Suck it up or change cassette?

JonnyJH

I went for a ride yesterday just short of 7 miles with 400ft of climbing and all of it (well, as good as) in the second half.
I know this is hardly a great distance and far from a steep or long climb, but for me it was brutal!
None of the rides I have done so far have climbed anything like as much or in such a short distance.
I am quite aware in reality this is quite a short distance and barely a drag, let alone a hill! But to me it was quite an achievement, my average speed might have sucked but I got a new top speed of 31mph, managed to finish the ride without stopping dispite it hurting like heck and hardly being able to stand up when I got home. Plus most of it was in monsoon style rain!
And hey, I not even been cycling two weeks so all in all I’m quite chuffed with myself!

But I fear should I come across much more of a climb I simply won’t make it to the top!
My bike has a 50/34 chainset with an 11-25 cassette, I was wondering if it would be worth me changing the cassette to an 11-28 to give me a little more of a chance of getting up some steeper climbs or should I just refer to rule #5 and suck up the pain! Haha

Cheers
Jon

MattC59

I'm about ot build a bike and am putting 50/34 and 11-28 on it. That'll give me the option of a bail out gear if I need it.

I've got a triple on my current bike, but in the three years I've had the bike, I've only used the smallest chain ring about four times. It's nice to have when you really need it, I'd rather winch myself up a hill than walk !

Bobbinogs

Assuming you have Shimano gears then it might be worth considering a 105 12-27 cassette. The 34x27 will be a nice bailout if you need it but the 50x12 combo will be more than enough at the other end (personally, I am tending towards close ratios at the mo so would avoid 11-28 if I could). However, my advice for now would be to get out and ride and don't fret about gearing. 2 weeks in and a 7 mile ride, just chill

ALaPlage

11-28 is a good ratio and even the pro cyclists use these ratios on certain stages. I'm with Matt. Rather have that lower option to grind up the steepest bits than ever have to get off and walk

bompington

First of all congratulations - firstly for getting on your bike in the first place, and secondly for what you achieved: it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of your ride, if it cost you the effort then give yourself the credit.

As for the gears - absolutely no reason why you shouldn't change cassette if you want.
But if you've only been cycling a couple of weeks, you may well find that in a few more weeks you won't need to - why not try sticking with the 25, say for another month, get out for at least three decent rides a week, and then try the exact same route again. Hopefully it will feel very, very different - if not, by all means go for the longer gears, it wouldn't make you a failure, stop you continuing to get fitter, or stop you enjoying riding.

JonnyJH

Indeed it is Shimano 105 all round, is there an advantage to a closer 12-27 over the 11-28, smoother changes etc?
I did 13miles a few days ago with over 500ft, but the climbs were much more spread out with nice little rests between. Although I did have to stop for 10 mins at mile 12 thanks to the worst cramp I ever felt! :?
I’m pretty sure the only thing that got me to the top was coming up from Weirwood past Blacklands Farm, were loads of kids about, if I had got off and pushed no doubt a good ripping from a LOT of kids would have come my way! Instead I got cheers of encouragement!

I’m aiming to get out 5 or 6 days a week, when I get to the end of my normal 7 mile loop I feel such a buzz just want to go out again but have a tendency to leave my rides a little late in the evening.

Am deff hitting that route again tomorrow! Am hoping if it stays dry I will be able to put a better time down, was totally drenched when I got back!
Is funny really, I got a bigger rush from making it up the hill without stopping then I did from pelting down it at over 30mph! Lol

ShutUpLegs

Putting smaller gears on will make you a weaker rider

Millerman007

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Putting smaller gears on will make you a weaker rider

however this will help a new guy enjoy cycling more and as his fitness and strength get better he can go back to the original cassette if he feels the need

bompington

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Putting smaller gears on will make cycling snobs think you are a weaker rider

FTFY

JonnyJH

bompington wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Putting smaller gears on will make cycling snobs think you are a weaker rider

FTFY

Brilliant!!!

slowondefy2

34/25 isn't that high of a lowest gear, and you got up the hill in the end, didn't you? It's supposed to hurt ;-)

I'm guessing you've not done all that many miles yet this year? I promise you - every time you go out and every time you attack that hill, you'll go faster. You'll be surprised how much progress you can make and soon you won't even need the 25 cog on the hills that you used to struggle up.

