# Bicycles, jerseys, and gears.  Oh my!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycles-jerseys-and-gears-oh-my/258452>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycles-jerseys-and-gears-oh-my/258452 "2004-08-05T14:29:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycles-jerseys-and-gears-oh-my/258452/21 "2004-08-07T18:47:51Z")

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Spent the entire day yesterday (Friday) at the Wisconsin State Fair. Phew. I NEED to get on a bike now.

Eat a pork-chop sandwich for breakfast. Look at the Clydesdales. Eat an apple fritter. Look at the cows. Eat a cream puff. Listen to music. Eat grilled corn-on-the-cob. Watch the kids slide down the big slide. Eat a bratwurst. Watch the pigs in the birthing area pop out little piglets. Eat another cream puff. Listen to some more music. Eat a piece of cheesecake. Walk through the exhibit hall and look at all the stuff being sold. Eat a pickle on a stick. Walk around a people watch. Eat a steak sandwich. Watch a little of the Guernsey judging. Eat a strawberry sundae. Etc.

You get the idea. Rolled home in time to change clothes and go to the theater to see the national touring production of “Oklahome”. It was a lot better than expected.  
Anyway. Enough hijacking of my own thread.

You’ve all given me great advice. I’m a lot more knowledgeable now than I was a couple days ago. I’ll be able to talk to my local bike shop and not feel like I’m floundering.

There seems to be a difference of opion of whether it’s better to change the chain ring, or change the cassette. Given that it might be difficult to find a 7 gear cassette, I might first look at a larger chain ring. Although I kind of like the idea of a cassette with closer ratios. (Maybe switch to a 9 or 10 gear cassette? I suspect I’d have to buy a new derailleur then though.)

And perhaps I’d better also ensure that I’m pedaling fast enough.

Thanks everybody. I guess I don’t have any more questions right now.

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