a newbie with some questions?

jeth1979

hi everyone, this is my first post on here or any internet site regarding bikes for that matter, so im guessing my cyber virginity is no more!!!lol

anyway , ive got just a couple of questions, which hopefully you can answer!!1

ive had a road bike now for roughly 5 months and now clock up on average 100-130 miles per week(the last 3 months anyway!).. my bike is a giant defy 3.5. my average speed is roughly 15-16 mph.. i cycle around boxhill/winterfold/leith hill and the occasional trip to richmond park.....surrey hills mainly though...

this bike has been bulletproof though and certainly holds its own up the hills!! however, i feel the bike letting me down on the flats/downhill as people keep pedalling past me, and i simply just "spin"..out of gears!!!! the gear ratio is 52/42/30. 12-26 rear cassette..

people have suggested a compact double, but i certainly don"t want to lose out on the up hill climbs as i enjoy these the most.. if i was to go for a compact, can anyone recommend a nice set up/gear ratio set up?? i will also add that i havn"t used the granny ring, the smallest, for ages and ages, even when climbing winterfold hill..

my second question is that although i don"t ride in any, does anyone know of any cycling groups around the guildford/dorking area?or surrey for that matter!!!! im interested to join one, even if it does kill me,lol...

lastly, depending on the responses, i am thinking of purchasing another bike so could anyone recommend any circa the 800-1200 mark? in a way i would like to improve my bike that i have now but am wondering if i should just bite the bullet and go for something else.. i like the look of the ribble sportive racing, but again, im very lost when it comes to chossing gears etc.. any basic input on bikes/set up/gears etc would be EXTREMELY aprreciated!!
many thanks for looking or posting,
jeff

DavidJB

You don't want a compact (50/34) if you're finding you 'spin out' downhill. A double is what you want 53/39 but you'll have less options for the big hills.

On a compact I tend to spin out around 34/35 MPH (around 110 RPM) then I just tuck and stop peddling, you may find you'll need to get used to spinning at a higher RPM.

A lot of new cyclists tend to 'grind' gears at like 70-75 RPM, I generally ride on a club run or explore at around 85RPM and on a club training run / solo training around 90RPM average....even that's slow for some!

With your average speed at the moment I'd say stick with your triple or a compact because you'll get easier options up big hills and try to get used to peddling faster! It feels unnatural for a few goes but you'll soon get used to it.

Edit P.S take a look at Cube bikes...you might be able to get a carbon frame for the top end of your budget and the stiffness you get from that will help you up hills quite a bit (I went from a Giant Defy 2 to a Cube Agree GTC Race 2011 and the difference was astounding)

LongIslandTom

Spinning out while on 52/12? That is pretty darn rare to hear. 52/12 is a pretty tall gear at 4.33 gear ratio. That must be some seriously long downhills you got in your area.

But if you really want to go taller gearing, you can do either one of the following or both:

1. Change your cassette to an 11-26T. The 11T cog will give you a 52/11 gear ratio = 4.72, which is an almost 10% increase in your top end gearing. This I think is the easiest option.

2. Change your large chainring from a 52T to an even bigger one. This will require moving your front derailleur up the seatpost to clear the big chainring, and may also require a longer chain. Drawback is that the bigger difference in size between the front chainrings may make the shifting "clunkier".

Gizmodo

I agree with Tom and David about your current gear is quite high anyway and going to a compact will be a step down for your top gear.

You want to buy a new bike, do you want to spend money on the old one by changing cassettes or other parts? Or do you just want advice on what gears to go for on the new one?

When looking at new bikes you might want to consider SRAM Apex gears. They do a 53/39 crank and an 11/32 rear cassette. Your top gear will be much higher 53-11 instead of 52-12 and your hill climbing gear will be lower (excluding your granny ring) at 39-32 instead of 42-26.

Shimano 105 you can get now in 53/39 front and 11/25 (not quite as low).

If you've got money to spend on a new bike, go to your LBS and test ride some, more than just around their car park.

This is a gear calculator you might want to have a look at:
http://www.machars.net/bikecalc.htm

peter101cycle

+1 to other who have talked about gearing, spinning out on a 52 x 12 is pretty difficult and moving to a 53 x 11 won't give you much more.

I would also have a think about your tuck technique down descents as that can make a radical difference to your aerodynamic and therefore speed. The lower you can get that you can keep, the better.

Guiddy

I'll be different and answer your last question...

You could spend money upgrading your Defy but you'll quickly log up a big bill, it's very addictive!
I change bikes often and was riding this recently and loved it for the money...
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/specialized-tarmac-elite-item162078.html

Pick up 2011 bike now before they all sell out in your size!
You get a great carbon frame and the 105 groupset works a treat! You'll still spin out as it's a compact front chain ring but you could sell the chainset as soon as you get the new bike and but a 53/39 from an online store and you wouldn't be far off breaking even.
Great ride and will feel so much lighter and smoother than the Ali Defy...

esspeebee

If you're spinning out in that gear on a flat, you just need to train yourself to pedal faster -- a higher cadence will let you go faster even in the middle of your gear range, as it gets your circulation working more efficiently. It does take practice, though.

As for downhills, don't pedal. You can gain more speed from tucking yourself into a more aerodynamic position than you can by pedalling.

okgo

I'd go as far as saying you are totally wrong?

