Dragon Ride Gearing?

A.Gronow

Hi all,
This years Dragon Ride will be my first Sportive and I was wondering what cassette you would use?
I'm currently using a 23-12 and can climb the Bwlch from the Treorchy side but I'm concerned with the overall climbing for the day.
If your riding this years event what gearing are you going to use?
Regards,
Andrew.

skavanagh.bikeradar

Not riding this year, but I did the short route two years ago on 53/42, 12/30 7 speed cassette and made it up the climbs okay. Before that I did the long route on a triple 50/39/30 12/27 and had to walk up hills and DNF'd with cramp in the heat. If I was there this year I'd be on a triple with a 12/25 and plenty of water and electrolytes..........

Pirahna

Rode it last year for the first time with a 50/34 and I fitted a 13/29 as a precaution. I hadn't used anything higher than the 21 until the 80 mile mark when I started to get pain in first one knee and then the other. By the time I got to the last feed station my knees were in a pretty bad way and I stopped for over an hour. When I finally got moving I used bottom gear all the way up the last climb.

Bronzie

Obviously depends how fit you are, but as a reasonable level club rider, I got round on bottom gear of 39x26 in 2006 when I last completed it. The route then had a nasty sting in the tail which had me grappling for gears plus a really steep pitch at half-distance (which they'd removed from the route last year).

SteveR_100Milers

I'll be doing it again this year on a 50/34 x 12-27. Like you I regularly ride these mountains, and on a normal 55-60 miler up the rhigos and bwlch I would use a 11-23 cassette, and probably never using the 23. However, after 7 hours in the saddle at 90% of race effort the last climb is painful, so I wouldn't underestimate your gearing.

dombo6

I use a 52/39/30 triple and 12-25 10 speed cassette. Last year the first climb of Bwlch was fine on 39x25 or 23, chatting all the way. 2nd time up it those that had a triple were mostly in the granny ring and there was no banter.

A.Gronow

Thanks for the info,
I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so I'll have to stick with the 23-12 and put in some extra climbing before June 15th.
Regards,
Andrew.

sub55

used a 39/53 --- 11/21. 9speed last year

Mossrider

I've not done the full ride before but I've done most of these climbs (on the same day) and plenty of other sportifs. Normally I ride in the Pennines so like you I'm used to climbing. I'll be using a 36X25 bottom gear which gives me plenty of scope. The reality is that'll you'll probably get by if you're reasonably fit, but life is so much easier if you can beg borrow or steal that cassette. You will also get a better time.

oldwelshman

It depends how fit you are and how hard you try to ride it.
I ride parts of the route regularly and use between 39 x 17 and 21 on the climb, but after 90 miles will probably use 23.
It is not the bigger climbs you need worry about, Cimla is quite steep and is over a mile long and thats just before the Bwlch second time round.

A.Gronow

I'm not bothered what time I complete the route.
But if I've got to get off and push for a while I think my ego will take a knock

I' think I'll pay Jamie(Bicycle Doctor) in Porth a visit!

Thanks all,
Andrew.

ricadus

A.Gronow wrote:

Thanks for the info,
I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so I'll have to stick with the 23-12 and put in some extra climbing before June 15th.
Regards,
Andrew.

Knowing that then the challenge may be to correctly pace your effort at the optimum for the relatively limited gearing you have, rather than succumb to the temptation to go at the fast pace of the pack – at times it may mean initially ignoring groups you know you could otherwise stay with on the climbs or flat. Can be very tempting on the day with all the other riders about to lose track of the game-plan though.

A.Gronow

As it's my first organised ride I think I'll get caught up in the occation.
Hopefully I'll get dragged round the course by more able riders

oldwelshman

You can take a look at a couple of pics I took last week:

http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/

Mark Alexander

As with many of you, I'm a yocal too. Bwlch and Rigos are my back yard. normally and in training for Marmotte, I've been using 42x 24 with 26 in reserve. I plan on doing it on the best bike which will have 39x26.

What's an ok time to do it in?
It's my first Sportif too.

P.S. I'm riding the 180k gran fondo

Bronzie

Mark Alexander wrote:

What's an ok time to do it in?

Times last year ranged from just under 6 hours :shock: to 10+
Anything under 8 hours was first 500 rider territory, so maybe aim for that?

Would have done about 6h50m last year but I did the "tarmac starfish" instead.

SteveR_100Milers

Mark I did a 7 hrs 20 last year, so there's your benchmark. Either way, its faster than the pitiful times we both posted last Sunday....

Mark Alexander

the less said about my 106th placing the better.
I had compass issues, ok!!! Lol

Steve, I did 106miles
cardiff, blackmill, Bwlch, Rigos, Neath, Porthcawl, Bridgend, Cardiff
in 7 hrs 15min but I was taking it easy as my 1st 100miler
That sounds like a good target.

Mark Alexander

Steve, do you want to join me on the trip round?

SteveR_100Milers

Mark, you mean the Dragon? Sounds a good idea to me. How did your guys do today in the etape defonse? They were looking strong at the turn in the team TT.

Mark Alexander

From memory, the team of Rob, Chris, Graham and Matt came 2nd on the GC in the end. they had several top 10 finishers over the 2 road stages. I went along to support and to catch the bug, which I have! I plan on

Mark Alexander

From memory, the team of Rob, Chris, Graham and Matt came 2nd on the GC in the end. they had several top 10 finishers over the 2 road stages. I went along to support and to catch the bug, which I have! I plan on giving that a go next year. I've set my targets for this year!!

SteveR_100Milers

RR next season for me too, am not there yet. Chris Morris from Ponty had a crack and died horribly early on the first stage, so that was enough to tell me to stop thinking about riding anything other than a flat one...

oldwelshman

I struggled on the climb up to Gilfach and got dropped, but finished strong in my little group and dropped them all in the last few miles, pity I was not good enough on the hills as I could have gone on for longer :-)
Now I got my new bike will be stronger on climbs, will try it out on CGF in weekend but taking it steady as it is much smaller and tighter than other bikes so set up totally dirrerent !!

See it here in bikes directory, some ride pics also:


http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/

SteveR_100Milers

Dai, I rode that route the other way on Sunday, its a killer up to Gilfach Goch aint it? The climb up to trebanog though is mentally unhingeing....