Help making climbing easier

[philinmerthyr]

I am struggling to keep my cadence up when climbing. I can now comfortably ride at 80+ rpm on the flat but on a 7% hill in the lowest gear it drops below 60 and I end up grinding. I know it will improve with more riding and I do need to lose weight if I am to climb more effectively. But for now I'm looking to get an easier lowest gear.

I would welcome advice on options or making the gearing easier. My current set up is:-

Chainset Shimano Sora compact 50/34
Cassette Shimano 10 speed 12-30

 

[Flying Dodo]

You might be able to fit a cassette with a 32 ring at the back, if you've got enough clearance. Or you could fit a triple.

However, to be brutally honest, going for either of those measures won't be doing you any favours in the long term. Yes, they will help you get up a hill now with more gentle pedalling, but they won't make you a stronger cyclist.

The only sure fire way to climb hills easier and faster is practice. Losing weight will make it easier as well, but there's no quick fix.

No pain, no gain.

Sorry.

 

[philinmerthyr]

I've found a 32t inner ring on wiggle. Would swapping the 34 to 32 make much difference? Would this change work without affecting the chain or gear setup in any other way? If it will work is it better done at a bike shop or is it something a very amateur mechanic (me) could do?

I agree that losing weight and training more will help the most but being able to keep my cadence up while I do that is what I'm hoping for.

 

[Flying Dodo]

I've found a 32t inner ring on wiggle. Would swapping the 34 to 32 make much difference? Would this change work without affecting the chain or gear setup in any other way? If it will work is it better done at a bike shop or is it something a very amateur mechanic (me) could do?

If the inner ring is for the same type of chainring, then it will be very simple for you to undo the old one (usually they're held on with small allen bolts), and put the newer one on, and it won't affect the chain or anything else.

 

[Rob3rt]

Waste of time and money.

Forget your cadence and push harder on the pedals.

Edited to remove inaccurate brain flop!

 

[albion]

Someone has Rob3ed you of the maths.

Changing from 34 to 32 front is the exact opposite percentage change as 34 to 32 rear.
And in the easier gearing direction 32 to 34 rear is one 16th change versus the one 17th change above.

 

[Rob3rt]

Someone has Rob3ed you of the maths.

You are correct, my mistake. Regardless, waste of money, push harder on the pedals.

 

[geo]

You are correct, my mistake. Regardless, waste of money, push harder on the pedals.

This ^^^ pick easier hills that work you to your limit until fitness improves and lets you climb steeper hills. Without being offensive at all if your riding a 30 tooth casssette and cant get up it then its currently too much for you, train train train and then train a bit more By the way I'm no hill climbing expert but have got better by pushing my limits. Good luck mate.

 

[Globalti]

Lose weight by cutting down on booze, cutting the size of your portions and giving up crisps, sweets and snacks and eating fruit instead. S'easy.

 

[Poacher]

I've found a 32t inner ring on wiggle.

AFAIK the Sora compact chainset has a BCD of 110mm. I've yet to see a 110 BCD chainring below 34t, so be very careful in checking the dimensions of that 32t inner. OTOH if you get it for a low price, and find later that it's an 86BCD, I'll consider taking it off your hands for a few pence . (Currently £10 at Spa for Dural, but increasingly scarce).

 

[Poacher]

This ^^^ pick easier hills that work you to your limit until fitness improves and lets you climb steeper hills. Without being offensive at all if your riding a 30 tooth casssette and cant get up it then its currently too much for you, train train train and then train a bit more By the way I'm no hill climbing expert but have got better by pushing my limits. Good luck mate.

While agreeing that a 34 chainring onto a 30 sprocket should get a reasonably half-fit rider up most hills (let alone the measly 7% that the OP mentioned), I feel duty bound to point out that most of the hills around Merthyr make those around Liverpool pale into insignificance!
Just sayin'!

 

[philinmerthyr]

Thanks for your comments. I agree about the points on losing weight and I am doing that. I've already lost 2st. The challenge is that I'm still 21st.

I think I'm doing pretty well dragging my lardy ar5e up the hills. I was looking for a little more help from the bike while I continue to lose weight.

Here is my last hill ride. 1,200ft of climbing in 12 miles. http://app.strava.com/activities/48041086 I had no problem riding up the hill without stopping. I have the stamina, I'd just like to spin faster to save my legs for the longer runs.

I started riding at the end of September and have ridden nearly 1,600 miles through the winter. I am riding the London 100 in August for Beating Bowel Cancer. As I increase my training I've been told to keep my cadence as high as possible.

I can ride well on the flat. In January I did 50 miles in 3 hrs 40 mins. I now need to do more climbing to get me around the Surrey hills (leith hill and box hill). The next 4 months will be hill climbing sessions in the week with longer weekend rides building to the ride in Aug.

It's a bigger challenge for me than most who will be riding but I will do it within the 9 hr limit. Here is the fundraising page I have recently created in case anyone wants to help motivate me
http://www.justgiving.com/Phil-Lewis-London100

Thanks for all of your help and advice.

 

[Rob3rt]

Thanks for your comments. I agree about the points on losing weight and I am doing that. I've already lost 2st. The challenge is that I'm still 21st.

I think I'm doing pretty well dragging my lardy ar5e up the hills. I was looking for a little more help from the bike while I continue to lose weight.

Here is my last hill ride. 1,200ft of climbing in 12 miles. http://app.strava.com/activities/48041086 I had no problem riding up the hill without stopping. I have the stamina, I'd just like to spin faster to save my legs for the longer runs.

I started riding at the end of September and have ridden nearly 1,600 miles through the winter. I am riding the London 100 in August for Beating Bowel Cancer. As I increase my training I've been told to keep my cadence as high as possible.

I can ride well on the flat. In January I did 50 miles in 3 hrs 40 mins. I now need to do more climbing to get me around the Surrey hills (leith hill and box hill). The next 4 months will be hill climbing sessions in the week with longer weekend rides building to the ride in Aug.

It's a bigger challenge or me than most who will be riding but I will do it within the 9 hr limit. Here is the fundraising page I have recently created in case anyone wants to help motivate me
http://www.justgiving.com/Phil-Lewis-London100

Thanks for all of your help and advice.

As fitness increases, in most cases cadence will naturally increase, unless you are grinding along on the flat, don't worry so much, on some hills i.e. steeper ones your cadence will drop a bit, this is not a cause for concern.

 

[Sittingduck]

Lose weight by cutting down on booze, cutting the size of your portions and giving up crisps, sweets and snacks and eating fruit instead. S'easy.

No, it isn't. If it was then nobody would be overweight, would they??

Anyway - OP: Try to find a hill that enables you to climb it at relative high cadence, utilising your current gearing. As your fitness improves and weightloss occurs, move on to steeper climbs or use higher gears.

34x30 lowest gear sounds like it should be capable of getting a heavy rider up a fair hill (IMHO). Of course it will sometimes be very knackering, depending on the situation. Ultimately, you will reap the benefits, in the long term, if you are starting heavy and getting ligther and (perhaps more importantly) fitter.

Good luck

 

[albion]

if your riding a 30 tooth casssette and cant get up it then its currently too much for you, train train train and then train a bit more

Not all of us are trying for the 2016 Olympics.

My recent 80 mile ride was quite extreme with a couple of 20% hills and some long steep ones.
I got up, like I usually do, but only because I had prior to that ridden it many times with a 24/34 or even 22/34 hybrid gearing.

I have walked up Crawleyside bank in the past only because my road gearing did not suit the terrain. Simply expecting everyone to run before they can walk is, apart from ego, quite illogical.