When the lowest gear isn't low enough

[Miranda]

Ahh... I love this forum. It has taken me many times of reading things like the explanation above, trying to even look at good ole Sheldon Brown's on-line gear ratio calculator, to *finally* get what my gears were all about (in terms of comparison).

Besides this wonderful explanation as such in this thread, I did this the other day (I need to see it and touch it to learn "it" btw)...

I took a pad of notebook paper and pen and camped out next to my bike in the formal dining room (aka bike room). I made myself a grid-table on paper with the teeth numbers on each ring of what I have now (plus what the proposed gearing would have on another grid)...

Then I looked at where the most chain grease and grime was on my cassette from where I usually shift/ride (yes, bad bike mommy-she's dirty, but w/helpful evidence to my puzzle)...

I marked those teeth numbers off on my paper grid...

Then I compared to what my new proposed cassette teeth wise and front chain rings would be to see if I had equal gears, OR... got more teeth to turn around... or less (I also drew lines sorta like an elementary school kids' matching work sheet ).

SUDDENLY at that "line drawing moment", everything I have read/been told about gearing "clicked".

Signed,
Miranda
Thick-Headed Proud Rider Of The Short Bus...
(who NOW understands gears)