While we were at the Trek store last night getting a new headset pressed into Jen’s new frame, I decided to pick up a new, larger cog for Surly. While the current 41×17 gearing has been fine, with the colder weather and slush on the roads, I thought it might be worth gearing down a bit for the winter. I also wouldn’t mind the decreased effort climbing out of Panther Hollow while loaded down with stuff. So I left with a 19 tooth Surly cog. Once the boys were asleep, the bike was in the stand, and I replaced the current 17 tooth cog (why I didn’t make use of my doubled-fixed rear hub is beyond me).

This morning, heading into the muck, I appreciated the more gradual effort to get up to speed, and it was nice to be able stay in the saddle on the few snow and slush covered inclines between our house and the office. I could notice a difference in my overall speed, but it wasn’t terribly slow (says the guy who has commuted on a 32×16 singlespeed mountain bike). I suspect I’ll appreciate the lower gearing on the ride home, though if I continue riding the Surly on the weekends, the light gear might be a problem. The ride itself wasn’t much of a problem. The side streets were a bit slick in spots, but the main roads were mostly just wet.

Posted on 6 December 2007