary gear ratio with your chainring and, if possible, the cog on the hub.

If you make a large change or if the your existing chain is sufficiently worn, you'll likely need to get a new chain as well.

As mentioned in the comments, you need to be careful about making the gearing too small (easy to pedal), as you might end up exceeding the max torque for your hub. It sounds like, however, that you'd like the gear to be larger, not smaller.

6
  • 1
    There's also max torque issues with rear hubs. If you go too low, you can exceed the torque the IGH is designed for. Check the docs.
    – freiheit
    Feb 10, 2015 at 0:25
  • excellent comment @freiheit. I've added that info to the answer.
    – Paul H
    Feb 10, 2015 at 0:49
  • Hi Paul. Thanks. How can I change the primariy gear ratio?
    – nsn
    Feb 10, 2015 at 9:43
  • @nsn like the answer says: by swapping the chainring and cog for differently sized new parts (i.e., with different numbers of teeth). see this question about gear ratios: bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/13191/…
    – Paul H
    Feb 10, 2015 at 15:08
  • @PaulH One last question. That would imply shortening the chain a bit not?
    – nsn
    Feb 12, 2015 at 11:46

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.