La Marmotte Gears ratios.......

airbusboy

Good morning,

I realise this is the training section of the forum but i thought i'd post here as it seems to be full of knowledgable people.....

I'm riding La Marmotte in July and just in the process of buying a new groupset, i'm aiming for a DA7900. Just enquiring what ratios would be best for the event, and for future racing/cycling in the UK. ( basically able to spin up alp d'heuz and flat out racing when necessary on my return )

All advice welcome,

Thanks in advance

AB

liversedge

A bail out ratio is worth having in the bag.

La Marmotte really starts at the foot of the Galibier after Telegraph. From here on depending upon your fitness / w/kg you will probably suffer. Alpe d'Huez is usually seriously hot and knocks back your power at a time when you need it most, and WILL be suffering

A compact and 27 worked ok for me.

cookiemonster

Whats best for you depends on your strength and cadence preference. However its hard to go too low really (I cant imagine someone on the Alpe thinking "what I need is a 53/11..." much more likely to be wishing your'e on a triple!), so a compact 50/34 with a 27 cassette probably makes sense.

A reasonably strong rider should manage on a 34/25 (or 39/27 if you're on a double); people get around on larger gearing, but it seems like just making work for yourself. If you're new to the alpine stuff then a 34/27 is perhaps the minimum to fit

Dont know if that helps...

jon

GeorgeShaw

When you start the Alpe and it's 35 degrees and you have 100 miles and the Galibier in your legs, then you know you need a lower gear ...

Bronzie

airbusboy wrote:

what ratios would be best for the event, and for future racing/cycling in the UK. ( basically able to spin up alp d'heuz and flat out racing when necessary on my return)

As a minimum I'd think you'd need to swap cassettes for racing on.

I've got a cheaper compact chainset (Shimano 105 - 50/34) which I used for Marmotte and then swapped back to my Ultegra 42/53 chainset for racing on whilst keeping the 12/25 cassette on.

34x25 was just about OK for me on the Alpe.............but if I'd had a lower gear I'd have used it (mind you it might have been quicker to get off and push by that stage ).

airbusboy

I tend to spin (85-90rpm) rather than grind up hills, but only weigh 69kg so w/kg isn't too low.

So feasibly 53/34 and 11 or 12-27 should be alright? I don't particularly want to replace the chainset (£350) but don't mind a cassette swap? ( possibly to swap chainrings?expensive?)

Thanks for the replies....

DavidCr

As airbusboy has already said the Marmotte really starts on the Galibier though for me it really changes at Plan Lachat rather than at Valloire. At that point you are getting close to 2000m and the gradient starts to ramp up a bit. It is there and then again on Alpe d'Huez you are going to wish for a smaller gear, or a triple, or a mountain bike. Of course if you have made it to the foot of Alpe d'Huez, you just have to assume you are going to make it to the top and tap away.

Richard891

34x27 handy. Get an 11-27 though: 11 is handy when you're descending from Galibier for about an hour.

ut_och_cykla

My tip would be get a set up that lets you go as low as you can by swapping cassettes. Easy to up gears in the UK - but on the marmotte you are unlikely to think - wish I had a higher gear- the opposite - towards the end - is more likely - especially if you are new to Alpine cycling where the climbs go on for hours - even for people who are not fat, female & fifty. Havn't done the Marmotte - but ridden all the passes in it on consecutive days.

TheStone

I'm got myself a Sram Apex 11-32 cassette !!!

Not certain it will work, but I got a mix-match 12-30 to work ok, so hoping this will be fine.
Coupled with a 50-34 chainset

.... I'm not even slightly embarrassed

chill123

i debated this for a long time as i'll be doing marmotte for the first time this year with minimal experience of alpine riding.

i've plumbed for a compact 50-34 with a 11-28 on the back. fingers crossed!

ut_och_cykla

I ride a shimano MTB cassette in the alps - lowest is 32. Lowest on trippel front is 30

Tom Butcher

I've never ridden in high mountains but I'm doing the Marmotte and planning on a compact (mot sure 34 or 36 yet - I've got the compact already with a 36 so may stick with that) and then whatever the biggest cassette campag sell that will work - I've got a longer cage mech knocking about so I may use that and a 29. 13stone (hopefully 12.5 by then!), 43 years old, do a little bit of racing without much success sort of standard.

edit : I agree with the above - no point in planning to race on the same gear ratios as you do the Marmotte on - if you want to stick with a compact then get an 11 up cassette for racing.

IanPV

I use a compact and change the cassettes for big hilly rides.

50-34/11-23 gives you both a lower and higher gear than a standard 53-39/12-25, and is fine for racing for me. 50-34/11-28 (SRAM do this one, works fine with a short cage mech as long as you're a bit careful on the big ring) gives you a lot of options for hilly rides, but I'd prefer a closer ratio for racing.

So, I'd go for a compact, and two cassettes.

53/34 (as you suggest) doesn't exist as far as I know! Bit tough for a front mech to deal with a 19 tooth difference...

glasgowbhoy

Standard double and use an 11-28 for the hills. Have been over hardnott pass in the lakeland loop and will be again this weekend on the Fred Whitton on this set up.
Agree that it's good to be able to spin, especially later on in the Marmotte but I rarely use the 28 cog in the steep hills here so will be going with the same set up in the Marmotte.
I don't weigh much 68kg at 5"11 and climb quite strongly. What has been said above about spinning faster but going slower is also true as even if you are tired you want to still be putting in an effort.

bigmat

Currently riding a compact (50/34) with a 23-11 cassette. I wasn't planning to change it for the Marmotte - does that sound like a bad idea? I coped fine in the Alps last summer with the same set up, biggest single day of climbing was probably Colombiere / Aravis / Colombiere, also did Joux Plane, Joux Vert, Ramaz, Morzine Avoriaz and didn't find myself longing for lower gears at any point. I'm a bit concerned the accumulation of metres climbed might get to me by Alpe d'Huez though.

timmyflash

Have been using a standard double.

