Getting up hills, new cassette?

[bpsmith]

A 12-27 or 12-28 gives a better ratios as it will give another gear in the middle even a 48x12 is a good high gear for most situations.

True enough. I just wanted both the 11 and the 28 for enjoying the descents as well as the climbs. I enjoy descending fast!

My new bike is an 11 speed 11-28 setup and that extra gear does make a difference, as you say. Once I am ready, when it comes to replacement time, I hope to drop to 11-25.

 

[ryan_w]

I was going the 'hard way' round Richmond Park on my fixie (18T) last Wednesday.
I get a kick out of accomplishing the climbs and try not to come out the saddle (I do on the 3rd climb (2 hills in one near the cafe).

However, some chap came past me about 1mph faster on his spanking new S-Works without breaking a sweat spinning away.

He did give me a nod of approval and said he was too lazy to do what I was doing haha...

 

[Han69]

True enough. I just wanted both the 11 and the 28 for enjoying the descents as well as the climbs. I enjoy descending fast!

My new bike is an 11 speed 11-28 setup and that extra gear does make a difference, as you say. Once I am ready, when it comes to replacement time, I hope to drop to 11-25.

My setup is a triple 30/40/52 so even a 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27 (or 28, which I prefer) gives from 29-114" though i would like to set it up as a 30-38-50 as I don't like the 17-19 jump on the middle ring, lowering the gearing slightly on the middle would make the 16-17 on a 38th like a 17-18th on my 40th middle, I still have the jump but in a place which is not so troublesome.

 

[bpsmith]

Sounds good. Mine is on a Compact, so obviously 34:50.

 

[ColinJ]

My setup is a triple 30/40/52 so even a 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27 (or 28, which I prefer) gives from 29-114" though i would like to set it up as a 30-38-50 as I don't like the 17-19 jump on the middle ring, lowering the gearing slightly on the middle would make the 16-17 on a 38th like a 17-18th on my 40th middle, I still have the jump but in a place which is not so troublesome.

I have just set my Cannondale up with a 28-38-48 triple and am really enjoying having the low gears on the 28, spending lots of the time riding 15,16 or 17 on the 38 but having up to 29 teeth available for short steep hills not worthy of a stint on the 28, and having having 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 available for use with the 48. The only drawback is the loss of former 53/13 top gear, but I rarely used that.

 

[Boon 51]

Thanks mate, going to add a 30 or 32 - luckily have a Tiagra already so thumbs up

I know I live in the mountains but a 11/32 did make things a load better.. good luck

 

[ManxJason]

Thanks guys. As I said previously I am managing to get up hills ok, but it's a slot on a 12-27, so, I went for a 11-30 - I reckon those 3 extra teeth will be useful

 

[bpsmith]

The 11, over the previous 12, will also come in handy on the descents. You do power down the descents, don't you?

 

[ManxJason]

On the descents I pedal until I spin the gear out, then I stop and get tucked in - great fun. Although my fastest speed is only 38.8mph, fast enough for someone relatively new to the sport. That was on a 7 mile descent and constantly scrubbing off speed lol

 

[bpsmith]

That's the only way! The best bit for me tbh.

You will be able to pedal more, and increase speed, before you spin out on the 11.

 

[Big_Dave]

My advice to anyone is ride with gearing that suits you, I ride 11-32 cassette and 30-42-52 for the hills, it works for me, you don't have to use the 32 but its there as a back up, it's better to spin up the hills and enjoying the ride rather than burn yourself out and hating every hill in site. I've ridden MTB's on 11-34, 22-32-44 for the last 15 yrs and had to retrain myself on the road gearing. My first road bike earlier this year had 14-24 and 42-52 gearing I did one hill on that gearing and took the bike home and took it to bits and fitted MTB gearing for the first several rides just to get used to it before fitting road gearing. We're not all super humans that can ride 12-23 gears up any hill,

 

[bpsmith]

But if you had a compact 34-50 chainset then you would have a significantly better chance than 42-52 for sure!

 

[Big_Dave]

My TDF was also 42-52, I did try a compact double 34-50 on it but didn't like it, I much prefer the triples, it gives me the ratios that suit me personally to how I ride,

 

[maltloaf]

I've often wondered but never investigated if I could change the 34 tooth chain ring on my compact for a 32 or even a 30. I seem to be in the middleish of the cassette with I change rings in either direction and wondered if the increased range a smaller 'small' chainring might give would mean I get to use more of my 20 gears. Anyone tried it ? Can you even get 110bcd chain rings in 32 or 30 and would the change work on a modern double front derailleur ?

 

[Han69]

I've often wondered but never investigated if I could change the 34 tooth chain ring on my compact for a 32 or even a 30. I seem to be in the middleish of the cassette with I change rings in either direction and wondered if the increased range a smaller 'small' chainring might give would mean I get to use more of my 20 gears. Anyone tried it ? Can you even get 110bcd chain rings in 32 or 30 and would the change work on a modern double front derailleur ?

I believe the lowest is 33th on a 110mm BCD, this is why triples win over compacts, so many more options, a 34 for an inner ring is far too low for me in general riding.