Extra Steep Climbs, Wrong Gears, Old Age, and other Silliness
06-10-19, 08:48 AM
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Assuming that this actually happens at all, it would be in early September. So I am going to see how the summer goes from a training perspective. If I am feeling good then maybe I will give The Bald a shot. If not them maybe I will save myself a few hours of driving and head to the Asheville/Brevard, NC area for some slightly less stressful riding.
dave
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06-10-19, 12:42 PM
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I used to kind of train hard but for no particular reason. Age related arthritis (DOB 1949) and general lack of motivation saw my riding drop from 175 to 200 miles per week down to the 100 to 150. My ftp 3 or 4 years back was maybe 260'ish and I once did a rolling terrain, solo 100 miles in a little under 5 hours (including time spent in 2 short nature breaks). More recently I have stopped using any kind of measurements other than when I start and when I stop (no HR, no Power, no Speed, etc) and I just ride. For now I like this better. And I seem to be inclined to ride more. Part of the demotivating factor was seeing 'lower performance' stare me in the face on every ride.
I am considering spending a few days in northern Georgia just riding some of the mountains there (later this summer). I would do it the same way, but I have this hankering to maybe try Brasstown Bald (see https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/446480/ ). This has some short sections of 20+% climbing, from what I know.
My bike (see my sig) stripped weighs in about 18 pounds and I weigh around 160. I would guess that my ftp is probably down 10% from what I stated in paragraph #1 and I could probably get half that back as a wild guess. My lowest gear is 34 front/ 27 rear. Am I nuts in thinking that I might be able to do this climb without walking using this 'inadequate gearing'? I am not a power type guy - definitely a distance type so having to suddenly pump out 400+ watts for a minute is not going to be a breeze for me (if I could even do it). If this is just totally nuts I would probably skip that climb.
Thoughts on this?
Thanks.
dave
I am considering spending a few days in northern Georgia just riding some of the mountains there (later this summer). I would do it the same way, but I have this hankering to maybe try Brasstown Bald (see https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/446480/ ). This has some short sections of 20+% climbing, from what I know.
My bike (see my sig) stripped weighs in about 18 pounds and I weigh around 160. I would guess that my ftp is probably down 10% from what I stated in paragraph #1 and I could probably get half that back as a wild guess. My lowest gear is 34 front/ 27 rear. Am I nuts in thinking that I might be able to do this climb without walking using this 'inadequate gearing'? I am not a power type guy - definitely a distance type so having to suddenly pump out 400+ watts for a minute is not going to be a breeze for me (if I could even do it). If this is just totally nuts I would probably skip that climb.
Thoughts on this?
Thanks.
dave
I am somewhat in the same category. He mind is willing but the body is not. I am in my 60's and looking at some older data and continually play these mind games as to why I am getting slower! Hah, it happens, that is getting old. I guess that is why there are no 60 year old Le Tour winners.
Now a good test would be to go up to Pittsburgh around Thanksgiving and ride the Dirty Dozen in Pittsburgh. The 13 "hills" or should I say, streets start at 20% and go up to 37% on Canton Ave. Yes, there have been a few that have done the ride on a fixie so mash away.
I did notice you are in NC and you really should have no problem finding some good long climbs around the Blue Ridge Parkway especially from Marion south. Blowing Rock also has some killer climbs where you could train and work out your theory.
If it were me, no more medals, I'm working the granny these days. I still get there just a bit slower but none worse from wear.
john
06-11-19, 01:17 PM
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I'm 65 and 210#. I've done sections of 15% with a 34x29 low gear but for trips to the Eastern Sierra I used a triple with 30x30. Some of my friends also used a 1 to 1 type gear such as 34x34, which they accomplished with a mid-cage derailleur.
Of course the length of the climb, the altitude, and how much climbing is in your legs that day are factors but if I intend to climb 20%, I want a low gear in the 1 to 1 range or even lower.
Of course the length of the climb, the altitude, and how much climbing is in your legs that day are factors but if I intend to climb 20%, I want a low gear in the 1 to 1 range or even lower.
Last edited by big john; 06-11-19 at 01:20 PM.
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06-11-19, 01:30 PM
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Given your new mindset of riding less and enjoying it more, I would think you would want to put the lowest gearing practical. If you don't need it, you don't have to use it but it's there. The ride is going to be more enjoyable if you're not dreading a long slog up the steep grades or having to walk.
06-11-19, 02:07 PM
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Just for clarification and accuracy, in now riding 'free of all measurements beyond time spent' I am actually riding more than I was before the change.
dave
ps. OK - to be truly accurate I guess that I should say that my best estimate of what I am riding now is 'more' than I was actually measuring before.
dave
ps. OK - to be truly accurate I guess that I should say that my best estimate of what I am riding now is 'more' than I was actually measuring before.
