C.O.G. 40 Gear Review

The Honeman Flyer by King Fabrications

 This post will conclude my C.O.G. 40 musings for the week. Here I will go over the specifics of my bicycle and what I wore for this ride. I then will go over what I would change if this ride were t happen again. 

The course was mostly rolling hills with a few monster grades thrown in for good measure. As a single speed rider, gearing is always of the utmost concern, so I will go over this first. 

The Bike: 

I used a 42T chain ring with a 20T rear freewheel. This results in a low 60's gear inch, which isn't all that 'fast' in terms of what people use for gravel racing, but I do not set up my single speed gravel bikes for racing. I set them up for adventure. 

The 42T/20T gearing leaves me spinning madly on the flats but it is an easy enough gear that I can manage most gradual grades or shorter hills. Consecutive steeps can grind my legs to paste, but one here or there is okay. 

One thing I tell anyone asking for advice on single speed gravel gearing is that you have to know you will never have a perfect gear. Never. If you are the type that is driven crazy by the mere thought of not having the right gear, I would suggest single speed is not for you.  

So, I really like where I am at with gearing and my crank set length also, which is 172.5mm. The big thing these days is to go shorter on cranks, but with single speed it has always been the move to put on a longer crank set than usual. 

There are a TON of theories and opinions as to why one would want to do this. I did it partially out of convenience. The cranks I was using for single speed gravel just so happened to be 172.5mm in length for each arm. I chose these partially out of the desire to go shorter on crank arm length but still give a nod to longer than normal crank arms for single speed usage. 

Because the crank set had a 42T chain ring already the Shimano 20T free wheel was a perfect match to get me into a gear inch range I wanted. So, it all sort of fell into place. It has all worked out very well also, so I do not see any major changes to sizes and types for my drive train. I would like upgrades though. 

My crank arms are chipped and beaten up by gravel. They are carbon, so I feel as though it is getting time to switch cranks. Then the Shimano freewheel, while being reliable and quiet, has been popping randomly now and again. I think a White Industries freewheel is in the cards soon. But all the specifics stay the same if and when those upgrades happen. 

I could get lighter wheels, but I don't need them. And besides, I cannot be more happy with what I have on the bike now. Blunt SS rims are perfectly durable, lightweight, and the specs are dead-on for modern gravel usage. The Paul hubs? I cannot say enough good things about these. They are so smooth and roll like crazy. So, I will be sticking with these wheels for a long time. 

I ran Ritchey SpeedMax tires and they are also highly recommended. I see no reasons to switch those out at any time until they wear out. 

The zero offset Thomson seat post is spot on, but I wonder if I couldn't find a bit more compliance in a carbon post, or a titanium one. I may look into this as well in the future.  

The Clothing:

Image courtesy of Twin Six

Last year about this time I wrote up a review on the Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers. I wore these on the C.O.G. 40 ride where the temperatures were in the 50's with a pretty hefty wind for most of the day. 

These bib knickers worked great from the standpoints of comfort and warmth all day long. The chamois pad is perfect for me and there was no binding or pinching in the undercarriage area. The legs stay where you put them, but are not too tight or too loose. The grippers are nice, but they do not tear out hair or grab skin. I just find these to be great in cooler weather. 

I wore a Twin Six base layer under an old Bontrager Classic long sleeved wool jersey. Twin Six hasn't had a woll long sleeved jersey in a while, but they did announce a new piece this week which may bear looking into. (Note: It is only available for women at the moment)

Over the jersey I wore a Twin Six wind vest. I wore Hand-Up gloves for my hands. For socks I had a pair of 12" Sock Guy wool socks I have had for years now. Shoes were Shimano mid-range gravel shoes with plastic shopping bag vapor barriers to keep the toes warm. 

On my head I wore a red bandana and my Bontrager Circuit helmet. All this stuff worked to perfection and I had zero issues with any of it on the cool, brisk day out in the country. Had it been a touch colder or wet, or both, I would have went with warmer stuff. 

That's a wrap on my gear. I was pretty happy with everything. Overall, the bike was fantastic and the gear I wore is mostly tried and true stuff I know works for myself. I hope you all enjoyed the gear review, but if you have any questions about what I used and need to know something I did not cover, let me know in the comments.