Don't really understand all the gearing business so asked mechanic to 'make it easier to go up long hills' - so he fitted a compact with 29 on the back. Am now being ribbed mercilessly. We'll see who's laughing a the end!

rowman

BigMat I've done the Marmotte 3 times with 50/34 - 11/23. The first two times I managed OK but last year I tried to break the 8 hours barrier, blew up big time and suffered like a dog all the way up the Alpe. If I were to do the event again I'd defiantly go for a cassette with a 25 or even a 27 as bailout option.

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

A bail out ratio is worth having in the bag.

La Marmotte really starts at the foot of the Galibier after Telegraph. From here on depending upon your fitness / w/kg you will probably suffer. Alpe d'Huez is usually seriously hot and knocks back your power at a time when you need it most, and WILL be suffering

A compact and 27 worked ok for me.

I've done all of the Marmotte route but not in 1 day (that's next year), but all my climbing has been on a Compact 12/27 and that got me up Alp Duez in 1hr 01.

sampras38

BigMat wrote:

Currently riding a compact (50/34) with a 23-11 cassette. I wasn't planning to change it for the Marmotte - does that sound like a bad idea? I coped fine in the Alps last summer with the same set up, biggest single day of climbing was probably Colombiere / Aravis / Colombiere, also did Joux Plane, Joux Vert, Ramaz, Morzine Avoriaz and didn't find myself longing for lower gears at any point. I'm a bit concerned the accumulation of metres climbed might get to me by Alpe d'Huez though.

I've done all the climbs you've mentioned on a 12/27 with Compact. None of the climbs caused me a problem.

jonginge

BigMat wrote:

Currently riding a compact (50/34) with a 23-11 cassette. I wasn't planning to change it for the Marmotte - does that sound like a bad idea? I coped fine in the Alps last summer with the same set up, biggest single day of climbing was probably Colombiere / Aravis / Colombiere, also did Joux Plane, Joux Vert, Ramaz, Morzine Avoriaz and didn't find myself longing for lower gears at any point. I'm a bit concerned the accumulation of metres climbed might get to me by Alpe d'Huez though.

I was on 50/34, 11-25 last year as a marmotte noob. Not sure I used the 25. Sure I suffered in the heat on ADH (it was very hot last year) but not sure needed anything lower: i would have just gone slower. You're faster/stronger than me Mat so I'd guess you'd be ok

maddog 2

I ran 34-27 for my first Marmotte

and then 33-28 last year, and preferred it (and was faster...)

I prefer to spin, some prefer to grind, but to have a low gear and not use it is much less of an issue than needing one and not having it. AdH is brutal. Don't leave anything to chance or you'll regret it.

Porkyboy

airbusboy wrote:

Good morning,

I realise this is the training section of the forum but i thought i'd post here as it seems to be full of knowledgable people.....

I'm riding La Marmotte in July and just in the process of buying a new groupset, i'm aiming for a DA7900. Just enquiring what ratios would be best for the event, and for future racing/cycling in the UK. ( basically able to spin up alp d'heuz and flat out racing when necessary on my return )

All advice welcome,

Thanks in advance

AB

Aged 51 at the time, 78kg, FTP 300W. Used a compact with a 12-27 and got round without any problems and my was it hot on AdH.

Q

cjcp

Used a 50-34 with a 12-25 last year, which was also my first time in the Alps. Was happy with the 21 and 23 on ADH when we went up on the Thursday beforehand. Would have given my front wheel for a 27 on the day.

ADH was brutal in that heat. The last 1km of the Galibier was tough going - found myself in the 25 and the feet started to hurt. Recovered a bit, but I was in the 25 on ADH from about the third or fourth hairpin.

Think I'll go for the 27 this year...

ju5t1n

I've got a box in my basement that has 'La Marmotte' written on it. It's my Alpine conversion kit and contains a Veloce compact chainset 34/50, a 12-29 cassette, a chain and a bottle cage.

The 34-29 gets used every time!

de_sisti

sampras38 wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Currently riding a compact (50/34) with a 23-11 cassette. I wasn't planning to change it for the Marmotte - does that sound like a bad idea? I coped fine in the Alps last summer with the same set up, biggest single day of climbing was probably Colombiere / Aravis / Colombiere, also did Joux Plane, Joux Vert, Ramaz, Morzine Avoriaz and didn't find myself longing for lower gears at any point. I'm a bit concerned the accumulation of metres climbed might get to me by Alpe d'Huez though.

I've done all the climbs you've mentioned on a 12/27 with Compact. None of the climbs caused me a problem.

yeabut, you're probably very young (25 ish), extremely fit and very light (60 kg ish). It's not fair.

oldwelshman

At your weight 12 x 25 is plenty.
No need for a 11 at all, at the speed you will descend at times your would not keep pedals turning anyway so just get low on bike,.
I used compact with 12 x 25 and used the 25 on bottom four hairpins of Alp.
Top speed was 63mph tiwce, not pedalling