06-12-19, 09:28 AM
#31
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The 34/27 sprockets are approx. 34 gear inches and that might be doable for a short distance on ashfault. I could live with my 33 GI sprockets for short hills that might be 15 - 20%. But I have a 21 GI granny gear to save the day on course gravel trails with the same grade or if I just don't feel like powering up a steep hill after a long ride.
I think a low of about 25 GI would be Ideal for most riders on ash fault. 21 gear inches is almost walking speed and is almost too low even on a course gravel 15 - 20% grade. I don't like the jump on my bike from 21 - 30 gear inches. One is too slow, The other too high to optimize our input power.
I think a low of about 25 GI would be Ideal for most riders on ash fault. 21 gear inches is almost walking speed and is almost too low even on a course gravel 15 - 20% grade. I don't like the jump on my bike from 21 - 30 gear inches. One is too slow, The other too high to optimize our input power.
08-31-19, 05:07 PM
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I'm not as old as some in the thread, but my best climbing days are behind me. I have nothing to prove in ascent speed, but I do want to make it to the top...eventually.
I was going to implement my Crazy Climber (franken-cassette) 14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27-31-35-40 (combination of the smallest 5 cogs from a 14-28 with the two 3 cog spiders from and 11-40) today leveraging a Wolf Tooth Roadlink, but it won't fit on my Airborne's drop out.
So I'm left with the current best case of a 50-34 up front and my Franken-Road 14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34 which has some nice even steps all the way up to the biggest cogs. 11 & 12 tooth smallest cogs are just stupid for me. If I'm going over 30 mph on two wheels I'm going to be on a motorcycle.
I was going to implement my Crazy Climber (franken-cassette) 14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27-31-35-40 (combination of the smallest 5 cogs from a 14-28 with the two 3 cog spiders from and 11-40) today leveraging a Wolf Tooth Roadlink, but it won't fit on my Airborne's drop out.
So I'm left with the current best case of a 50-34 up front and my Franken-Road 14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34 which has some nice even steps all the way up to the biggest cogs. 11 & 12 tooth smallest cogs are just stupid for me. If I'm going over 30 mph on two wheels I'm going to be on a motorcycle.
08-31-19, 09:47 PM
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I believe the calculators are correct. I can't climb very long seated below 50 cadence. Maybe 15'. I've done all the way down to 35, but that was years ago. I can climb a lot longer seated at a low cadence than I can standing in that same gear. A lot longer. I used to practice low cadence climbing back before I gave in and just got lower gears. And then even lower gears. Probably even lower gears are coming some day, if I last that long. I've only walked a bike twice, and that was our fully loaded tandem. In retrospect we should have just rested a bit and pedaled up. Would have been easier. Walking a bike up 19% in bike shoes is not easy. 15' LT (FTP) or even 98% intervals at under-50 cadence is what you do. Repeat until you can't. Grade doesn't matter, just use the gears to get the effort and cadence. Once a week. After trying that, I figure anyone would spend whatever on lower gears. The pain is quite extraordinary. I've always had good knees.
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09-01-19, 06:29 AM
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So, @DaveLeeNC, what's the update?
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09-01-19, 07:20 AM
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So, @DaveLeeNC, what's the update?
In a nutshell (OK - a couple of nutshells -some are kind of long I guess ) ...
Look here
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...st-seized.html
to see how trying to move a seatpost 1/16" led to
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...ther-bike.html
where I bought a new Emonda SL6 (with 34/32 gearing). And then here
https://www.bikeforums.net/training-...-training.html
to see how training for the Six Gap Century in late September is going.
dave
09-01-19, 03:37 PM
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MyTi,
Since you aren’t adding value to this thread, please leave and don’t post again.
Since you aren’t adding value to this thread, please leave and don’t post again.
09-01-19, 06:55 PM
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Hike a Bike from my MTB days is one of the reasons I've stuck with SPDs as my shoe/cleat of choice. Mostly because I can walk around in them without covers, but sometimes because I get in WAY over my head on climbs. It really sucks when I have to get off and push, but there are occasions where that's what I was left with. Hopefully with a 34-34 that won't be quite as often, but that GRX double ring crank and MTB cog set sure sound enticing when I'm pushing....
09-01-19, 10:47 PM
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Hike a Bike from my MTB days is one of the reasons I've stuck with SPDs as my shoe/cleat of choice. Mostly because I can walk around in them without covers, but sometimes because I get in WAY over my head on climbs. It really sucks when I have to get off and push, but there are occasions where that's what I was left with. Hopefully with a 34-34 that won't be quite as often, but that GRX double ring crank and MTB cog set sure sound enticing when I'm pushing....
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09-06-19, 10:49 PM
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yep, like most things in life, tandems are great right up until they aren't. My old Pearl Izumi All Road shoes were stiff but not too stiff I couldn't push. My new Giros with BOA closure are just flat out stiff. I'm doing a climb again tomorrow that I pushed for early last month when I had a 34-32. Not sure I'm in better enough shape for a 34-34 to make a difference. Here's hoping I don't have to test the Giro's out...
