gear choices for alpine adventures

turneround
turneround Posts: 85
edited January 2012 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
taking a month of this yr to catch some of the tour and try to bag some propper hills. can anyone give me some advice on gear ratio setup for the hills as im assuming my current 53/39 - 11/23 aint gonna work!! :D
Moots Routt RSL -summer days road and gravel
Moots Farwell - trail / Bikepacking
Ibis Mojo HD3 - rough stuff

Comments

  • KKB
    KKB Posts: 28
    You're right, it ain't gonna' work... if you want to enjoy the riding and value your kneecaps, go compact (50-34) and an 11-28 on the back.
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    48/34 with 11-28/12-27 or even 11-32 (if SRAM). If you can turn 50x11 downhill your brakes are going to get a lot of wear. depends what you are comfortable turning but a 48 closes the ratios a little
    M.Rushton
  • KKB
    KKB Posts: 28
    mrushton wrote:
    48/34 with 11-28/12-27 or even 11-32 (if SRAM). If you can turn 50x11 downhill your brakes are going to get a lot of wear. depends what you are comfortable turning but a 48 closes the ratios a little
    Yes, good point.
    I just like that bit extra top end to 'give it some' after coming over the top of the climb.

    After all, the only reason I like climbing is, is to DESCEND.. :D
  • turneround
    turneround Posts: 85
    cheers folk, much appreciated.....
    Moots Routt RSL -summer days road and gravel
    Moots Farwell - trail / Bikepacking
    Ibis Mojo HD3 - rough stuff
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    having an extra large sprocket in reserve is also psychologically good :) from 2 x pyrenees and 1 x alps trip have been happy to have a 29 t in reserve, little used as most climbs on a 26 (with compact) but good to know it was there. A 50 x 11 / 12 spun out will be 70 kph too, quite enough IMO given hairpins :(
  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    For the Marmotte last year, I used 50-34 with an 11-30 SRAM Apex 10 speed cassette.
    Can't guarantee it'll work on all set-ups, but was perfect for me (Ultegra 6700).
    exercise.png
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    last two Marmottes I did on 33/48 and 11-28. I wouldn't go with anything higher than this personally, especially if you intend to do multiple passes in a day.

    Have a look a this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mountain-High-E ... 697&sr=8-1

    Got all the classic climbs, full stats, good write ups and great pics - for a tenner!
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    It does depend on how strong you are - I used a 36*28 bottom gear for the Marmotte and that was fine - some will want lower some will be fine with harder gears.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Rodrego Hernandez
    Rodrego Hernandez Posts: 1,436
    Depends on how fit you are and how strong you are plus your preferred pedalling style. 39x23 is fine for some to deal with the alpes and pyrenees, others prefer a compact. At the end of the day it is possible to go too low and too high, you just need to be honest with yourself as to how you feel you will be comfortable. Many people make the mistake of choosing very low gears thinking it will make the hills easier, you still need to be pushing a gear over so maybe look at changing to a 52 outer ring if not too expensive and 12-25 or 13-27 cassette.
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    I just changed from a 53\39 to a 50\34 using a 11-25 whilst here in the UK .

    When I go to the Etape I have a 11-28.

    Tested this out last week and found it to be a bugger to setup with a SRAM Rival setup. Rear mech took a lot setting up to get the shifting correct.
  • chipperleenie
    chipperleenie Posts: 217
    Compact is ideal for the alps and pyrenees, I use 50/34 with a 12-25 on the rear and tend to climp most of them in 34x23 saving the 25 for the steepest bits but generally once you get in your smallest gear you stay there.

    Downhill you very rarely need to pedal so would not worry about needing anything too big.
  • Rule74Please
    Rule74Please Posts: 307
    turneround wrote:
    taking a month of this yr to catch some of the tour and try to bag some propper hills. can anyone give me some advice on gear ratio setup for the hills as im assuming my current 53/39 - 11/23 aint gonna work!! :D


    All you need is a 25 (or 26 Sram) block on a 39 small ring for the alps. They are not that hard. Just get some practice in and tough it out. When the invent a 40 tooth sprocket people here will tell you that's waht you need.

    It wasn't that long ago that a 27 on a 53/39 was considered soft and only girls rode triples.
    Don't know the Rules?

    http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
  • Bordersroadie
    Bordersroadie Posts: 1,052
    God, this willy-waving is getting a bit boring isn't it? So I think now, I say, hey, you just need an old 42/52 with a straight through cassette, I never need lower than 42/23 even on the steepest Alpine ascents. Or something like that.

    In the real world, as a pretty fit (if rapidly ageing) guy, I'm heading to the Dolomites in July and the Fred Whitton before that, equipped with a triple, because I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality and have a robust enough ego to be very happy to have some proper low gears for when I need them.

    It's a shame that bravado gets in the way of good advice, but it was ever thus I guess. . .

    Okay, back to the dick-waving, off you go boys!

    [PS I realise that some of these posts are quite funny ironic comments, like the last one above, my dick-waving comments are just a general observation about the BR forum, not just on this thread]

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