Andy Hampsten's ride

[Tom M]

Interesting piece on cyclingnews about Andy Hampsten's current machine.

Not an extreme position by any means, compact chainset, and big old fat tyres. Looks a really nice useful bike.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Interesting read.

What's the origin of his worries about even numbered cogs?

I just hate how every time I looked at even numbers for climbing cogs my palms would get sweaty.

[border-rider]

If you fixed that and put guards on it'd look  like my audax bike

[MSeries]

Oddly I don't used even numbered cogs for climbing, unless I use my granny ring, perhaps I should switch them to 29s to stay with it. My cassettes tend to be 17.19.21.23 or 25 at the  big end and I have a 39 middle ring.

[Greenbank]

Interesting read.

What's the origin of his worries about even numbered cogs?

I just hate how every time I looked at even numbers for climbing cogs my palms would get sweaty.

(Unless my brain has led me astray...)

The chain makes the majority of contact with every second tooth on the chainring. If you used an even numbered gear all the time then you'd wear every second tooth much more than the others.

With an odd number of teeth on the climbing ring then every tooth would have its turn in taking the brunt of the load after 2 revolutions.

However, it should all average out as, when you changed down onto an even toothed climbing ring, it would be random as to which set of alternate teeth took the strain. So it sounds a bit like bollocks to me.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Interesting read.

What's the origin of his worries about even numbered cogs?

It was purely in his head, no rhyme or reason.  Mr Hampsten was known for that quirk, amongst others.

[mr magnolia]

His bike looks nice and clean too.  Someone on another thread [edit - oops, its just below this one ATM!] was asking about mobile bike workshop demand.  You could offer me to get my bike looking showroom shiny and I'd pay good money to prevent that gruesome night-before-the-ride cleaning and lubing that goes on in this lazy-arses house.

[Frenchie]

I like it, although I would definitely want skinnier tyres, up to 28 mm, and I guess that my saddle would be a bit higher as well (proportionally).

[Really Ancien]

The clue to the big tyres lies in his accompanying clients on tours, they'd expect him to take them on unsurfaced passes like the Gavia was when Erik Breukink beat him on that famously snowy day. I'm surprised that they haven't got mudguard clearance with the long drop brakes, maybe there is with 28mm tyres.

Damon.