I strongly recommend a GPS computer of some sort, even if it's just running the Strava app on your phone. So many times I've got home thinking, "that hill was tough today, I really struggled, was really slow, etc. etc.", then I check Strava and it was a new personal best.

cougie

I would hang fire on buying anything yet. You're so new to it and you will get stronger with practice. Give it a few more rides and you should come on in leaps and bounds.

JonnyJH

Well I can’t afford to make the change till next month anyway so for now will just continue as I am.
The average gradient was only 4% so really not all that steep at all, although it does hit 9% at one point! (And boy did that bit sting) Oh how I love Strava!!
I have only clocked 50 miles so far and like many have said, in a few weeks/months I might not even need it so will just see how it feels. I will be back this way in 2 weeks so will be a good opportunity to see if anything has changed and make the decision then.

Cheers

niblue

I switched my Boardman to a 11:28 and found it made a significant difference. I'd never actually had to get off and push on a hill with the 11:25 on, but with the 11:28 I've found myself more inclined to go and look for decent hills - especially later in a ride.

On my Roubaix I even went a bit further and stuck an 11:32 and a MTB rear mech on it.

Swos

Congrats on your first hill climb

ianbar

i would stick with it a while, when i first started i avoided any climb at all i was so scared of them, but once i managed a couple even if i was totally gone at the top it spurred me on to do them more and more.in fact since i find them difficult i quite like to do them as its such a good workout and an achievement! i maybe considering a cassette change for my local sportive in a few weeks to help with the climbs.i think some(idiots) who don't understand everyone doesn't want to to be hardcore and just enjoy themselves will frown at a easier cassette choice but who cares! we can all pic huge hole in every other rider out there about something they are or are not doing, just keep at it and enjoy!

xpc316e

When I bought my latest bike one of the main reasons for its purchase was the gearing: it had a 50/34 compact and a 30 tooth bottom gear on the 10 speed Tiagra cassette. I am very pleased with it and have no worries about tackling steeper hills on it. The way I see it is that I would fight shy of some routes if the gearing were higher, and then I'd not be enjoying the ride. If other riders look down their noses at a fat old git on a carbon bike with low gears, that's not my problem - I am riding and that's what matters.

Secteur

I'm no technical expert, so I will leave comment about cassettes etc to people who are, but I can tell you that I have a triple (3 chain rings on the front, as opposed to the more traditional 2 chain rings).

Anyway, as my fitness has grown, I have gone from always using the small chain ring ("granny ring") on hills to now never, ever, ever using it, and it's very hilly where I live and train.

So, I would suggest you stick with whatever you have got ( unless the technical folk feel you have totally the wrong set up, which I doubt) and wait for the fitness to grow.

I still have my triple (despite never using the granny ring) simply because I'm too tight to buy a new bike, and realise that I fall off too regularly to risk something expensive!!

oldwelshman

Beginners forum, top speed of 31mph, why do you have a 11 sprocket ? Gor for casette starting from 13 up to 28.
When you get speed of 50mph then consider a 12 or 11

nochekmate

.... and given a bit of time 34/25 combination should make easy work of 9% hills. Leave the cassette and cycle - in a few weeks you may wonder why you were looking to change.

Calpol

nochekmate wrote:

.... and given a bit of time 34/25 combination should make easy work of 9% hills. Leave the cassette and cycle - in a few weeks you may wonder why you were looking to change.

This is good advice. I am a beginner also but now managing some decent rides.I also had similar thoughts to the OP as I have a 12-25. Of course hills still hurt but am going up them faster due to being in a higher gear. The change versus a few weeks ago is quite amazing. Cadence is proving to be a good way of judging my effort. Garmin Edge 500 best bit of kit I bought to help my riding.

JonnyJH

oldwelshman wrote:

Beginners forum, top speed of 31mph, why do you have a 11 sprocket ? Gor for casette starting from 13 up to 28.
When you get speed of 50mph then consider a 12 or 11

Because that’s what the bike came with and I can’t afford to do anything about it till next month.
The Ride2Work scheme plus a bit of my money was just about enough to get me the bike and the basics.

Next month’s shopping list currently stands at SPD’s and some more clothes, I been told a cheep heart rate monitor would probably be better money spent...

