I think I've found my ultimate combo, using GEBE's system- (camera is in the bikeshop diarying framemounting, will post pix shortly).
I avoided 21 speeds in the past, seeing as how I hardly ever switched out of 7th gear on my Sun Retro7 cruisers, BUT yesterday, when I got the GreyGeezer bike (Sun Comfort Rover) out on the road (Tanaka 33 with 13 tooth highway gear) the steepest hills were a piece of cake !!
There are steep grades coming up from all the creeks and streams that run into the Mulberry River, and bottoming out before those climbs full bore in 21st gear, (probably hitting 40-43mph) I think I was climbing at 30-32 miles per hour.
I've had neighbors time me on the grade below the driveway, and the 7 speeds climb at around 27-28mph with my pedalling to assist.
I'll have a neighbor with digital speedometer time the GreyGeezer that same upgrade sometime this weekend.
There were straightaways and downgrades where the engine overcame the pedals, but I could fully assist the engine in that low 30's range, maybe 10 circuits with the pedals and I was back up to 34-35 mph.
Since my punctureproof tubes on the rear steel wheel probably weigh 11 pounds now, I wouldn't be able to win a quarter mile drag race, but would probably be in the front of the pack on 30 mile or 200 mile challenges with this 2 stroke/21 speed combination.
what is your question?
