Great Lakes - Question for those who race in SE Wisconsin

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PixelPaul
03-26-12, 11:30 PM
I'm hoping to give racing a try this year - WCA events, Tour of America's Dairyland & Superweek. I have a question about cassette gearing, do you have a single cassette that you use for all events or do you have different configurations for different events. Like you might use one for a flat criterium and change it out to a different one for a hillier road race. I have the following options for my bike build:

11-23
12-23
12-25
13-26
13-29
14-23

I'd like to keep it as simple as possible, but still make sure I have a sufficient range of gears. I will be running a 53x39 crank.

John Wilke
03-28-12, 03:01 AM
Guess I'm first. :)

As a former racer, I would venture that with a 53/39 that the 12-25 should be sufficient as an all around setup. It might get tough if you race at Greenbush, or Holy Hill during ToAD depending on how well you climb, but for the rest - no problem.

A 12-23 would be sweet for the crits.

Then there's the unknown races like the Kettle Moraine Classic and the Lake Geneva Road Race. Courses unknown that _could_ be brutes depending on how cruel the promotor is.

Welcome aboard and good luck! :)
MJH2
03-29-12, 03:45 PM
I'm hoping to give racing a try this year - WCA events, Tour of America's Dairyland & Superweek. I have a question about cassette gearing, do you have a single cassette that you use for all events or do you have different configurations for different events. Like you might use one for a flat criterium and change it out to a different one for a hillier road race. I have the following options for my bike build:

11-23
12-23
12-25
13-26
13-29
14-23

I'd like to keep it as simple as possible, but still make sure I have a sufficient range of gears. I will be running a 53x39 crank.

Other than a few of the super-hilly road races, I think you'd be fine with whatever you normally ride. I ride an 11-21 and haven't found that to be too steep... but I also don't do the insanely hilly road races. I used to run a 12-23... then I had to sprint after a fast corner into a slight downhill.

If you're trying to avoid having two cassettes, I think the 12-25 should cover what you need. If you see yourself in a lot of bunch sprints and you're a low-cadence masher, though, you might miss that 11.