gearing

Mark Alexander

simple question but..
what gearing do these riders run when climbing?

Doobz

standard 53/39 - 12 - 25

SteveR_100Milers

But they ride them in much higher ratios that you or I Mark, and there's the rub Where were you yesterday - I thought you were going to ride the Carl Roach memorial 25? Shame about the weather, half the field were DNS presumably because of it.

Mark Alexander

I missed the application date and I'm glad of it too!
Did one get a little wet Steve? I spent most of Saturday at Newport Velodrome.

redddraggon

Boonen said in one interview he runs with a 42t normally or 40t small chainring for the mountains, when he was talking about the 46t he had fitted for Roubaix.

Bigmiksears

have alook at these videos....

http://www.cycleto.com/girovideo.html?b ... 1571653382

http://www.cycleto.com/girovideo.html?b ... 1571653382


This is bettini and leiphemer talking on gears for the Giro.

redddraggon

Bigmiksears wrote:

http://www.cycleto.com/girovideo.html?bcpid=1551054974&bclid=1543290355&bctid=1571653382

Bloody hell today's stage must have been steep, 34-28! I've never even used a gear smaller than 34-25, I guess I would have been walking up that climb today.

gavintc

According to the article on the CW website, Contador was using a 34-30. That is simply incredible, I will be interested to ses the highlights tonight on Eurosport.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Pel ... 57097.html

drenkrom

Contador was spinning it even in the murderously steep section, so he must've been on quite a granny gear indeed. Mind you, most of us would have trouble getting even that gear around on those slopes.

We're getting into mountain bike territory with those gears.

LangerDan

Contadors chainset looked small - even smaller than a compact. more like a 42 / 34.

pictit

What does Contadors gearing say about the 'advice' often given in the beginners forum?.When people talk about getting a triple chainset 'cause they do hilly rides the cry is usually "39/28 will get you up anything you wimp" or words to that effect .

redddraggon

pictit wrote:

What does Contadors gearing say about the 'advice' often given in the beginners forum?.When people talk about getting a triple chainset 'cause they do hilly rides the cry is usually "39/28 will get you up anything you wimp" or words to that effect .

I think when they say "anything" they aren't talking about gravel tracks with gradients of 24%. I know I can get up most "hills" in the UK on a 39-25. The problem with the course today was that you wouldn't be able to get out of the saddle and grind up without losing traction on the rear wheel - hence a really low gear needed for sitting and spinning - something that doesn't often apply in the UK.

skavanagh.bikeradar

Unless you are me!

murcof

I noticed that Contado was spinning really fast. I thought he was going to smash Pellizoti's time if he was on a similar gear, based on how much faster he was spinning, but the 34-30 explains it.

pictit

redddraggon wrote:

pictit wrote:

What does Contadors gearing say about the 'advice' often given in the beginners forum?.When people talk about getting a triple chainset 'cause they do hilly rides the cry is usually "39/28 will get you up anything you wimp" or words to that effect .

I think when they say "anything" they aren't talking about gravel tracks with gradients of 24%. I know I can get up most "hills" in the UK on a 39-25. The problem with the course today was that you wouldn't be able to get out of the saddle and grind up without losing traction on the rear wheel - hence a really low gear needed for sitting and spinning - something that doesn't often apply in the UK.

And nobody on these forums comes remotely near to be being a Grand Tour rider never mind a Grand Tour winner

jonginge

redddraggon wrote:

I think when they say "anything" they aren't talking about gravel tracks with gradients of 24%. I know I can get up most "hills" in the UK on a 39-25. The problem with the course today was that you wouldn't be able to get out of the saddle and grind up without losing traction on the rear wheel - hence a really low gear needed for sitting and spinning - something that doesn't often apply in the UK.

I saw Bertie, Ricco, DiLuca all have rear wheel slip on the gravel section when they were out of the saddle. Bertie didn't get out of the saddle much but Ricco suffered.

weyayeman

It seemed like the gravel section was ripping up due to the motor bikes,it made some great T.V.but how eurosport missed this stage live was beyond me.
Anyone for bloody tennis :evil:

Steve928

I watched it live in the UK on Eurosport International and it was on their German channel too. They must think that the Brits prefer tennis.

Monty Dog

There's a huge difference between 'racing' on a climb like that and merely getting up it. I can get up almost anything on 39x25 - but it wouldn't be pretty and sometimes feeling like I'm tearing the tendons off the bone. What the Corones would have been like in the rain - they'd have needed 'cross tyres!

daver1

drenkrom wrote:

Contador was spinning it even in the murderously steep section, so he must've been on quite a granny gear indeed. Mind you, most of us would have trouble getting even that gear around on those slopes.

We're getting into mountain bike territory with those gears.

