geist

Just ordered a Campy Record 13-29 rear cassette for my climbing wheel. Just curious if anyone is currently using this cluster (or similar). Has it changed your climbing ability or riding style?

Brett 12

Sources say it climbs like a "monkey". Go buy a 12T cassette and you can make a 12-29 casstte if you want.

29T is a good reason why Campy gives you more options than shimano in 10 speed.

sorebutt

That's the cassette (Centaur) that I have on my Eisentraut.. It is good to know that I have the 29 there if I need it, and on some climbs I actually use it. I like it, and I got used to the gears. If you climb a lot you will like it too..

downhill!

This cassette has saved my a$$ a number of times. I even run it with a 50-34 compact crank. I have the same low end as a 30-25 triple and I rarely run out of topend. I ride a lot of steep roads (>15%) and don't do much group riding where I need the topend. I used to have the 13-26 cassette, but the only difference between the two is the 18 tooth cog is swapped for the 29. Needless to say, I don't miss the 18 at all. I would reccommend using a medium cage derailer, although I've heard the short cage works as long as you don't cross the big ring to the 29.


My real motivation for getting this is the last half mile up to my house. It's very steep and half the year it's mossy so clilmbing out of the saddle is not possible. Some would call me a weenie for having this low gearing but they'd also call me a weenie for walking the last half mile home. I prefer to pedal!

ImprezaDrvr

I run 13-29 most of the time. My ideal situation would be to run 13-29 on a light climbing wheelset and 12-25 on my regular set. I had the medium cage derailleur, but just put a short cage on my derailleur body and am going to see how that works out.

jfmckenna

This is the kind of stuff that drives me nuts. I was just having a conversation with a friend about it last night. I live in the mountains. That means I have to go up a lot of hills. Currently I run a 12-27 and it is more than enough for most hills and not quite enough maby on one or two. But what it also means is that I go down hills a lot, infact just as many as I go up. So why oh why especially in the days of the ten speed do they not make an 11-29 or an 11-27 it just makes no sense?

ImprezaDrvr

I'd at least like a 12-29. I rarely use an 11t. In fact, change rarely to never and you're closer in. I agree, though. The hills around here aren't always really long. I do occasionally run out of top end with a 13t, but I figure it's not about how fast I'm going down, but how comfortable and efficient I am going up.

SAB

I have the standard 12-27 shimano cassette with a 52/42/30 triple. Does the trick for me, even on the big hills.

ImprezaDrvr

If I had a triple, I'd probably run an 11-23 or so. Man, I do like the steep stuff a lot more with that 27 back there with the standard double chainrings, though, especially when I remember that there's another 2 teeth a cog up.

sydney

I got one. Same low gear as a triple with a 30 granny and 23 big cog.The triple works better due to closer ratios. If you need a 29 you have no style or ability, so don't sweat it.

ImprezaDrvr

Sydney, you're quite the charmer! I always justify low gears by pointing out that Heras rode a triple in the Vuelta. now, the fact that he was climbing grades of around 25%, I don't mention, but still...

sydney

If you are one of the top guns in the Vuelta,you don't have to worry about style or poseur' points. Especially on a 25% grade.

galen_52657

I just installed a 13-28 9 speed on my gurl's new Marin, running Veloce. It has a 53/42/30 up front. Now if she can't get over a rise on in a 30/28.....

I also replaced the Veloce triple bottom bracket with a Veloce double bottom bracket. This moved the chainrings 2 mm +/_ toward the center, thus making the 42/28 a more-or-less usable gear. Before switching bottom brackets, the bike would shift itself off the middle ring onto the small ring.... not something a newbie could deal with...

lala

Whooo! This is just the combo I bought for my road set-up yet to be built up for Colorado: 50-34 compact and 13-29. I'm glad it's getting such good reviews!

Brett 12

Doesn't that screw up the front derailleur though.....becasue isn't the FD designed based on the rings being a certain distance out from the frame.

sydney

Not if the derailer has enough inward travel to allow it to shift the small ring. Even at that,a bit can be ground off the backside of the derailer to allow more travel in some cases.Been there myself.

galen_52657

Plenty of travel in the FD - not an issue at all. The chain is still noisy in the middle ring/big cog but everything is brand new and I hope it will quiet down a bit with use. But so long as it does not shift itself anymore... I am happy....

If you can imagine your gurlfriend - first road bike - climbing a little rise out of the saddle when the bike shifts itself off the middle ring onto the granny....not a confidence builder.....

sydney

She still needs to get her head around the concept of using the granny instead of that middle big combination.

geneman

Anyone know how much harder (physically) it is to push 0.3 more gear inches? I'm considering picking up a 12-27 for my 39 ring on my double as a replacement for a previous 30 (ring) with a 23 in back. According to Sheldon, I go from a gear-inch ratio of 2.5 with the 30-23 to a 2.8 with the 39-27. I wouldn't normally care, but I've got this killer (hilly) century in my schedule for 2005.

-mark

sydney

Don't you suppose it depends on whose physique one is talking about?

geneman

You're probably right. I did that century I mentioned using the 30-23 and there were two points in the ride where I wished to God that I had a 25 or 27 in back. However, I plan to be in much better condition this year and hopefully won't need the 2.5 gear inches and can get around with 2.8 (as the easiest). Having said all of that, 0.3 inches on a 20% grade may make all of the difference in the world.

-mark

galen_52657

We are working on it.... but first, she has to remember that the thumb shifter goes one way and the finger shifter the other.....

ggg300

I put a 11-32 with a 39/53 on my brothers 9 speed bike. He works a lot and rides every now and then so this set up allows him to deal with hills when he is not in shape. He has 26t cog just before the 32t cog in the set so he can use the 53 up to the 26 with out too much cross. I went with an ATB rear der. It works fine and he has gas after the hill to run the 53-11 down the hill....zoom...

ggg300

my girl is new to the bike thing too...I feel your pain.

geneman

Not a bad idea ... Thanks!

On that same century last year I rode with a guy named Tony almost the whole way. He was very strong and we finished the ride in 6th and 7th place respectively. Well, Tony was using a pair of carbon wheels he was testing for a friend in the business. Furthermore, he had a 30 on the back and rode a triple. While most people would wonder how anyone could be competitive using a 30-30 combination, I'm here to tell you that Tony just spun his way up these massive 20+% grades while I was cramping up trying to push my 30-23. He had plenty in the tank at mile 90 while I was simply getting dragged around by him. Ain't gonna happen this year ... mark my words!! I'm putting on the power and the gears. Beside, the organizers are considering making this a real race and not just a tour and I want to be ready.

-mark