Need new sprocket/sprockets for more climbing ability

[Davewilson]

it seems 99% of the sprocket discussion is about going faster. i want the opposite, i need to be able to climb. my first gear is very high, as in it's difficult to even start out if you're not on level ground. i have an Ecotric 26" fat tire with 42 and 11-28 teeth sprockets. i'm trying to find replacement sprockets that would give me a much better ratio. i've seen shimano 11-34T replacement gears on ebay which seem to be the ticket. i'm told it's a freewheel. a 34 seems to be the something that would help. is there any smaller sprockets that could be put on the front? i can't seem to find any. to be honest i've considered getting rid of all the other gears and shifter and just having first gear. i only use it in the woods and the shifter "stuff" just grabs every stick, brush and grass clogging it up. does anyone know where i can get replacement sprockets?

 

[Fatknee]

it seems 99% of the sprocket discussion is about going faster. i want the opposite, i need to be able to climb. my first gear is very high, as in it's difficult to even start out if you're not on level ground. i have an Ecotric 26" fat tire with 42 and 11-28 teeth sprockets. i'm trying to find replacement sprockets that would give me a much better ratio. i've seen shimano 11-34T replacement gears on ebay which seem to be the ticket. i'm told it's a freewheel. a 34 seems to be the something that would help. is there any smaller sprockets that could be put on the front? i can't seem to find any. to be honest i've considered getting rid of all the other gears and shifter and just having first gear. i only use it in the woods and the shifter "stuff" just grabs every stick, brush and grass clogging it up. does anyone know where i can get replacement sprockets?

I had the same situation on my new Paselec hardtail.

Stock was 52t front, 11-34t freewheel. I bought new cranks with swappable front and a 34t chainring. Climbs great but top pedal speed is 15mph. Perfect for what I'm using the bike for. Cranks and chainring was around $40.

https://www.amazon.com/BUCKLOS-Crankset-Mountain-Chainring-Shimano/dp/B08L99Y1V3/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=chainring+crank&qid=1631669749&sr=8-5

Chainrings with 104mm spacing are very inexpensive.

 

[kmccune]

Yep you have a fair number of options , one thing you can do is to go to 3.0x26 tire that would be equivalent to a bit smaller front chainring, I am assuming 170mm crank arms( you might be able to go to a 175mm crank arm to give you more advantage on the take off, if you wanted too you could convert the sprocket system to cassette and have as few lower gears as you liked, after you got the shifter straightened out you might even be able to use something like a 28-34-40( or some combo thereof- please tell use what you finally did) Or just do like "Kev Central" put a very small chainring on the front sprocket, the sky is the limit on your imagination,I feel you are the sort that likes to try new things.

 

[Davewilson]

i bought the crank that Fatknee recommended, thank you!, with a 32 front sprocket. it fit perfectly. so i went from a 42 down to a 32. also got the rear 34-11 sprocket replacing the 28-11 and it now works sooo much better. thanks for the help. i tried it this weekend and ran over a rattlesnake. thought it was a stick till the last second. it put him in high gear and down over the bank he went vanishing quickly. now i have another question about the throttle.

 

[john peck]

it seems 99% of the sprocket discussion is about going faster. i want the opposite, i need to be able to climb. my first gear is very high, as in it's difficult to even start out if you're not on level ground. i have an Ecotric 26" fat tire with 42 and 11-28 teeth sprockets. i'm trying to find replacement sprockets that would give me a much better ratio. i've seen shimano 11-34T replacement gears on ebay which seem to be the ticket. i'm told it's a freewheel. a 34 seems to be the something that would help. is there any smaller sprockets that could be put on the front? i can't seem to find any. to be honest i've considered getting rid of all the other gears and shifter and just having first gear. i only use it in the woods and the shifter "stuff" just grabs every stick, brush and grass clogging it up. does anyone know where i can get replacement sprockets?

You could find a lower freewhl on ebay or amazon, but a 38T or 36T chainring would also solve the issue &
give better leverage to the pedals. You´d need a higher cadence, but less effort. Personally, I´d get a
smaller chainring. What watt motor? I have a triple 48/38/28, & ride the 38T 90% of the time. I can climb
anything with the 38T & 14-28 freewheel & still do 25 mph if I want. The 28T is just for pedaling no power.