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Morat.
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March 21, 2017 at 6:52 pm #26918
multimodal
I normally use my road bike to commute but in a bid to exercise more, I’m using it for training too. This means I’m encountering hills that I previously didn’t come up against.
I run a compact up front and an 11-28 at the rear. I haven’t hit a hill I couldn’t get up but a couple have left meet completely out of breath.
My question is, should I change the cassette or persevere? I want to my fitness to progress quickly. Any advice?
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TypeVertigo
multimodal wrote:I’m on the last cog on the harder hills. I can do them all seated in the saddle though. If I stand up, I drop a cog or two.Think you’re in my range of thinking. I guess I’m wondering whether I need a bailout gear or whether, as my fitness improves, I’ll find myself less in 28 and so a bigger cog will be superflous by the summer.
In that case, I think a Shimano 11-32T cassette would fit right up your alley. I believe its next largest cog is a 28, if I’m not mistaken. It should be close enough to your current cassette, 32T bailout gear excepted.
And yes, definitely spin those cranks while seated!
CXR94Di2
Those who are light enough to
Those who are light enough to use a compact and 11-28 that is great. I have found I like to spin and keep spinning up hills, so I geared my bike with a 40/28 crank and 11-32 Cass for general riding and 11-40 for riding up Mt Teide. I was able to hold 80+rpm for several hours. I didn’t suffer from knackered legs or knees are was able to climb over 30,000 ft in one week and still weigh 100kg. Find a method that works for youDnnnnnn
As a few others have said,
As a few others have said, cadence is the thing. If you’re grinding the pedals very slowly for an extended period (i.e. not just powering over a short ‘ramp’) then you’re not using your physical capacity efficiently. And while it’s not bad for you, you’re building thunder thighs rather than lithe limbs, which isn’t usually what cyclists are after (unless you want to be Chris Hoy).
Being a bit breathless is fine but do it a brisk cadence, not a grunting grind!
I’m on the last cog on the
I’m on the last cog on the harder hills. I can do them all seated in the saddle though. If I stand up, I drop a cog or two.
Think you’re in my range of thinking. I guess I’m wondering whether I need a bailout gear or whether, as my fitness improves, I’ll find myself less in 28 and so a bigger cog will be superflous by the summer.
Are you running out of cogs
Are you running out of cogs up the harder hills?
One of my “tests” of climbing ability is to see for how long you can keep climbing without using your lowest cog. On my 12-30T cassette for example, the two next largest cogs are a 24 and a 27 – I reserve the 30 as a bailout gear.
The aim is to climb hard hills in the 27 first, then gain enough fitness to climb same hills in the 24. Might be worth a shot.
Thanks for the advice
Thanks for the advice everyone. This comment really hits home.
Rich_cb wrote:When I first started on the road I was in exactly the same boat, Compact and 11-28 would get me up just about anything but I was completely spent at the top. I got fitter and faster but still found my cadence dropping off significantly as the ratios increased. Long story short, I got a winter bike with Compact + 11-32. The bike was significantly heavier but I smashed all my PBs and found it much more comfortable. So if your cadence is dropping a lot it’s well worth switching. You’ll enjoy riding a lot more and may well be faster too!Think I’ll stick with my cassette for another month and see how much progress I’ve made. If I’m still grinding up the trickier hills, then I’ll swap it out.
beezus fufoon
if you live in the pyrenees
if you live in the pyrenees and are facing 2 and a half hours of climb, then change the ratio.
if the climb is 5 mins, then don’t.
kevvjj wrote:If it makes cycling more enjoyable then do it. That should be your prime motive.This.
It’s what motivated me to switch cranks. I run a 12-30T cassette, and very steep climbs with the stock 46/36T cyclocross crank are a pain. I eventually found I could easily spin out the 46×12 top gear on the flats too. Switching to a 50/34T compact helped me both ways – more range up top and easier climbing down low.
I harbor no illusions of being a stellar climber; I don’t have the physique for it. I would rather make up for it with smart gearing instead. If it means being able to enjoy your cycling more then by all means go for the cassette swap!
Rich_cb
When I first started on the
When I first started on the road I was in exactly the same boat, Compact and 11-28 would get me up just about anything but I was completely spent at the top.I got fitter and faster but still found my cadence dropping off significantly as the ratios increased.
Long story short, I got a winter bike with Compact + 11-32. The bike was significantly heavier but I smashed all my PBs and found it much more comfortable.
So if your cadence is dropping a lot it’s well worth switching. You’ll enjoy riding a lot more and may well be faster too!
Mystery Machine
I absolutely suck at climbing
I absolutely suck at climbing. I have got better at getting up the bastard hills over the last few years, and have even taken on Alpine and Pyrennean challenges over the last couple of years (which involved grinding – slowly – up HC climbs).
However my lowest gears on the cassettes have only been getting bigger.
But I am okay with that. I am never going to ‘dance’ up the climbs, but, as far as I am concerned, any serious climb that I can get up without climbing off or walking is a victory, no matter how long it takes. And my low gearing has allowed me to overtake a bunch of overgeared folks on various sportives as I spin past them like an incredibly slow Froome.
I use my lowest gear less than I used to, but it’s still nice to know it’s there. And my lowest ratio is closer to 1:1 than I suspect your 28 biggest cog is.
The velominati may sneer, but I don’t care!
I say go lower!
Anonymous
If it makes cycling more
If it makes cycling more enjoyable then do it. That should be your prime motive.
Simon E
If you are getting up them
If you are getting up them with the 28t then you might as well stick with it. You won’t get fitter by fitting a 32t or bigger, you’ll just ride them slower, though maybe in slightly less discomfort. This can be useful when touring or on a long sportive but it’s not ideal if you’re trying to get fitter.
Pedalling and breathing techniques are really important. Breathe deeply the whole time, relax your upper body, try to pedal efficiently. Once at the top spin gently to recover, avoid snatching breaths. The more you practice the quicker your body will adapt.
BrokenBootneck
Depends on the hills you
Depends on the hills you climb and the amount of weight you lug up it. I’m 93 kilos I can generate a fair amount of power and hold it for a while, but get me on exmoor things like the steep version of porlock hill and a route over the moors a 32 is required.
I’ve gone from Buxton to Barnsley and back on a 25 at the rear, then did it again on a 32 so much better than grinding it out.
dougie_c
It’s normal to breathe harder
It’s normal to breathe harder going up, but you don’t mention whether you can maintain your usual cadence* on this hill using your existing gears.
Basically, If you find your cadence decreases at the steepest part of the hill—i.e. you have to push harder and can’t turn the pedals as quickly as you naturally would on the flat—then yes, think about getting yourself some lower gears by fitting a bigger cassette at the back and/or smaller chainrings at the front.
Your objective should be to find gears that let you keep spinning all the way to the top of the hill, even if that means you are going slowly.
Many road bikes come fitted with a chainset and cassette that’re ideal for a Tour de France rider; but unfortunately the legs to go with have been omitted 😉
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*the rate at which you turn the pedals, in revolutions per minute, rpm)
dunnoh
Fit what you fancy. I used
Fit what you fancy. I used to do Blaze Hill in the peak district on a 25 cassette. After fitting a 29 cassette I could walk properly at work!
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