Suck it up or change cassette?

nickel

madtam wrote:

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 ?

Weight isn't the issue, its having gaps between ratios. For off road riding having a large spread of gears is extremely useful for the varied terrain that you tackle. On the road where for a lot of the ride you may just be cruising between say 16-20mph big gaps between ratios becomes annoying as you might not be able to find that 'sweet spot' for your cadence. That's how I look at it at least.

chiv30

springtide9 wrote:

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.

So exactly what I suggested then really .....

springtide9

chiv30 wrote:

springtide9 wrote:

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

So exactly what I suggested then really .....

I didn't see you post a suggestion to swap to an 11-23, but there you go ;-)

More importantly, it was adding to the thread why to avoid cogs with an 11 if you are not that fit.
It not unusual for 'beginners' to think they want the widest ratios they can get their hands on, where as they would get more benefit from closer ratios. I also see a lot of people state that they easily 'spin out' with 50/12 - but unless they live somewhere like the Alps, the chances are they only spin out for very short periods (so a very small percentage of the ride).... where as maybe 50% or more of the ride will be spent in those middle section gears.

Very few people can really benefit from an 11/50 on the flat (in the context of the beginners section). Even with a 12/50 it's close to 40mph @ 120rpm

xscreamsuk

I have an 11-28, on a 34. Due to LBS service I could only get it in the 24 last night. V hilly ride, some 15% plus stuff was a little interesting, but the stuff around 9 and under was manageable, glad my fitness has improved though! Will be nice to spin again now I've sorted rear mech.

fossyant

Stick at it. Keep trying.

Average climbing up here in the Peaks is 1000 feet per 10 miles - sometimes more. I.E, a 26 mile ride will have you climbing 2000-3000 feet easily !

chiv30

fossyant wrote:

Stick at it. Keep trying.

Average climbing up here in the Peaks is 1000 feet per 10 miles - sometimes more. I.E, a 26 mile ride will have you climbing 2000-3000 feet easily !

Surely if the OP has the cash and know-how then it would be more sensible to change from an 11-25 to a 12-28 if they live in an area where the only things that are flat are peoples tyres.....

When he no longer needs the 12-28 he can swap it back, sometimes I really don't understand why people would suggest the hard way for a beginner when they have no idea of that persons fitness or locale.

NITR8s

Man up and get a standard chainset, instead of a compact.

Seriously though i wish I had a compact, some of these hills down in somerset are a killer with a 39-25.

rolf_f

West Sussex is actually pretty hilly - there are plenty of parts of it where you are just up and down all the time with no flat in between so on that basis I think that even though the climbs don't tend to be long, a cassette that keeps your cadence at an optimum is worth having. You can swap them over in moments so you can always go back to the smaller cassette as you improve and keep the big one for the real tough rides.

madtam

fossyant wrote:

Average climbing up here in the Peaks is 1000 feet per 10 miles - sometimes more. I.E, a 26 mile ride will have you climbing 2000-3000 feet easily !

As I am not too far North of you I find it pretty much the same with some recent rides being 25-30 miles and just short of 3000 feet of climbing. My last quick hours run on Sunday was 13.9 miles and 1435 feet according to Strava which is why (along with the 25% hill I live on) I will stick with the triple for now.
I recall a couple of years ago on holiday with the family in Holland I went out for just over 2 hours for a ride around the area on my MTB. I was shocked to find when I got back that I had covered 44 miles without really noticing. One of these days I will have a trip out to Lincolnshire or Norfolk just to see what it's like not having to keep changing gear all the time.

nickel

NITR8s wrote:

Man up and get a standard chainset, instead of a compact.

Seriously though i wish I had a compact, some of these hills down in somerset are a killer with a 39-25.

A lot of stuff in Somerset is do-able with a standard but I prefer a compact as it means my legs don't get fatigued as quickly. What I love about Somerset though is there are plenty of hills to match anything the Peaks/North can offer but if you want a flat ride you can just ride into the pan flat levels.

Speckled Pants

Great thread and a nice read...

Ive just swiched from mtb'ing and got my first road bike and i am too feeling the pain on the climbs

After reading this i think i'll stick with my 12-25T cassette and hopefully get some strength back in my legs