Struggling with hills

[MacB]

Don't listen to this maniac! Succumbs Hill is to be avoided at all costs!

I climbed the Ventoux 2 years ago but have never managed Succumbs Hill. I always bottle it when it narrows at bend at the top and I start wobbling in front of traffic....

ah, but I was 14 and immortal, doubt I could make it up now

 

[peanut]

13 pages of argument and reminisces and scarcely 3 constructive replies in the whole thread to the original poster's question .
well done everyone that has to be a record

 

[GrumpyGregry]

regrettably you appear to have been sold a bike which is less than optimally geared for your level of fitness at the time of purchase. You are hardly unique. Provided you persevere and persists in your cycling then in and over time your strength and fitness will improve to the point where the gearing will no longer be of concern to you. You will develop tactics to climb pretty much any hill of your choosing locally or more remotely but there may be a few where get off and push is the only option. You may find that the way you climb the hill on Monday is different to the way you climb it on Tuesday and different in turn to the climb on Wednesday. Human body and mind are funny old things. Over time your body adapts your mind copes and it gets easier. Your 'lack' of gears may have made your learing curve a bit steeper than it need to be that's all.

What matters is you are out on your bike, learning to ride it better and getting fit in the process. Keep it up. Everything else is BS of one flavour or another.

FWIW I ride a triple with an MTB cassette on the back - works for me, but what do I know? it's got mudguards and a rack too!

 

[asterix]

13 pages of argument and reminisces and scarcely 3 constructive replies in the whole thread to the original poster's question .
well done everyone that has to be a record

That's because the OP really has only 3 options:

To get out more (on the bike)
To not get out more but just get lower gears fitted
To get another new bike and find out that isn't perfect either.

Where's the fun in just telling him that?

 

[ChrisKH]

That's because the OP really has only 3 options:

To get out more (on the bike)
To not get out more but just get lower gears fitted
To get another new bike and find out that isn't perfect either.

Where's the fun in just telling him that?

4th option. Get off and push.

 

[Dan B]

5. Electric assist?

 

[peanut]

That's because the OP really has only 3 options:

To get out more (on the bike)
To not get out more but just get lower gears fitted
To get another new bike and find out that isn't perfect either.

Where's the fun in just telling him that?

do you know ,just when i'm being a grumpy old git... you bunch of muppets come along and put everything back into perspective again . Thanks a lot guys .
Just been for a spin and everything seems better afterwards doesn't it

 

[Rider Rich]

At the moment I have a Shimano 105 11-25 rear cassette at the rear.

If I wanted to fit a 12-27 rear cassette, would 105 or Ultegra be better?

Cheers Richard

 

[Sittingduck]

Ultegra is the next step up the Sh*mano range from 105 but gears is gears.

 

[postman]

Told you my story of my mate.Wants extra gear.Cost a staggering £300.

Answer-i go slower we take our time going up hill.

Saving £300.-sensible.

 

[peanut]

At the moment I have a Shimano 105 11-25 rear cassette at the rear.

If I wanted to fit a 12-27 rear cassette, would 105 or Ultegra be better?

Cheers Richard

as far as I am aware there is no difference . They are identical in appearance . The sprockets are the same with the last three being on an aluminium carrier. I think the ultegra is 20grams or so lighter but that is just a lighter lockring nothing more.
In a few days its going to be smothered in mud and grime and oil so is anyone going to look at your bike and say
'Huh you've only got a 105 cassette then '

you could remove the 14 t sprocket and simply add a 27 or 28 sprocket and spacer to the rear of the carrier and you have converted your cassette to a 12-27. A cheap way of getting spare sprockets is to buy a Tiagra or XT 12-32 cassette and dismantle it. They cost about £15.00

 

[DustBowlRefugee]

At the moment I have a Shimano 105 11-25 rear cassette at the rear.

If I wanted to fit a 12-27 rear cassette, would 105 or Ultegra be better?

Cheers Richard

I'd go for 105. Unless the rest of your running gear is Ultegra the difference in the cassette alone is negligable.

Make sure your rear mech can take a 27 before you buy one though.

 

[buddha]

This is the route I did the other night, when I had to push it half way up that hill.

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=11647

The bit I struggled with: I went down Beddlestead Lane, which runs onto Hesiers Hill, this is where I got off half way up and had to push.

That was the only point on the ride I had to get off.

It was not a long hill, but seemed pretty steep to me.

Richard

Rich, I generally ride down Hesiers Hill first then the long drag up Beddlestead Lane. According to mapmyride (IIRC) parts of Hesiers Hill are over 22%. For that gradient riding up Hesiers Hill is probably a bit much at the moment.

How did you fare on the short-sharp dip/hill on Church Lane? If you managed that okay. Try doing that bit the other way round too. As it's a slightly longer climb, with a nasty bend at the end where the gradient increases! When you're okay with that, try something harder.

 

[Rider Rich]

Thanks Guys

Peanut: did you mean remove the 11 t sprocket, and add the 27 t sprocket to make it 12-27? Is that an easy job mate? I dont have much experience with bike mechanics, but I am pretty good with my hands (oo errr).

Dustbowlrefugee: I have a full Ultegra groupset, other than the 105 rear cassette. Having looked on the web I think that shimano rear derailleurs can handle upto a 27 t sprocket.

Buddah: Hesiers Hill did seem pretty steep the other night! I drove up it in the car a few days later and thought to my self, your having a laugh! I will try it out the other way round like you say, going down Hesiers Hill then up Beddlestead lane, which is less of an incline over a longer distance (2 miles).

I can manage that short-sharp dip/hill on Church Lane ok. I had thought about doing that part the the other way around. as you say, its a longer climb.

 

[peanut]

Thanks Guys

Peanut: did you mean remove the 11 t sprocket, and add the 27 t sprocket to make it 12-27? Is that an easy job mate? I dont have much experience with bike mechanics, but I am pretty good with my hands (oo errr).

sorry Rich I didn't notice you had a 11-25t cassette
Tell me what speed ie 9 or 10 spd your cassette is and if possible which sprockets you have ie 11-12-13-etc I'll try find you the most economical way of doing it .
Your existing rear mech will cope with up to 28t sprocket .