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Hi Richliv,
Hi Richliv,
What is your budget?
You will never see a car ad
You will never see a car ad with a cyclist featured not wearing a helmet. Even when showing something in history as Keeley Hawes (or whatever she’s called) demonstrated in the Ford ad last year: lad on a Raleigh Chopper in the ’70s: wearing a helmet. Lad on a Raleigh Burner in the ’80s: wearing a helmet.
I have a Chorus with a short cage and I’ve been running a 12-29 Miche cassette for years without any issues. Are you quite sure that your Record won’t cope?Bit late to the party but this is very close to my set-up (short cage Chorus on a 28t (available singly from acycles)) and no problems.
Just back from the Pyrenees myself and wish I’d invested in a 30t. I’m sure the mech would have coped fine (whereas – on a 28t – I only just about did).
For me it’s a question of being able to spin freely. The lower the gear the easier this is. Having a 30 or 32 on the back (or even lower) allows one to spin which puts less pressure on knee joints and muscles in general. I found the 10 per cent and above sections, especially further into the ride, had me struggling to spin freely. But I also accept with time and training this will become less of an issue. But, hey, if Chris Froome uses a compact chainring and 32 on the back sometimes that would suggest riding with a 32 isn’t a silly idea. It would even suggest, given Froome is an elite athlete, an even lower gear on the back wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Last year in the Alps I met a Belgian chap who was supremely fit. He smashed it up Alpe d’Huez and swore by his triple, claiming it was the most efficient spread of gears for how he cycled up big hills. It just isn’t considered ‘cool’ I guess, otherwise we’d all be doing it.
We probably passed on the road at some point!We stayed in Argeles, and agree it’s a great base. Worth mentioning the excellent route from Lourdes-Soulom along the old railway line too – it’s a shared surface but with relatively few pedestrians, and it’s a very smooth, direct and relaxing way up and down the valley.
I think you’re a little harsh on the restaurants in town – we tried a few and all were fine. But good homecooking is hard to beat 🙂
You’re completely right about the old train line. Brilliant way to get up and down the valley. Shame it stops at Soulom.
The restaurants weren’t terrible, it was just the lack of choice.
Thanks for all the tips. I
Thanks for all the tips. I got lost when gear inches was bandied about though. I’m crap at maths.
In the end I bought a bit of a compromise option; a 16-30 10 speed rear cassette and I fitted an inner front chain ring of 33 teeth. I bought a Veloce rear mech and new chain. I was concerned the 17 tooth difference between the inner and outer chain rings would be too big but it worked fine.
This hack worked okay. It got me up The Tourmalet and the Hautacam okay. I had enough bottom end gearing to cope (just) with the 10 per cent sections. I think what I need to do is toughen the fuck up and lose some weight and ride more.
Starting at 16 teeth leaves me struggling not to spin out going downhill.
My conclusion is an 11-32 rear cassette and a 50/34 front ring is the right way to go for fairly fit, not overweight, once or twice-a-week cyclists.
Unfortunately it’s a Campag 10 speed, thus all the pain.Miche do 13-30 and 16-30 10-speed Campag-compatible cassettes, which the Cycle Clinic will sell to you for £32. I doubt you’ll notice the difference between 30T and 32T. It is also reasonably likely to simply work with your short cage mech (I’ve run a 32T cassette on a Chorus short cage mech). £13.49 for a KMC X10.73 chain from Wiggle, including free Haribo, and Robert is your mother’s brother.
Thanks very much for the input. Appreciated.
Why would I need to change the chain? (Probably a silly question)
Two possible reasons, I think:
- with a bigger rear sprocket (esp if it’s a 32t) you might find your chain is no longer quite long enough to stretch around the largest chainring and the largest sprocket. You shouldn’t be ‘cross chaining’ like that anyway but it can happen
- your current cassette and chain will have worn together. Putting a worn chain on a new, unworn cassette will make the latter wear faster, and it might skip under load on the smaller sprockets.
Neither of these may apply in practice – but I’d hazard a guess are why schar suggested it.
You’re quite right about chain length. And my chain is a bit worn so it’s time for a new one. Just ordered a new medium length 10 speed Veloce and a 16-30 cassette from The Cycle Clinic. Mr Borg was very helpful. I’m not going to get that extra couple of teeth but I’ll just have to harden up a bit. Thanks for you help.
Unfortunately it’s a Campag 10 speed, thus all the pain.Miche do 13-30 and 16-30 10-speed Campag-compatible cassettes, which the Cycle Clinic will sell to you for £32. I doubt you’ll notice the difference between 30T and 32T. It is also reasonably likely to simply work with your short cage mech (I’ve run a 32T cassette on a Chorus short cage mech). £13.49 for a KMC X10.73 chain from Wiggle, including free Haribo, and Robert is your mother’s brother.
