Bealach Na Ba

Stevie2wheels

Hi, just a wee bit of advise!

My wife and I are going up to Applecross next week for some R&R Daughters off to Belgium with the school. Nice. So we are taking our bikes. My wife has a nice Specialized Allez Elite with a few nice upgrades, I have a nice carbon jobby that goes like the wind (at my back!)

My question is that I am hoping to climb the infamous Bealach na ba! Now I'm pretty fit an can climb most assents with a 39x28 gearing. BUT do I need to use my wifes bike which has a 34x28 gearing for this climb? I climbed most assents in Sky last year with a 39x28 gearing but I feel my legs are stronger this year!

Any advise guys and girls?

Thanks,
Stevie.

bompington

I did it this time last year on 39X28, I'm not a good climber at all. It was hard, very hard, but possible.

Stevie2wheels

Thanks for response. Will try it with a 39x28 gear. If not will buy a moped!

amaferanga

It's not particularly steep so you should be okay with the double. If its windy though then it'll be tough on any gearing.

bompington

amaferanga wrote:

It's not particularly steep

It all depends on what you mean by steep. I personally would say that 1km at 22% is quite steep when you've already climbed over 400m in the last 8...

amaferanga

bompington wrote:

amaferanga wrote:

It's not particularly steep

It all depends on what you mean by steep. I personally would say that 1km at 22% is quite steep when you've already climbed over 400m in the last 8...

Not that steep if you have a 39/28 bottom gear.

ded

bompington wrote:

I personally would say that 1km at 22% is quite steep

Except that is blatantly untrue - the steep bit is nowhere near 1km long. You plod on upwards at easyish gradients for ages, then there is a shortish steep section before the hairpins at the top. The hairpins themselves are not steep at all.

I've only done it once, in horrible rain, wind, sleet and snow (in May! Bealach Beag event last year) and I used 34x25 for the steepest bit, but that was mainly because I had to weave around all the people walking! 39x28 should be fine on a nice day (but remember, this is Scotland...)

DaveyL

That graphic is a lie - there is no part of the climb 2 or 3 km from the top that is 2%.

As stated above, it gently ramps up and up til you are at about 20% gradient on the long straight before the hairpins. If you can tough that bit out, the section around the hairpins are about 8-10% I'd say.

I rode it on the first edition of the sportive and a lot of people were walking on that steep bit. I was only doing about 4 mph, but I managed to hold on as I could see it was easing off when the hairpins started, "If I can just hang on til that bit, I'll be OK"... Even managed to get out the saddle on one of the hairpins to do some showboating for the photographer!

smithy1.0

I also did it last year in the Bealach Mor event. Rode it on a 39x25 despite the bad conditions. I recall I did it in under 40mins which was one of the fastest times. Bit of a grind at the top though. I think on a nicer day, 39x25 would be fine, and a 39x28 should be fine for any cyclist that has a decent level of fitness. You may be down to a lower cadence at the top but more than manageable.

Stevie2wheels

Big thanks guys for all your input regarding my gearing. Going to give a go with the 39x28 gearing.


Thanks,
Stevie.