Mountain gears

Teach

As we start to enter the mountain stages, what sort of gear ratios will the teams be using? Do all riders use something similar. Do the better climbers tend to use the bigger gears? I wont be copying them, but just wondered what they were pushing?
Cheers

csp

For the hardest mountain stages they use compact cranksets, usually with a 53-34 combination.

cougie

Depends on the rider/stage.

msw

csp wrote:

For the hardest mountain stages they use compact cranksets, usually with a 53-34 combination.

Really? I thought I remembered reading that manufacturers couldn't make a gap that big (either the chainring spider or the front derailleur), which is why production compacts have a 50-34.

csp

msw wrote:

csp wrote:

For the hardest mountain stages they use compact cranksets, usually with a 53-34 combination.

Really? I thought I remembered reading that manufacturers couldn't make a gap that big (either the chainring spider or the front derailleur), which is why production compacts have a 50-34.

This is an Astana Trek from the 2008 Vuelta with a 53/34-11/28 combination.

msw

Well you learn something new every day. Perhaps it was at the bottom end that the manufacturing limits came in, i.e. it was difficult to put anything smaller than a 34 on a double crankset? On the other hand I may just have got the wrong end of the stick.

jibberjim

msw wrote:

Well you learn something new every day. Perhaps it was at the bottom end that the manufacturing limits came in, i.e. it was difficult to put anything smaller than a 34 on a double crankset? On the other hand I may just have got the wrong end of the stick.

The manufacturers don't have 53x34 as officially supported because it will go out of shifting rapidly as the tolerances on set up are so small that a little chain stretch and it's gone. It's a bit different if you're setting it up like that as a one off for a single stage by extremely experienced mechanics.

sherer

shame as I would love a 52 or 53 and 34 setup on my bike.

I've heard some riders don't even really go into the small chainring at all but that depends on whether they like to power away in a big gear or spin away.

There are also rare times where riders put a triple on, Heras did this on the Angliru a few years ago when he won the Vuelta with USPS.

In the Giro Vino road a 36-29 on one stage and others had 34-29 can't remember the stage though.

Only thing i can't work out is when the riders get off and have a rest on the big climbs like I do, never seems to get caught on camera

Pross

They'll all use the small ring at some point.

As for the original post, it depends on the rider. Much has been made over the years of Armstrong's low gear, high cadence approach which I think is becoming more popular. Other riders tend to ride a bigger gear and climb out of the saddle more frequently. I think the larger range of gears available these days means that riders probably have a lower gear option than they would have in the past hence the number of riders who now spin on climbs.

Tom BB

That Trek was a one off for Bertie though wasn't it? I read somewhere (on here I think) that once he was in the 34, he wouldn't have been able to get back into the 53-summit finish when it was used meant that this wasn't an issue. They're only using smaller chainrings on the really steep stuff though (didn't Evans ride a compact up the Zoncolan in this years Giro?) Cant imagine that there are too many compacts being used in the TdF?

emadden

There will be no compact chainsets in this years tour. This is due to the fact that the climbs used in france do not have sustained steep gradients (i.e. 11-18% + for sustained distances) as in the Giro or the Vuelta... A normal chainring is sufficient.

Typical gears for the mountain stages in this years tour will be 39 x 25... some riders will ride a 27, and some will even climb in a 23! . Many gruppetto riders will be on a 27.

pedro118118

I think I saw quite a few riders with 'compacts' on the Zoncolan stage of the Giro. Also for the Plan de Coronas ITT, some of the poorer climbers ground their way up on a 34/28........although with SRAM now introducing almost MTB gearing options up to a 32 sprocket at the back, who knows what hills the Giro will go up in future years. Wall of death perhaps....................or Muro Di Sormano?!

emadden

Just to add... At last years World Champs in Mendrisio, Cancellara used a 34 small chainring so he could spin up the two climbs on the course.

calvjones

Tom BB wrote:

That Trek was a one off for Bertie though wasn't it? I read somewhere (on here I think) that once he was in the 34, he wouldn't have been able to get back into the 53-summit finish when it was used meant that this wasn't an issue. They're only using smaller chainrings on the really steep stuff though (didn't Evans ride a compact up the Zoncolan in this years Giro?) Cant imagine that there are too many compacts being used in the TdF?

I think Evans didn't ride a 34 whereas Basso did....

A 53-34 would be a truly horrific bike to ride. 50-34 is bad enough compared to a well set up triple

[dons tin hat and sneaks away]

Tom BB

calvjones wrote:

A 53-34 would be a truly horrific bike to ride. 50-34 is bad enough compared to a well set up triple

[dons tin hat and sneaks away]

Yeah but a triple means you're a girl...

*runs to find his own tin hat*

mididoctors

pedro118118 wrote:

Wall of death perhaps....................or Muro Di Sormano?!

pah! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Z6D157QfA

sherer

emadden wrote:

Just to add... At last years World Champs in Mendrisio, Cancellara used a 34 small chainring so he could spin up the two climbs on the course.

what did he ride on the outer ring ?

I always find I end up spinning out on the 50-12 I have after about 40-45 mph but then again that is prob more to do with me being a bad rider

calvjones

He had a 34-50-56 Triple.

Girl.

sherer

calvjones wrote:

He had a 34-50-56 Triple.

Girl.

At last I have something in common with Spartacus as I ride a girly triple too

Bet I can get off and start walking up a steep hill quicker than he can though

emadden

sherer wrote:

emadden wrote:

Just to add... At last years World Champs in Mendrisio, Cancellara used a 34 small chainring so he could spin up the two climbs on the course.

what did he ride on the outer ring ?

I always find I end up spinning out on the 50-12 I have after about 40-45 mph but then again that is prob more to do with me being a bad rider

He rode a 53.... Specially adapted compact chainring 53/34 - only available to the Pro peloton. He was the only rider to use the smaller chainring that day. You can just make out the size in this image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotcycling ... 467363420/

That picture was taken at the top of the climb to Novazzano. Most riders in a normal gear were in a 39 x 20 around there... but you can see that Fabian is in what looks like 34 x 16.

There was also mention in this thread about the use of triples... that happened only on one year which was the year that the Angliru was included in the Vuelta for the first time. After that the "compacts" 34/50 chainrings started to be made.

I believe that there is one commercial chainset out there for 53/34 but I cant recall the name... Its not that obscure, I can try to find the link later

E

Gingerflash

Pantani used to use 44x23 as his bottom gear.

I'll stick to my compact thank you very much.

mididoctors

a lfair few guys stuffed up their gears riding custom 53/34 setups on the zoncalan stage this year.. on the valleys mainly

Cleat Eastwood

Di Luca took the zoncolan in the giro 2007 on a 34x29

And if i remember correctly at the other end of the scale I think Valverde rode a maximum 56x11 at the worlds a couple of years back.

eh

All very interesting but for most riding pro's will ride something like 53x39 with 12x25.


NB: For anything but touring triples are bloody awful, even mtbing is moving to doubles, thank god.

SunWuKong

So could you change the outer ring of a compact from a 50/36 to 52/36?

Cleat Eastwood

u needz to make sure its 110bcd coz dat is what is needed to make a 52/36