Thanks very much for the input. Appreciated.
Why would I need to change the chain? (Probably a silly question)
Unfortunately it’s a Campag 10 speed, thus all the pain.Miche do 13-30 and 16-30 10-speed Campag-compatible cassettes, which the Cycle Clinic will sell to you for £32. I doubt you’ll notice the difference between 30T and 32T. It is also reasonably likely to simply work with your short cage mech (I’ve run a 32T cassette on a Chorus short cage mech). £13.49 for a KMC X10.73 chain from Wiggle, including free Haribo, and Robert is your mother’s brother.
Thanks very much for the input. Appreciated.
Unfortunately it’s a Campag
Unfortunately it’s a Campag 10 speed, thus all the pain.
I have a Chorus with a short cage and I’ve been running a 12-29 Miche cassette for years without any issues. Are you quite sure that your Record won’t cope?I’m not 100 per cent sure but my LBS has said it won’t. It’s quite a jump from 25 to 29. My rear derailleur is already pretty stretched out in the 25 cog.
I’m thinking I will have to replace the rear derailleur and cassette. Bummer. I might just go the whole hog and change up for an 11 speed Potenza. I hate wasting equipment that works perfectly but I suppose I could try and flog it on eBay.
If you are using Campag 10 speed (which I guess you are), and a 53/39 then the 11-25 gives you the following gear range:
127.1″-41.2″
Compared to:
115.1″ to 31.7″ using the 48/30
Using a 13-29t 10 speed cassette on a standard 53/39 gives you
107.5″ – 35.5
Using a 50/34 combination with the 13-29t cassette will give you
101.5″ – 30.9″ – so lower than the sub-compact with a slight loss at the top end
So I’d suggest first trying a new chain and cassette (13-29), then maybe fitting smaller chainrings.
There’s quite a lot of gear duplification, but this seems normal for compact doubles.
Unless you are completely spinning out the 53 on the flat, I’d suggest trying the larger casette first (a Veloce cassette and KMC chain are going to cost you less than £50).
The smart way to use a double is with an ultrawide cassette and a very narrow double – it’s possible to find gear combinations that allow the front chainring to fill the gap between ratios in the rear cassette with no duplications at all.
I’d happily just change my rear cassette for something ultrawide but my 10 speed Record rear derailleur won’t allow much past a 12-25. According to my LBS anyway.
get a compact triple, 50/36/24, solves all your problems and you can keep the 11-25I’m not getting a triple. I mean, I’m not Peter Sagan cool, but I have some dignity.
The word is vanity.
What ever get you up the hills in the most comfortable way
You’re quite right, it is vanity. Last summer I met a middle aged Belgian chap in Le Bourg-d’Oisans who was doing some riding, He had a triple on the back. At dinner I was sat next to a British marine and his girlfriend (ex-Wales international runner turned very keen cyclist). The marine fancied himself a bit; you know the type; buff, very focussed, very dull.
We were comparing times. When the Belgian chap told us his time the marine went quiet. The Belgian was riding a triple. He explained that it allowed him to spin at his preferred cadence whatever the incline, thus maintaining rhythm. I’m still not fitting a triple though.get a compact triple, 50/36/24, solves all your problems and you can keep the 11-25I’m not getting a triple. I mean, I’m not Peter Sagan cool, but I have some dignity.
I have a Chorus with a short cage and I’ve been running a 12-29 Miche cassette for years without any issues. Are you quite sure that your Record won’t cope?I’m not 100 per cent sure but my LBS has said it won’t. It’s quite a jump from 25 to 29. My rear derailleur is already pretty stretched out in the 25 cog.
I’m thinking I will have to replace the rear derailleur and cassette. Bummer. I might just go the whole hog and change up for an 11 speed Potenza. I hate wasting equipment that works perfectly but I suppose I could try and flog it on eBay.
Purely anecdotal but I am the
Purely anecdotal but I am the only member of my cycling club not to wear a helmet on club rides. I am always last down the hill. Others whizz past.
I’m not sure if this is because I’m a genuine scaredy cat or because not wearing a helmet makes me more aware of the dangers inherent in hurtling down a rutted country road with blind bends at 30+mph.I ‘hate’ the concept of a
I ‘hate’ the concept of a hate crime. We have perfectly good laws in place (or we can make them) without resorting to little more than penalising subjective thought and expression. Let’s not worry about calling people names; let’s worry about catching and preventing those who cause bodily harm.