That's beyond most mountain bike territory. My mountain bike is 44-32 and I've never felt the need for more gears. That must have been have been seriously step and loose to need those ratios.

pictit

Monty Dog wrote:

There's a huge difference between 'racing' on a climb like that and merely getting up it. I can get up almost anything on 39x25 - but it wouldn't be pretty and sometimes feeling like I'm tearing the tendons off the bone. What the Corones would have been like in the rain - they'd have needed 'cross tyres!

And a lot of people are not as fit as you so the comparison actually is pertinent,SHOCK HORROR last years winner Tour de France uses 34X30 gearing [b]WHAT A WIMP[/b.]
My point simply was to maybe, once and for all, show what a nonsense it is for those wannabee 'superheros' to offer advice like "39X25 will get you up anything in Britain" to people they know nothing about as regards age/fitness/stamina/terrain etc.The same old shite comes round again and again in beginners.I do realise that some of these pearls of wisdom are offered,by some,in a tongue in cheek manner but some of the bird brains on the site it seems a bit like Pavlovs Dog.Mention 'gearing' and the drooling starts and out comes the "39X25 should get........."
Anyway,my initial post was 'tomgue in cheek ' and I'm sure you are not barking

Max Weber

39x25 has been killing me up here in Sheffield. As I'm only here for a year (moving back to Bucks in a month or so) and am not too bad a climber I thought I'd save some cash and not bother to fit a compact. Very silly choice.

Mark Alexander

rubbish!
My real name's Mark Armstrong-Alexander 8) 8) 8)

Tom Butcher

Simoni looked to be pushing quite a bit gear as did Sella - well big for the gradient - and they both beat Contador so maybe we should all use 39*25 top after all Of course we don't actually know what gear Contador was pushing anyway - just because he had such a low gear doesn't mean he used it any more than he may have used the top gear.

I think when people say 39*25 is fine they mean a reasonable climber can get up just about anything in the UK on that - not that it's the ideal gear to race up a continual 1 in 4 for 40 minutes.

pictit

Tom Butcher wrote:

Simoni looked to be pushing quite a bit gear as did Sella - well big for the gradient - and they both beat Contador so maybe we should all use 39*25 top after all Of course we don't actually know what gear Contador was pushing anyway - just because he had such a low gear doesn't mean he used it any more than he may have used the top gear.

I think when people say 39*25 is fine they mean a reasonable climber can get up just about anything in the UK on that - not that it's the ideal gear to race up a continual 1 in 4 for 40 minutes.

you guys just don't get it :roll:, thats not the audience the 'advice' from the Pavlovs is aimed at in the 'Beginners' forum.But as usual,it's a pointless excercise and the significance of Contadors [and others it seems] gearing seems to have gone way over some peoples heads.I'm sure our supermachos on here can get on to his personal website and tell him whats what.

ricadus

Contador's gearing suggested he was wanting as many options as possible, presumably because he didn't test-ride up the climb last month (unlike a number of the Italian contenders).

tubby531

Mark Alexander wrote:

simple question but..
what gearing do these riders run when climbing?

According to David Harmon(Eurosport International)Contador's lowest gear was a 34-30.

nick hanson

Tom Butcher wrote:

I think when people say 39*25 is fine they mean a reasonable climber can get up just about anything in the UK on that - not that it's the ideal gear to race up a continual 1 in 4 for 40 minutes.

Exactly.

dennisn

I can remember back in the "day" of downtube shifters and 52-42 cranksets that I
used to run a 13-26 rear freewheel on this one particular yearly ride that was 110 miles a day for 2 days in really hilly country. Now, most of them weren't long hills(maybe a
mile or two at best) but some were really steep. With that 42-26 my legs were trash
at the end of each day but somehow, someway, I and more than a few others managed
to get it done. It was all we had to work with. So I believe that this 39-25 thing can
probably be done(not by newbies but someone with a bit more time in the saddle). I'm
not sure why you would want to with all the gearing choices available but people will do what they will. I remind everyone that it was the 70's, I was in my 20's and around 170 pounds. This compared to now at 60ish and a weight that will always be a secret(I'm
so ashamed).

Dennis Noward

pictit

nick hanson wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

I think when people say 39*25 is fine they mean a reasonable climber can get up just about anything in the UK on that - not that it's the ideal gear to race up a continual 1 in 4 for 40 minutes.

Exactly.

Confirmation,woof woof

Mark Alexander

pictit wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

pictit wrote:

What does Contadors gearing say about the 'advice' often given in the beginners forum?.When people talk about getting a triple chainset 'cause they do

And nobody on these forums comes remotely near to be being a Grand Tour rider never mind a Grand Tour winner

My theory is that whatever they use, i'll need at least another 10 gear inches just to survive!