Chas: “Hey Thatch, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Thatch: “What?”
Chas: “You have 3 chainrings. Lou and I only have 2. Why’s that?”
Thatch: “Is this the first time you’ve noticed?”
Chas: “No. I was embarrassed to ask.”
Thatch: “Don’t be. The third, much smaller chainring gives me a really, really low gear, a “Granny gear”, so I can climb long, steep hills even when hauling a heavy load. I’m a climber. I may not be fast, but I’m a climber.”
Lou: “I’m the climber, and I don’t need 3 chain rings.”
Thatch: “Well, that’s true. You guys have compact cranks. Your top gear is higher than mine, so you can go faster, but your low gear is almost as low as mine. Not quite, but almost. This means you can also climb pretty well, but I can climb even when the panniers are loaded.”
Lou: “What’s a pannier?”
Chas: “Now I get it. You are like a pickup truck. More powerful. We’re like a sedan. No. A 2-seater sports car. Thanks.”
PedalWORKS 