View Poll Results: What adjustments to gearing do you suggest?
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll
Gearing & climbing
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 42
Bikes: None yet
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Gearing & climbing
I just finished up my first Triathlon over the weekend, but did so on a road bike. I picked up a very nice used litespeed and after my first race this weekend I am starting to think the gearing may not be right for me.
I am a tall rider tipping the scales at just barely over 200lbs and road an extremely hilly Olympic length ride. The killer was the climb in the middle that had many sections at 10+% and lasted roughly 2.5 miles. My bike is set up with 53/39 chainrings and a 11-23 cassette. I had to grind through the whole climb with that 39-23 lowest gear.
I am wondering if I should look at changing cassette, cranks/chainrings, or both. I want gearing that will allow me to climb but also doesn't give away too much top end. My previous bike was a 50/34 compact double with a 12-25 cassette, there was a huge difference in the climbing on that bike. Although it was a much heavier bike the gearing made a world of difference on steep climbs.
Still relatively new to cycling, and well aware I picked up a great deal on a little too much bike for me, but I want to be able to to grow into it. What suggestions do you have, should I change out all the gearing or just one set or the other?
I am a tall rider tipping the scales at just barely over 200lbs and road an extremely hilly Olympic length ride. The killer was the climb in the middle that had many sections at 10+% and lasted roughly 2.5 miles. My bike is set up with 53/39 chainrings and a 11-23 cassette. I had to grind through the whole climb with that 39-23 lowest gear.
I am wondering if I should look at changing cassette, cranks/chainrings, or both. I want gearing that will allow me to climb but also doesn't give away too much top end. My previous bike was a 50/34 compact double with a 12-25 cassette, there was a huge difference in the climbing on that bike. Although it was a much heavier bike the gearing made a world of difference on steep climbs.
Still relatively new to cycling, and well aware I picked up a great deal on a little too much bike for me, but I want to be able to to grow into it. What suggestions do you have, should I change out all the gearing or just one set or the other?
#2
Upgrading my engine
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alamogordo
Posts: 6,218
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'd just swap the cassette first because that's the easy thing to do. If that's not enough go from there.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Santa Cruz Mountains
Posts: 6,169
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Nobody knows what gearing you need, only you do. We don't know what your hills are like, how fit you are or what your most efficient pedalling style is.
If your bikes' gearing isn't suitable to you, you'd be an idiot not to change it.
If your bikes' gearing isn't suitable to you, you'd be an idiot not to change it.
#4
pan y agua
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,303
Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1447 Post(s)
Liked 727 Times
in
372 Posts
But if you decide you need a compact, don't worry about the top end. 50/11 is good for 44mph at 120 rpm. If you're going any faster than that on a downhill section, you're likely better off stopping pedaling, tucking in very aero, and recovering anyway.
Only time you'd need a bigger gear than 50/11 would be if your course and fitness were such that you were sustaining 36-40 mph on shallow downhills for extended stretches. This is not going to describe many people or many courses.
The more relevant concern with a compact is not top end, it's spacing and cross over points, but that's a different topic.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Near Sacramento
Posts: 4,886
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You'll need to swap out the cassette anyway, so start there. Note that you may need to lengthen your chain by a link as well.
__________________
-------
Some sort of pithy irrelevant one-liner should go here.
-------
Some sort of pithy irrelevant one-liner should go here.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 3,362
Bikes: Cervelo Soloist
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I chose the "both" option, not because you aren't man enough but because 34x25 is great if you hit something really hard at the end of a ride. That being said, I run a compact with an 11-23 cassette.
__________________
SocialCyclists Forum
SocialCyclists Forum
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Colorado Spring, CO
Posts: 652
Bikes: Vail Cycle Works - Ti
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have a 34 X 28 (brand new SRAM red). I was using this gear on a long climb yesterday sustaining 300W at 90 rpm. I never thought I'd want to go this low, but it was my fastest climb up the route to date. It's not about being "man enough."
#9
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,434
Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10
Mentioned: 189 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1222 Post(s)
Liked 645 Times
in
232 Posts
+1. Think about the question and this is the only answer other than the obvious "Which is easier to swap?" Going up the hill at any particular speed is the same rate of work no matter how you gear it. So you should ask, for your competition and your body is it better to push harder or to spin more? It sounds like you already know the answer.
