gearing issues

[gbb]

Before you go spending nick...how much cycling have you under your belt ?
Hills hurt everyone when they start...hills (such as they are round here) used to murder me when i started ...but strength comes and the more you do them the easier it gets.
Mind, i remember someones sig here, it read something along the lines..'it never stops hurting...you just get faster'. Very true.

 

[jimboalee]

I remember when I stepped up fom a 26" HiTen youths sports bike to a 531 roadrace bike.
I had a 14 sprocket with the 52 ring, but changed the 42 ring for a 38 ( by some advice from a knowlegeable man ) to go with the 23 sprocket.

The bike weighed 2.5lb more than nickhuds' Boardman, and I was fourteen.
There was a LOT of struggling done for the first few months, and I sometimes thought "What am I doing?"

Chainrings smaller than 37 were for Tourers, not race bikes.

The Horseshoe Pass run was done in the third year I owned the bike.

 

[nickhuds]

thanks guys you have given me plenty to think about. as for how much riding ive done its minimal if im honest and ive come straight from a mountain bike which is completely different.
your probably all right, i need to get fitter and more accustomed to the bike, every time im out it gets a bit easier. the first day after getting the bike i only done 6 miles, then 10 the day after and then sunday 24 miles and yesterday i rode 25 miles, so im getting there.
i have to admit on the whole the gearing is fine, its just one hill (noak hill road in billericay) its about 2 miles long and im not sure on the gradient but it does vary all the way up, the steepest part is at the beggining and half way up i find im stopping as ive just run out of gears to use, ive been up the same hill a couple times before on the mountain bike and managed to ride continuously to the top, i assume its just down to the lower gear ratios?
is it worth considering a larger rear sprocket until im a little fitter, or should i just grin a bear it. what would give the better results on a physical level?

 

[Bigtwin]

is it worth considering a larger rear sprocket until im a little fitter, or should i just grin a bear it. what would give the better results on a physical level?

I had a new bike with a corncob double on it. Made club rides a pain in the ass as I was having to mash up the hills and got dropped a lot.

Put a different cassette on it and it was like a different bike. Kept it on there as I just used the top most of the time, but it was good to have a bail out when tired/having a bad/windy day/hitting some unexpectedly steep stuff.

 

[nickhuds]

just one thing id like to mention, however tough it gets i dont quit until i just have nothing left so im not after an easy ride which it may sound like im after.
im riding for several reasons, firstly i enjoy it, second im trying to get fitter, and thirdly ive signed up to ride the london to southend ride for the british heart foundation.
im certainly not after making the experiance an easy one, i quite like the fact that im working hard to get results, im just concerned that 59 miles of uknown territory may through a couple of these hills in.

its just under 6 weeks till the event and im quite excited about it as its a big challenge for me personally and its for a very good cause, im hoping that in the next few weeks i should see further improvements in my fittnes/stamina and hopefully will not need to worry to much about gear ratios.
so what do you think, should i stick it out or modify?
thanks guys
nick

 

[nickhuds]

I had a new bike with a corncob double on it. Made club rides a pain in the ass as I was having to mash up the hills and got dropped a lot.

Put a different cassette on it and it was like a different bike. Kept it on there as I just used the top most of the time, but it was good to have a bail out when tired/having a bad/windy day/hitting some unexpectedly steep stuff.

thats exactly what im thinking, a bail out if needed

 

[nickhuds]

Would a 12-27 rear cassette make much difference? it currently has a 12-25t
Thanks for you help guys
Nick

 

[Sittingduck]

You can get singular replacement sprockets for about a tenner (I seen em online ). If you have a long or medium cage I think this will be okay. So just swap out the largest sprocket with a bigger one (say 29 teeth). You havea bottom gear of 37.8 inches atm - could go down to 30.8 if you fit this sprocket and also.... consider replacing the 36 with a 34 tooth chainring. If it's STILL an issue maybe follow jimbo's top tuna tips!

SD

 

[RedBike]

A 27 tooth cassette would be like having one more gear lower.

A 105 rear mech has a limit of 27teeth. I know some people have apparently got away with 30, 32 even but it;s highly likely the jockey wheels will hit the cassette. As far as i'm aware you can't buy complete 10 speed Shimano cassettes with a larger sprocket than 27teeth.

 

[peanut]

I have a 10 speed 105 short cage rear mech and it will cope with a 28t sprocket

If I were you Nick i would do this.


Buy a 34t chainring to replace the 36" . chainring That should give you an instant extra 3.7" ,
Equivalent to changing gear once, say from 21t to 23t on your existing cassette.
Buy a cheap chainring here at SJS cycles http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/category-CHAINRINGS-49.htm

If that isn't enough then buy a cheap MTB 9 speed cassette 12-32 or 11-32 (available for around £14.00 if you shop around.)
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productdetail.asp?productcatalogue=SHIMCASM300

Split the cassette and remove the 28t sprocket
Remove your cassette.
Take the 13t sprocket out and put the cassette back together with the 28t sprocket last behind the triple cluster.

That should give you another 4" equivalent to changing up once say from 21t to 25t on your existing cassette.

That will give you a total of an extra 7.7" approx which is effectively 2x extra gear changes.

You will need to remove or add some links to your chain (depending on which solution you choose) and probably re-position your front mech and adjust both mechs but you shouldn't need to buy anything else.
This all works on my bike which has 9 speed Shimano components and a 10 speed 105 rear mech.

 

[Crackle]

The cheapest solution is to buy a 4 pack of Tuna every week and keep struggling until the hills don't seem so steep.

Have you seen the price of a 4 pack of Tuna, that's a fiver a week, he could get a new block for less than a months supply and protect an endangered species at the same time

 

[PC_Arcade]

See? LOL, I'm way outta my depth!

I was going to try the triple seeing as the front shifter supports it and it's a LOT less techincal, but now I'm not sure

I think just training more and ignoring the gearing is the way to go!

 

[Tynan]

I'm with jimbo and stronger legs, hills are practice, technique and belief

I got up Ditchling on a double so everyone else should

there

 

[peanut]

I'm with jimbo and stronger legs, hills are practice, technique and belief

I got up Ditchling on a double so everyone else should

there

funny you should say that ! When I first started last Sept I managed on a 53x38 and 12-25 now I have a 50x34 and 12-27 and I still use the max on the same rides
still at least I got more rhythm now

 

[jimboalee]

Have you seen the price of a 4 pack of Tuna, that's a fiver a week, he could get a new block for less than a months supply and protect an endangered species at the same time

OK, so 4 weeks of Tuna is the same as a new cassette. But after the month, OP will have bigger, stronger legs ( and a narrower waist ) and enjoyed eating the fish.

If he buys the 27 tooth cassette, he would always be haunted by the thought that he'd 'wimped out' in front of all the CC members.


Where are the hills in Essex? I rode from Plaistow ( Bates Cycles ) to Southend and there wasn't a hill ????