Climbing Gears
FWIW: I switched to an Ultegra GS RDR and 11-34 cassette (previously 11-28) mated with a 50/34 crankset on my 17 lbs road bike for a trip up to the Eastern Sierra a few years ago. I was heavy for road cycling standards at that time at 6'2" 220 lbs.
The differences were two fold. First, I could ride longer because I was no longer mashing and tiring on long climbs nearly as fast.
Secondly, I could find a suitable rhythm without going into zone 4.
I no longer feared mountains as an embarrassment as I was quickly passed by more fit and lighter cyclists.
The downsides? Fine tuning the RDR adjustment became a chore because of the increased jumps in cog teeth.
I have a mix of 6800 and 8000 and I have learned that there is some finesse involved in gear shifts with wider gaps.
Higher cadence and planning ahead by shifting earlier to a higher cog tempering hard shifts helped a lot.
I find time and starting most rides from home now being bigger factors of where to ride.
I need to get faster to get back to the San Gabriel Mtns.
