Comments on: Breaking Away is Underrated http://velochimp.com/2007/04/10/breaking-away-is-underrated/ Euro style, chimp attitude. Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:13:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Cosmo http://velochimp.com/2007/04/10/breaking-away-is-underrated/comment-page-1/#comment-7774 Cosmo Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:48:07 +0000 http://velochimp.com/2007/04/10/breaking-away-is-underrated/#comment-7774 That scene with the semi has always bugged me. Even if he uses the biggest gear available in 1979 (54/12), according to the gear calculator at http://sheldonbrown.com/gears, he'd only be doing 42.2 mph at 120rpm. To reach 50 mph, he'd need roughly 143 rpm, and for 60 mph, an astounding 171 rpm. Between 2:57 and 2:47 in the above clip, he takes 16 pedal strokes (96 rpm), which, would propel him at a comparatively pedestrian 34. I'd never noticed that bit with the small ring before, but it's obviously a mistake. And the more I look at his rear derailleur, the more it looks it isn't taking up enough slack to be in the smallest cog. That scene with the semi has always bugged me. Even if he uses the biggest gear available in 1979 (54/12), according to the gear calculator at http://sheldonbrown.com/gears, he’d only be doing 42.2 mph at 120rpm.

To reach 50 mph, he’d need roughly 143 rpm, and for 60 mph, an astounding 171 rpm. Between 2:57 and 2:47 in the above clip, he takes 16 pedal strokes (96 rpm), which, would propel him at a comparatively pedestrian 34.

I’d never noticed that bit with the small ring before, but it’s obviously a mistake. And the more I look at his rear derailleur, the more it looks it isn’t taking up enough slack to be in the smallest cog.

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