Originally Posted by
ruirui
man.. i wish i have granny ring.. i only have a 50/34. maybe i should ride my sirrus out.. now that has a tripple in front.
You said earlier you have an 11-28 cassette? A 34x28 certainly qualifies as a "granny" gear
. That should be more than enough to get you up there. It's never steep, only averages like 5%, some sections of 6%, but nothing more than that.
Also, don't worry about the chip. I like to think I'm reasonably fit, and it definitely slows me down, which is more annoying than anything else. No need to worry about your wheels.
Also echo what was said about watching out for rocks. Not so much big rocks, but a lot of smaller rocks/sand in some of the tight turns, especially in the second section on your return. Be careful of those, you don't want to be going too fast and hit a patch of sand on your road slicks...
Carbon wheels are kind of a mess, but that's just my personal opinion. I've ridden carbon wheels, and I don't like them. Like you say, they get ridiculously hot very easily, and SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEAL all. the. time. Unless you are a racer looking for the latest tech, and lightest stuff, I much prefer the (relative) security of a well built alloy rim. Same with handlebars and stems! But again, you don't really have to worry about riding the brakes, since the grades are pretty mellow. Especially the last part...enjoy the speed, it's great!