You will not be spinning out anything with an average speed of 16mph unless you are riding a mountain bike, and even then I'd say it was unlikley.

With regards to having a compact, you do probably spin that out in the 30's somewhere, but most people are not going to be able to maintain that for long on the flat, and going downhill its not really neccesary to peddle anyway unless its a shallow hill in which case I refer you to the above comment about peddaling your way to 40mph.

jeth1979

just for the record its the back of box hill and winterfold hill in surrey, i just can"t thrash it anymore down there,lol...excellent tip though and going to be my first port of call before investing on a new bike!! many thanks..

LongIslandTom wrote:

Spinning out while on 52/12? That is pretty darn rare to hear. 52/12 is a pretty tall gear at 4.33 gear ratio. That must be some seriously long downhills you got in your area.

But if you really want to go taller gearing, you can do either one of the following or both:

1. Change your cassette to an 11-26T. The 11T cog will give you a 52/11 gear ratio = 4.72, which is an almost 10% increase in your top end gearing. This I think is the easiest option.

2. Change your large chainring from a 52T to an even bigger one. This will require moving your front derailleur up the seatpost to clear the big chainring, and may also require a longer chain. Drawback is that the bigger difference in size between the front chainrings may make the shifting "clunkier".

Wrath Rob

Its pretty safe to say at 16mph average, its not your bike. If you're in 52-12 on the flat you'll be doing > 30mph (and given the 16mph average, is unlikely, no offense) and if people are still coming past you, you've gone of course and are in the middle of a pro race. More likely you're either pedalling slowly (less than 70rpm would normally be classed slow) or you're on a downhill section and being overtaken by poeple who either are riding a 53-11/are better at descending than you.

Instead of changing the bike, which is a great bike, take the advice on offer and either increase your cadence or work on your downhill technique. There were some articles on here recently about improving your descending like this and this. Maybe purchase a bike computer with cadence sensor to get an idea whether you're pedalling slowly (grinder) or quickly (spinner).

jeth1979

THANKS everyone, im going out for a ride later on so im going to try the tuck in method. i shall do a google search for the method/technique and see how the times fair against a previous run, as again, im not familiar with any of this.. regarding the flats, maybe i should of been a bit more specific. what i meant was that i don"t mind sitting there spinning away, but i"ve noticed that people with compacts seem to have a better gear to sit in with the speed/rpm than i do. i can sit with them, which i frequently but i do notice they have a better "ratio" as it where. however, im going to start at the bottom, so first up will be tuck in, followed by a change of rear cassette..

oh, although a few of you have suggested some bikes, has anyone/know anyone who has a ribble sportive/racing? they do seem good value/carbon etc but again any other makes/suggestions will always be appreciated..

got to say though, im glad i invested in my roadie,as its very addictive....

thanks again all

jeth1979

oh and finally!!!! how often should i be riding? at present im going out on a saturday morning for a good 60-80 mile ride(last one just gone=72miles,16mph average,4022 up/4058 down elevation.... i then do tuesday night and thursday night, usually 20-30 mile rides. is this a good method or should i try and do more/less? maybe more during weekends or weekdays? let me know what you all think, ive got broad shoulders so insults dont hurt,lol.... and i shall also let you know how i get on withmy ride this evening..thanks again..

Wrath Rob

jeth1979 wrote:

oh and finally!!!! how often should i be riding? at present im going out on a saturday morning for a good 60-80 mile ride(last one just gone=72miles,16mph average,4022 up/4058 down elevation.... i then do tuesday night and thursday night, usually 20-30 mile rides. is this a good method or should i try and do more/less? maybe more during weekends or weekdays? let me know what you all think, ive got broad shoulders so insults dont hurt,lol.... and i shall also let you know how i get on withmy ride this evening..thanks again..

That's an open ended question. Start of by asking what you want to achieve and you can then answer your question. One piece of advice, its no the time you spend in the saddle, but the quality of what you do in the saddle that counts.

unixnerd

Get a computer with a cadence function so you can see how fast you're pedalling. Set yourself a limit you won't go below and if you do you have to change to an easier gear and pedal faster. Slowly up the limit in 5 rpm chunks until you get to around 80 (may take a few months).

jeth1979

thanks for that, thats a good first pointer. this site and its ppl have been brilliant so far.. i shall have a browse around now as hopefully get it and set up it up for the weekend!!!

unixnerd wrote:

Get a computer with a cadence function so you can see how fast you're pedalling. Set yourself a limit you won't go below and if you do you have to change to an easier gear and pedal faster. Slowly up the limit in 5 rpm chunks until you get to around 80 (may take a few months).

jeth1979

yay, well ive just got back from a little 20 odd miler,(geez its cold out there) and my av speed has sneaked up to 17mph. all i really had changed was the tuck in technique on the hills and using slightly higher gears to spin rather than crunch!!! so far so good and i guess i shall have to treat this all as a learning kerb, although i do think i shall have a play around with a different cassette or 2 as well as the cadence computer.. at this rate, the next time you look over your shoulder,that dodgy looking bloke on the defy 3.5 might just be me gaining on you ,lol!!!!

BIG THANKS THOUGH EVEERYONE