Help Me I've Run Out of Gears!

10bar

Hello everyone, first time poster here.

I've recently got back into biking after a long lay off and dug out my old road bike from the shed. Also since I last rode the bike I've moved to the Yorshire Dales and I'm finding the hills a bit tough. I was out yesterday and got to a couple of shortish climbs where I just couldn't turn the pedals without getting out of the saddle and even this was difficult on one of the hills.

My question is this; I'm I just finding the hills tough because I'm not as fit as I used to be or is it a matter of having the wrong gears for the terrain? My bike is from 1991 and is set up with Shimano 600 (biopace). On the front it is 53/43 and on the back it's got 23-13 (7 speed).

please advise
10bar

blackhands

You could try a 38 inside front ring (look on Spa Cycles for Stronglight ones - its almost certainly 130 BCD). You could also get something bigger on the back (up to 25 or 27) depends on whether its a screw-on block or a cassette how easy it will be to find.

IanTrcp

By "modern" standards your gearing is quite stiff.

43x23 is around 50 inches. If you went to your lbs looking for a shiny new bike and told them you needed a little help on the hills they'd probably point you toward a compact 34x27 setup. Closer to 34 inches so quite a difference!

geoff_ss

Probably a bit of both. If you've done nothing for a few years then you'll be both unfit and relatively weak but the Dales isn't exactly easy cycling either. Wonderful cycling certainly but their greatest fan would never term it easy

The easiest solution would be to replace either the whole chainset or just the small ring with something smaller and replace the block/cassette with a big sprocket that's as much as your rear mech can handle. In any case your transmission could probably do with an overhaul after all those years anyway and low gears are no more expensive than high ones

I would say IanTtrcp's suggestion is in the right area. Me? I'm old and feeble so I might want something a bit lower. Enjoy the Dales - it's great riding.

Geoff

howiejmidlands

I have a 50x30 on the front and a 13 to 28 on the back, and i can haul my fat little botty up the hills i need to. You do tend to pedal a lot however, but you get there in the end.

redddraggon

howiejmidlands wrote:

I have a 50x30 on the front

Are you sure?

Do you mean you have a triple? or have a 50x34/36?

cyclingfury

It is possible. Sheldon Brown used to run a 50/28 with a 12 -28 rear block!

John C.

If you have been off the bike for a while and just moved to the dales then do yourself a favour and fit a triple chain set, failing that a compact with a mountain bike rear end. The fact is, in the dales you have to ride hills and unless you are very fit the gears you have are way to high. There are people on this forum that don't like me advocating a mountain bike gear set up on a road bike but if it gives you the confidence to tackle the hills then go for it, I've lost count of the tough roady riders I've past pushing up hills because they are too far up themselves to fit a triple.

howiejmidlands

Dear Reddragon

I am 100% sure. It is a Campag Veloce groupset, and definately ony 2 chainrings, a 50 and a 30. A dinner plate and a saucer to be more precise.

John C.

Oops :oops: I didn't read properly, if you need more gears, you'll probably have to stay campag because of the spacing. Sheldon Brown may be able to help.

Babbsy

that's http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

redddraggon

howiejmidlands wrote:

Dear Reddragon

I am 100% sure. It is a Campag Veloce groupset, and definately ony 2 chainrings, a 50 and a 30. A dinner plate and a saucer to be more precise.

According to Sheldon Brown (RIP), the smallest chainring you can get for 110BCD Compacts is 33. And AFAIK Veloce Compacts only come in 50/34 or 50/36.

Count the teeth on the inner ring.

oldwelshman

Buy a new bike with a compact or tripple and keep this as a bike for turbo or for flater rides.
There is not much point upgrading it if its that old

meagain

oldwelshman wrote:

Buy a new bike with a compact or tripple and keep this as a bike for turbo or for flater rides.
There is not much point upgrading it if its that old

1991 ain't THAT old! I'm about to gear down the '70s Raleigh I bought yesterday - 52/42 front and a 5 speed rear a bit hard going on its first outing this a.m.! I think c. 48/36 will make a significant difference.

New rings seems like a cheap way of experimenting to me, 10bar.

acorn_user

Biopace 42t rings are supposed to be like a 39t round ring (if you buy the Shimano line). With that in mind, I recommend you buy a new cassette or freewheel with a great range. Shimano road cassettes go up to 27t normally. You could go to a triple for the cost of the new chainset, BB and front mech.

One thing to bear in mind is that your rear wheel might only accept Uniglide UG cassettes. If this is the case, fitting a Hyperglide HG cassette is tough, and most LBSs will give up in despair.

If the bike is a nice one (if it has 600, it probably is), it will be worth spending some money on it. My friend just scored a bunch of points on a Cinelli Supercorsa, a bike designed over 40 years ago!

10bar

Thanks everyone.
Being a tight Yorkshireman, there's no way I'm going to buy a new bike just because it's a bit tough on the hills. Even though the bike is old(ish), it's still a great bike (handbuilt Reynolds frame, mavic wheels, Shimano 600, etc.) and is a smooth, comfortable ride. I may upgrade to a new bike when I have a couple of grand that I don't need to use to buy food or clothes for the kids but until then I'll make do with what I've got and take a trip to the LBS (Arthur Caygills in my case) and just go without a few pints next weekend.
thanks again for all your help
10bar

howiejmidlands

Dear Mr Reddraggon

I owe you an apology my dear sir.

I was told, and i didnt count or check, that i was the proud owner of a 30/50 chainset. I counted and i have grown 4 teeth on the ickle diddy ring on the inside.

Which makes me quite pleased, because i thought i was struggling on a 30 ring on the hills, and its a 34. Yeeehaaaa i am not as unfit as i thought.

redddraggon

The shifting at the front with a 50/30 would have been rather poor anyway, so you're probably better off with a 50/34

Keep up the good work, and one of these days you'll only need a 54/42 double and 11-21 at the rear.