Turbo / Hill climb gearing

shinobishoryuken
shinobishoryuken Posts: 59
edited June 2013 in Workshop
I recently acquired a turbo and spare wheel so bought a new cassette (9 speed) for my bike. I thought I should also get a new chain, which I'll put on the bike when using the turbo and specific wheel and tyre.

Is this what you normal people do?

My bike is 2 years old, original parts and has received some hammer as I'm 127kg.

Am I right in thinking the old and very likely stretched chain would quickly knacker the new cassette?

I'm now debating whether to simply put the original/worn cassette on the turbo wheel and put the new cassette on the bike along with the new chain- but now I'm thinking should I upgrade the chain rings too?

Also, as I struggle (up Mow Cop's Killer mile at least) when climbing up tough hill I decided on the cassette with ratio of 11-32 but my original is 12-25.

My bike is TCR 2 (2012 model) Will this bike take the new cassette or am I going to need a new type of rear mech?

Comments

  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    A partly worn chain can be used on a new cassette if it not too worn. The ammount of wear has to measured. I have leartn on this forum not to recomend any chain measurement technique as it attracts negitive and often rude posts. I have my own prefered methods.

    As for your chainrings there is no chainring that is an upgrade as such. Some are a bit better made than others and some shift slightly better than other. Some are lighter but unless the teeth are sharp it will work fine.

    Your gearing will require a mech of increased capasity if you have a short cage and one that can take a 32T rear cassette. SRAM do a wifli mech for this, shimano 10 speed long cage mechs can take 32T cassette as can a 9 speed MTB mech (if you are running 10 speed shimano then do not use a 10 speed MTB mech).

    You will not be going very quickly on a hill climb while on the inner and 32T at the back. I will get up 10% gradients with pace in a 39:21T gear which is the lowest I have on my my main bike or 44:18T on my old TT bike. A hill climb is a 1 minute burst of power so that my solution a burst of everything I have for as long as I can and for some of that climb at least my cadance is quite high. Don't know how steep the climb you mention is though it may be very steep.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • islandman
    islandman Posts: 73
    yes to your sugestion, put the old chain and cassette on turbo, keep new chain with new cassette, gearing only important on the road bike. Buy a chain checker now rather than later and you'll find for a fiver outlay it will save you that many times over. To be honest I think most of us struggle up Mow Cop.

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