Changed Chainring to 34 teeth, the inclines are much easier.

[GuyBoden]

During the the last month, I've been getting back into cycling on a used road bike, the chainrings on the used road bike were old style 52-42 teeth chainrings and I was struggling getting up the inclines. Today, I changed to a 34 teeth chainring and went out on a 15 miles ride.

I've got to say that it makes the inclines so much easier and I'm a much happier cyclist going up inclines. I'd recommend getting a smaller chainring to any fellow beginner cyclists struggling to get up inclines.

(I say inclines because, I can't really class them as hills.)

 

[ChrisEyles]

I started cycling again recently on a 52-42 double (paired with a 14-26 five speed freewheel) and I agree, hills are bloomin' hard work! I've now also got a 48-38-28 triple with an 11-32 cassette, and that one will pull stumps out on a 20% gradient in bottom gear

Personally I'm not convinced by the compact double due to the big jump between gears but definitely second the recommendation for a nice small chain ring (on a triple or double) to any beginning cyclists, it will help a lot on the hills until you get properly "bike fit" (I can now get up pretty much anything on the 42t chainring, but it took 18 months covering 6000 or so miles to get there!).

 

[User16625]

A 50-39-30 combined with 11-28. An ideal all rounder. Why aint all road bikes triples? You get a much greater range without sacrificing on close ratios.

 

[Nibor]

A 50-39-30 combined with 11-28. An ideal all rounder. Why aint all road bikes triples? You get a much greater range without sacrificing on close ratios.

I have this set up on my "new" bike I recently picked up a Giant OCR second hand my first real road bike, and I feel I could get up most hils with this arrangement. Just need a new engine for it LOL

 

[User16625]

I have this set up on my "new" bike I recently picked up a Giant OCR second hand my first real road bike, and I feel I could get up most hils with this arrangement. Just need a new engine for it LOL

Or to tune up the one you got. You can slowly increase its power by running it ragged a few times a week.

 

[RichardB]

The old Carlton Corsair I had in the 70s had a 52/42 chainset (pretty much standard then) and a 14-34 cluster, which was fairly wide-range at the time. Triples were almost unknown, Alpine specialists only. That gave a range of 33" to 100". I bought a 34T ring, moved the 42T to the outer position and ditched the 52T, giving a range of to 27" to 81". Far more suitable for a general-purpose bike in hilly country.

The Galaxy I bought this year has a (triple) range of 22" to 118" There's no hill round here that won't demolish!
[Edit/correction: the ring I bought for the Corsair was a 36T, giving a low gear of 29", not 27". Memory not as good as it was.]

 

[slowmotion]

I don't race so I'm completely unconcerned about the jumps between gears. I want a high enough gear so that I don't spin out when I go down hills, and a very nice low gear if I go back in the other direction. The lowest on my triple is 28/28 and I'm still gasping on some of the modest hills that I attempt. I really don't like walking and I really don't care if I look like a demented hamster on a wheel. I'm doing it for me.

 

[RichardB]

I don't race so I'm completely unconcerned about the jumps between gears. I want a high enough gear so that I don't spin out when I go down hills, and a very nice low gear if I go back in the other direction. The lowest on my triple is 28/28 and I'm still gasping on some of the modest hills that I attempt. I really don't like walking and I really don't care if I look like a demented hamster on a wheel. I'm doing it for me.

Agreed, although I wouldn't say I was unconcerned about the jumps. Having close ratios is kind on the knees and helps you keep a better rhythm, which is where modern cassettes have it over the old 5-speeds. But given the choice, I would rather have a couple of nice low ones and just freewheel the faster downhills, than to have a monster top gear and struggle up the steep bits. At my age, getting there is more important than getting there fast.

 

[Nitram55]

. At my age, getting there is more important than getting there fast.

Hear hear