Gearing advice for a fatty

blobbi
blobbi Posts: 42
edited August 2013 in Road general
I'm pretty slow going up hill and been cycling for a couple of months now. Loving it!

I bought some pedals off a forum and they were unfortunately broken, but in my rush to change them back over for a cycle i have managed to screw up the thread on the cranks. I'm an idiot, I know.

I was running a campag triple 52-42-30 with an 8 speed rear 13-23. I have a double crank on me (53-39) and do not really wan to fork out for another crank. I have found a used 13-26 and a slightly more expensive 12-28 online and wondered which one I should get if I was to move out of the granny stakes and onto a double. Climbing is my problem but I am getting stronger and better up hill. A Compact crank would also set me back much more than a rear cassette so not willing to go down that route either. I have looked at Sheldon Browns gearing ratio but wanted to canvas your thoughts on which one to go for, of just suck it up and buy another triple.

Comments

  • andrewjoseph
    andrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    take it to a garage and see if then can fix it with a helicoil. (sp?)
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • blobbi
    blobbi Posts: 42
    Was going to try that tomorrow as well at my LBS. Thanks!
  • Jester27
    Jester27 Posts: 29
    edited August 2013
    That's a bit of a dilemma!
    I don't know your weight, the terrain you ride on generally or uphill pace exactly, but the fact you mention it suggests strongly that you should not change from a triple to a double, let alone a 53-39!. That will be murder, and could put you off riding if you've only been doing it for a couple of months.
    I started as a fatty last year and my bike has compact (50-34) at front and 11-25 at rear. This was very hard going, but now with 4 stone off I find myself never using the 25. Then again I don't live on the Alpes, but don't live in Holland either!
    For the sake of your soul I recommend fixing the crank on the triple, but would be worth comparing the ratios to see how much you loose.
  • cerv50
    cerv50 Posts: 272
    If your not very good up hills defo don't put on the 53-39, you will only go slower! Better off repairing the triple crank you have or find a second hand compact double tbh
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    Yep a lowest gear of 39-23 after having 30-23 at your disposal would be madness. It's 25% jump harder.
    Bianchi Infinito CV
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  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    your shifters will be for a triple and wont work 100% with a double or a compact setup....not saying they wont work just they dont work properly ! ....know from past experience !
  • blobbi
    blobbi Posts: 42
    Thanks for the replies.
    I'm 100kg but pretty strong (thats what I tell the wife anyway).
    I'm in East Sussex so some nice hills, 12% on my cycle to work. I do use the lowest (30-23) on this hill and agree that I have found the cycling much more enjoyable with the triple on. To be honest I'm just kicking myself that I screwed up the triples thread in a mad rush to get some pedals on so I could cycle to work to do my night shift, particularly after I had finally got my 531 rebuild to index perfectly as well.

    I think I will try and get the triple repaired tomorrow, although I am not hopeful, and if not fork out for another one. Any crank arms going for an old campagnolo 135BCD 175 :) ?