I haven't filled out the poll. I don't compete. I ride for conditioning and recreation, so I'd rather have lower gears and give up the highs. But your answer will be very different because your purpose is different.
I haven't filled out the poll. I don't compete. I ride for conditioning and recreation, so I'd rather have lower gears and give up the highs. But your answer will be very different because your purpose is different.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
#10
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 28,387
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac SL2, Specialized Tarmac SL, Giant TCR Composite, Specialized StumpJumper Expert HT
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I said new cassette, but honestly "I had to grind through the whole climb with that 39-23 lowest gear" doesn't really tell us much. A new lower cassette will help but may or may not be enough. Start there, try it out, and see if you need more. That plus more training will help a lot.
#11
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 33,001
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene '04; Bridgestone RB-1 '92
Mentioned: 325 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11969 Post(s)
Liked 6,646 Times
in
3,483 Posts
I said new cassette, but honestly "I had to grind through the whole climb with that 39-23 lowest gear" doesn't really tell us much. A new lower cassette will help but may or may not be enough. Start there, try it out, and see if you need more. That plus more training will help a lot.
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Colorado Spring, CO
Posts: 652
Bikes: Vail Cycle Works - Ti
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
For me, I'm approaching age 50 and will never be a pro racer. Thus, switching to a compact and lower gearing is advantageous for me. Living in Colorado and liking to ride mountains, a wide cassette is also useful. I'm working on my fitness and still need to lose15 lbs, so my speed up hills will improve. Nevertheless, I'd rather spin and push big gears, so the lower gearing is helpful to me. It's hard to "man-up" to using a 28 (I'd still prefer a 27), but this feeling is off the bike, not while suffering up a long, steep hill.
The best idea to give a setup (cassette) a try. If you don't like it, sell the cassette on ebay.
#13
pan y agua
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,303
Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1447 Post(s)
Liked 727 Times
in
372 Posts
This is the misnomer I was trying to correct above. The choice isn't between getting lower gears or giving up the highs. You can have both.
The choice is between tighter spacing, but less range, or wider range and wider spacing.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
#14
Should Be More Popular
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 43,052
Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix
Mentioned: 560 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22598 Post(s)
Liked 8,925 Times
in
4,158 Posts
I agree that only you can decide on what gearing you need.
The biggest question you need to ask yourself is what type of riding you will be doing....if you will be doing lots of long climbs like you described, you should consider a new cassette and maybe even compact gearing (i.e. smaller front chainring).
On the other hand, if these types of climbs are going to be done rarely, you can probably get by with what you have.
The biggest question you need to ask yourself is what type of riding you will be doing....if you will be doing lots of long climbs like you described, you should consider a new cassette and maybe even compact gearing (i.e. smaller front chainring).
On the other hand, if these types of climbs are going to be done rarely, you can probably get by with what you have.
#15
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,434
Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10
Mentioned: 189 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1222 Post(s)
Liked 645 Times
in
232 Posts
Pick any two.
Of course, with newer gearing, i.e. enough gears, you certainly can have all three.
It wasn't clear whether the OP was asking about the easiest modification to make or the best gearing for his performance.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
#16
Spin Meister
OP, 39/23 up a 10% grade should be doable (if not painful) for someone who's race-fit (and not, like me, old).
If you're in a race, and using lower gearing, you'd still be pushing yourself just as hard to make it up a hill. The question, then, is if you would be any faster with lower gears. You might even be slower, because you run the risk, if you don't have a lot of endurance for long climbs, of spinning yourself out of energy.
The only way to know what lower gearing would do in such a situation is to experiment.
If you're in a race, and using lower gearing, you'd still be pushing yourself just as hard to make it up a hill. The question, then, is if you would be any faster with lower gears. You might even be slower, because you run the risk, if you don't have a lot of endurance for long climbs, of spinning yourself out of energy.
The only way to know what lower gearing would do in such a situation is to experiment.
__________________
This post is a natural product. Slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects.
This post is a natural product. Slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects.