Gearing for tour de Yorkshire sportive

forestnot1

Looking for some advice re gearing for the tour de Yorkshire sportive.

I ride 53/39 11-25 where I usually ride Hampshire/Berkshire/ Dorset areas.

Unsure of route profile and steepness.

Bobbinogs

Here's some advice but it means making your own decisions:
Go to the website for the event (Google "Tour de Yorkshire sportive", it's the top hit).
Scroll down to the links that the organisers have kindly posted.
Download the appropriate Gpx file.
Upload into your favourite mapping site (I would use RidewithGPS).
Have a look at the profile, gradients and where the hills come.
Compare your own rides and how you do on them.
Make your own choice for gearing.

That way, you get the benefit of learning how to sort things out yourself and, if you get it right, have the satisfaction that goes with it.

sloppyschleckonds

Or get a medium cage RD and stick a 32 cassette on....

tazmon

forestnot1 - here's a video showing some of the climbs. I'm running a compact with 28 cassette for the ride as I'm a MAMIL!

http://youtu.be/5WuVTdv6fvI

Temp3st

Having ridden most of the route on Easter Sunday I'd say you might find 53/39 a bit tough unless you are a strongman who really enjoys climbing!
Some of the climbs are 30% in parts and there isn't much flat (apart from start and end of ride).

I think a lot of riders are going to get caught out by the climbs and will struggle to maintain the minimum average speed before reaching the final feed station.

...not to put you off or anything as I'm sure its going to be ace!
I'm only riding the 109K distance though - didn't really fancy doing the full whack!

drlodge

I did a ride round the Yorkshire Dales last Easter including the steep side of Fleet Moss about 60 miles in, that was after 4 other big hills. Gearing is 34x29 and I had to stop once up Fleet due to (a) steepness of the incline (b) miles in my legs plus what I'd done the day before. So the gearing you need depends on how "strong" you are for the big climbs towards the end.

My motto: you can never have a gear that is too low, but you can have a low gear that is too high.

I did Great Dun Fell the day after, that was a struggle!

markhewitt1978

forestnot1 wrote:

Looking for some advice re gearing for the tour de Yorkshire sportive.

I ride 53/39 11-25 where I usually ride Hampshire/Berkshire/ Dorset areas.

Unsure of route profile and steepness.

It's a climbing course. For me certainly 39/25 would be way too high. Perhaps you could put a 30T on there instead which would give you something at least.

MountainMonster

Why the hell have they called everything Cote De (insert English name)! I'm not even British and find it poor performance to not call the climbs their proper names.

Bobbinogs

Yepp, gets my goat that it is called the Tour de Yorkshire. I'm off to the Cake Stop to add another entry into Seemingly Trivial Things That Annoy You

forestnot1

Thanks guys.

Excuse my naivity, how are the climbs in comparison to those on the dragon ride?

robbo2011

I would advise you to do what Sloppy said and fit a medium cage mech and a 32 tooth cassette.

Looking at the route profile, there are quite few short, sharp climbs and towards the end of the ride, you'll glad of a low gear.

t4tomo

My motto: you can never have a gear that is too low, but you can have a low gear that is too high.

Sound advice

markhewitt1978

Depends on the rider. I can be in 34/30 while my mate is in 39/28 on the same climb at the same time.

dav1d1

I did the first two stages out the tour when it was in Yorkshire last year, did it on a compact 50/34 12-25 and found it ok struggle on few hills due to amount of miles in my legs but was fine in the end

Mikey41

Personally I'll be on a compact with 12-30 on the back. It will be hard.

philwint

These are my local hills. I ride a compact with 11-30 (Ultegra Di2 - and yes, you can just get it to stretch to a 30t with a standard cage).

That being said there are guys in my club who always ride a standard chainset and 11-25....

So it's down to you and how you are with the bigger/steeper hills.

rafletcher

MountainMonster wrote:

Why the hell have they called everything Cote De (insert English name)! I'm not even British and find it poor performance to not call the climbs their proper names.

'Cos it's (the race that is) owned by ASO so they use the French terms - hence Tour de Yorkshire.

ForumNewbie

MountainMonster wrote:

Why the hell have they called everything Cote De (insert English name)! I'm not even British and find it poor performance to not call the climbs their proper names.

In the Tour last year I thought it was good fun having the climbs called Cote de Buttertubs and Cote de Blubberhouses etc. Calling the last climb in Stage 2 Cote de Jenkins Road also made me smile.

