Talking of big rings, Dr Hutch has a story about Sean Yates - a hard man of British cycling - who never used a small ring in the UK because there was no climb steep enough.

On day Hutch went riding with Sean and queried that he was on the small ring.

"Count the teeth" said Sean.

It turned out his "small ring" was a 52 teeth and his "big ring" was a 60.

(That one's for Fellbeast. )