Part of my route on Friday went up at 9% but only for maybe .1 of a mile, just after the downhill bit to suck all my speed away! Haha
As of tomorrow I’m upping my daily distance to 13miles, a pretty bumpy 13miles at that! I’m going to take a pop at something around the 1000ft mark so no doubt its gonna hurt!

bompington

JonnyJH wrote:

As of tomorrow I’m upping my daily distance to 13miles, a pretty bumpy 13miles at that! I’m going to take a pop at something around the 1000ft mark so no doubt its gonna hurt!

This kind of attitude will definitely do you a lot more good than a new cassette, but be warned - it's probably more expensive in the long run ;-)

nickel

I'd say just stick with the cassette, 34x25 is about as low as you'll ever need once you build your fitness up

JonnyJH

Well I did it!
Wasn’t quite the 1000ft I was expecting, but 13.7 miles with 826ft is close enough for me!

Getting over turners hill was agony, but I did it! Going down to Weirwood was fun, getting up the other side less so! I had to stop about half way as my legs simply didn’t have the strength to push me up, upon getting off the bike I fell over as I actually couldn’t stand up and thought I was gonna throw up But I didn’t walk up, caught my breath for 2 or 3 mins then carried on peddling.

There a small climb right at the end that I turned into a Strava segment as I go up it a lot, got a new PB! WTF??!! :?:

So all in all I’m quite happy, despite just finishing my toughest ride yet, I’m hyper! Tomorrow I will have been riding to weeks. Every time I go out I feel more confident on the bike, more confident to push up bigger hills and think less about the need to change cassette!

g00se

Nice one. Personally, I'd stick with the 25. When I started I was in a similar position - with a 34-26 lowest gear. I joined a local club and suffered on the few short sharp hills on the evening run outs - one in particular I couldn't do. Just a couple of weeks later and I had no problem getting up them. Now, I'm planning to get up at the crack of dawn to hit as many local hills as I can inside an hour to get speed and gearing up - and to rise up the Strava ranks...

oldwelshman

dont worry about the HR monitor, money best spent on other stuff.

notlongnow

Build up your fitness first and don't worry if you end up walking up some hills we've all done it,my set up is 50/34 12-26 and I struggled at first on some hills but now i get up em with no problems WHY? because im fitter than i was 4 months ago when i got my bike.

chiv30

Honestly it all depends on your terrain, if you lived in the south Wales valleys and you encountered llangynidr, Bwlch and Rhigos regularly then you would probably want to switch to a 12-28 Tiagra with your compact up front , however if you aren't hitting very long leg sappers where the 28 comes in handy to maintain a high cadence / or very short sharp digs where the 28 gives you some chance of a bailout 3/4s up then just stick with your 25.

Tbh only you will know your own fitness levels and limits and therefore only you can answer whether you really need the 28 option for your locale

springtide9

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned to "man up" and put an 11-23 on the rear.

And I'm even more surprised no one has mentioned putting a few miles in on an MTB to get used to hill climbing (and none of that "sticking it in the children's ring" malarkey)

On a serious note, only you have the answer to the question. If you switch to easier gearing it gives you more options. If you keep your current gearing, you have less options to bail and maybe will end up pushing that bit harder.

If you live in a area where really steep hills are everywhere and a day out becomes endless and relentless hill climbing sessions, then switching is probably a good idea.

If you swap, I would suggest going for a 12-28 to keep the ratios closer in the middle section of the cassette. If you are struggling to push 34/26 on the big hills, it's unlikely you are going to benefit from the 11 cog (vs 12)... just learn to increase you cadence on the downhill sections.

madtam

I think I am missing some connection here. What is the issue with a wider spread of gears ?

I have recently switched from an MTB to a CX bike as I have been spending far more time on the road than off it and fancied the chance of going a bit faster on the road. previously on the MTB's as gears have worn out I have tended to try and spread the gearing so gone from MTB triples of perhaps 24, 34, 44, to have either 1 46 or 48 big ring and maybe a 36 middle ring. I had to watch out for crossing the chain too far and wouldn't ever use big ring and biggest cog on the cassette or vise versa. However it gave me a bit more range at the expense of maybe some very close together or similar gearing in the middle. For the new CX bike I looked for one with a triple as this seemed to give me the wider spread of gearing that I am used to and that allows me to tackle 25-35% hills at times and still pedal down the other side at some speed.
Apart from a slight weight penalty what else is the issue ?