mattm

just wondering what others run for their low-gear?

i ride in seattle, which is pretty hilly, and while my old eros had a triple, i NEVER used the 'gramps gear' (smallest front ring) - so the lowest i used was 42x26, which is roughly 43 gear inches.

i used that gearing going up Tolt Hill Road (10% grade for mile!), or even when doing the 7,500 ft High Pass Challenge.

my new bike (a Ciocc) has campy centaur gruppo, with a 39x23 for the lowest, or about 45 gear inches - not much difference. but i remember overhearing somebody at the HPC ride saying they had to walk it up b/c of their 39x23 gearing... maybe they were just out of shape?

anyway, what's your lowest gear (that you use)?

what do the pro's use when doing alp d'huez and such??

Hammertoe

I switch out cranksets and cassettes depending on what I am riding...

My lowest is 26 x 34...

Other times my lowest is 26 x 26...

Other times my lowest is 30 x 26...

Other times my lowest is 34 x 29...

littledjahn

I've got either a 39x28 or 39x30, depending on which rear wheel I'm using, for 37 or 34 gear", respectively. I use 'em, too. We've got a lot of short, steep climbs around Austin - a lot in the 10-15% range and several popping briefly over 20%.

CrimsonKarter21

Until I get new chainrings, I'm running a (stock) 39x25. Sometimes I feel stupid for having it, but in my last race I was glad I had it, because there was literally a wall on the course.
When/if I get new rings (I at least need a new junior ring) I'll be running a 42 low tooth again.

grahny

depending on the ride... 39x27 or 39x23. The 27 is insurance on days with lots of climbing, or days that I leave the house thinking I probably shouldn't be getting on the bike today.

maddyfish

I have a 42-30, works well for me.

roadfix

The lowest gear combination I own yields 17 gear inches. That's running 22x34 on my 26" wheeled tour bike.

waterrockets 

I have a 39-22 on my "hill" bike single speed, which I use only for hill repeats, on hills averaging 8.5% to 13.5%. It's a little tall for hill repeats, but perfect for PR attempts. Developmentally, I like it a little tall for training purposes.

My geared road bike has a 39-23.

wolfpack95

39x23 and I need more help.

beowolf

39x25

ken cummings

22 X 34. With a special widget in the small ring position you could go down to a 16 there. Or spring for a Schlumpf mountain Drive and drop to a 6 or 7 inch low.

Ryleeryno

Wow, you must have a bigger ego than your current cassette.

Machka 

26x34 ... on my road bicycle.

M_S

Owned.

On-road I have used 42-34 (mountain cassette in back). There's a 30 ring on the triple too, but I haven't needed it except on tour.

rubic

36x27 on my c'dale road bike.

Hocam

53-42-30 with 13-26

I'm on the 42 ring maybe 90% of the time, 30 for the real steep stuff and the 53 for the descents.

Also my normal cadence is around 100-110.

waterrockets 

You know what "literally" means, right?

Mr. Beanz

10,000-12,000 ft centuries I use a 39/25 standard double.

colorado dale

in my 30's and early 40's 41 x 25

switched to 39x27 in later 40's

now in my late 50's i ride 39 x 34

ehsiung

I have 30 x 32 on my touring bike but rarely use it; 42 x 32 or 42 x 28 is enough to handle the hills on my commute.

palesaint

95% of the time I'm in my middle or big ring. It takes around a 15% or greater grade to force me into the granny gear. This is with a 25 cog in the back.

One of these days my pride will take a back seat and I will ride more hills in the granny gear to fulfill a structured program of maintained heart rate. For now I just tackle hills with reckless abandon, pegged out in zone 4. Oh well.

rousseau

42x21. I have big guads.

Ryleeryno

Not a climber but I currently run the standard 53/39 chainring and 11-25 cassette.

elgalad

34x25. There are a couple of 20%+ climbs around here where it comes in handy.

I'll be changing to either 34x23 or 39x25 soon, just have to decide which.

SeqTarRou

39x23 on my Tarmac. I live a couple of miles from Tolt Hill Rd and ride up it frequently. If you ride up from 202, the steepest pitch is about 9% with frequent easier sections, averaging about 5.7% or so. If you ride from the back side, there is only a short stretch (maybe 100 yards or so) towards the top that hits 10%, the average is about 6.6%. Here is a elevation profile of the climb up both sides of Tolt Hill Rd. Mile 9.75 is where it starts in Snoqualmie Valley, mile 11 is the top, mile 12.5 is the bottom of the other side at 202, then I turned around and went back up and down again.


Whoever you overheard about having to walk their bike up the HPC was either a bit out of shape or perhaps just tired from the rest of the ride.

For one of the most challenging climbs in the area, head over to Cougar Mountain and tackle Zoo Hill. The first 700ft of climbing happens in a tad bit over a mile.