This race is a legacy from having the Tour start here last year so I think it's a nice touch to call it Tour de Yorkshire. It sounds better than just calling it the Tour of Yorkshire - just my opinion.

overlord2

53/39 - 11/25 if you are an elite catagory rider pushing 4w/kg go for it. Otherwise if you are normal like the rest of us 50/34 or 50/36 with a 11/25 or 11/28 would be about right.

stifflersmom

The longer climbs are not that steep but there are some short steep sections in the latter part of the ride (Cow&Calf, Arthington Bank). Also the Oxenhope climb is exposed on the upper sections so if the wind is against you it could be a grind. I rode the stage at the weekend and used a 50/34 with an 11-28. It's quite a tough route, and the profile is pretty leg sapping. It is a quick finish after Arthington Bank though.

drlodge

FWIW, I changed my rear cassette from 12-27 to 12-29 (using 34x50) and it made quite a difference in my ability to get up the steepest of hills without stopping and also when my legs are tired. 2 teeth may not seem like much, but its a 7.5% difference.

type:epyt

Been on those North Yorkshire roads many times and always been fine with 36/25 gearing ...

The missus had 30/27 as her lowest gear first time she tried and done a lot of walking after running out of momentum ... Next year she had 34/27 and made it up everything (and she was a bit heavier too) ...

Too many folk worry about the steep climbs ... It's the descents that are a bit hairy in that neck of the woods ...

t4tomo

type:epyt wrote:

Been on those North Yorkshire roads many times and always been fine with 36/25 gearing ...

The missus had 30/27 as her lowest gear first time she tried and done a lot of walking after running out of momentum ... Next year she had 34/27 and made it up everything (and she was a bit heavier too) ...

Too many folk worry about the steep climbs ... It's the descents that are a bit hairy in that neck of the woods ...

What a load of cock, so it's easier to go up a long steep, drag in a higher gear is it

drlodge

Its one thing to go up *a* steep hill in some not-so-low gear, quite another having to do it for the upteenth time with 100 miles in the legs. If you're low gear isn't low enough, worst case you just have to stop, take a wee rest and move on again.

ugo.santalucia

The other day I had my maiden ride on a 36 x 34... I used it to go up Barhatch lane out of Cranleigh and the steep bend of Combe Lane... it just makes things a lot easier... what Simon Warren rates a 9/10 climb, with a near 1:1 ratio becomes pretty straightforward, just sitting on the saddle and spinning at 5 mph... which pretty much sums up what I have been going on about in the "hardest climb in the world thread"

Gear conservatively and you'll be fine

markhewitt1978

Overlord2 wrote:

53/39 - 11/25 if you are an elite catagory rider pushing 4w/kg go for it. Otherwise if you are normal like the rest of us 50/34 or 50/36 with a 11/25 or 11/28 would be about right.

Even the pros rode 11-28 last year.

hjghg5

I'm still pondering the options. I'm local enough to have a good idea what to expect and my worry isn't so much individual climbs because I've got up all the ones I've tried (haven't done all of them though), but the cumulative effect of the climbing and running out of steam on the run in.

My good bike has 34/28 although I could put a 32 on it (already have the longer derailleur so it would be fairly simple). I'd rather ride this as it's a nicer bike but I keep getting tempted by the winter bike which is a triple and has a 30 on the back. 30/30 may not be fashionable and potentially overkill but I'm more likely to keep moving on it.

If the weather forecast stays as is the mudguards on the winter bike may influence the decision too!

ravey1981

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Overlord2 wrote:

53/39 - 11/25 if you are an elite catagory rider pushing 4w/kg go for it. Otherwise if you are normal like the rest of us 50/34 or 50/36 with a 11/25 or 11/28 would be about right.

Even the pros rode 11-28 last year.

Yeah, but they don't use compacts. Massive difference.

I'm another localish rider. Usually ride with a compact and 12-25 but I have just bought a 12-30 for longer hilly rides. Went out today and did 5000ft climbing including some pretty steep stuff. I was on the absolute limit with the 25 and would have given anything for another cog or two. Be wise, bring a low gear, even if you don't need it its there. Hope you all enjoy Yorkshire (in the rain).

ForumNewbie

ravey1981 wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Overlord2 wrote:

53/39 - 11/25 if you are an elite catagory rider pushing 4w/kg go for it. Otherwise if you are normal like the rest of us 50/34 or 50/36 with a 11/25 or 11/28 would be about right.

Even the pros rode 11-28 last year.

Yeah, but they don't use compacts. Massive difference.

It's not unknown for pros to use compacts in races with particulary steep hills where gradients are over 20%. Even Contador has used a compact previously in the Giro.

simon_masterson

Overlord2 wrote:

53/39 - 11/25 if you are an elite catagory rider pushing 4w/kg go for it. Otherwise if you are normal like the rest of us 50/34 or 50/36 with a 11/25 or 11/28 would be about right.

This is really tiresome. It has not been so long since there were no compacts, standard double was 52/42, and your freewheel was a 12 or 13 up 7 speed. 'Normal' people are allowed to use these things - it's purely a matter of personal preference.

And professional riders using 28t cogs last year doesn't say anything; 11-28 with 11 speed doesn't have any big jumps, so it's increasingly becoming an all-round choice. 5 years ago they'd have done it on 11-25. The decision making is rather different - unlike amateur riders, Contador et al aren't choosing based on what they need - like they won't get over the hill if they don't have those gears.

markhewitt1978

Why tiresome? The fact is that 39/25 lowest gear is far too high for most people who have to deal with hills.