eja_ bottecchia

I don't always agree with zymphad, but in this instance I don't think that he is being a dick.

You did not provide enough information in your first post for him to give you specific advice, so he gave you the general advice all cyclists know--to climb better/easier you need to: A. lose weight (it is a power-to-weight ratio issue) and B. climb a lot of hills.

Now that you have given out more information, the answer is that you probably need to change your cassette and rear derailleur so that you can get gearing close to the gearing found in a mountain bike. Beyond that, a stiffer and lighter frame plus lighter wheels will also help. Changing the gearing, however, remains the most viable option.

Good luck and happy climbing!

therhodeo

I think with a med. cage RD you could possibly get away with a 30 or 32 on the back. That should be a huge improvement over a 26.

banerjek

Sure, but your plan doesn't sound like a good one for your current condition. I believe your bike is a 9 speed. As such, you can put a cheap 11-34 or 11-36 MTB cassette and an MTB RD. That will make it noticeably easier to pedal -- it will give you exactly one more gear.

But putting on that kind of gearing so you can do a climb is not going to give you any fitness advantage over keeping your existing gearing and riding on terrain that's better suited to your capabilities. The climbs you're proposing are serious, but are also totally doable with what you have. The other thing I'd be concerned about are your descents. Aside from not having a chance to develop the handling skills yet, braking is a big deal. For example, if you just ride them like a lot of people who don't ride that much do, you might find that you just melt them and wind up with no braking power.

Running and cycling are very different activities. You'll have a great cardio base which will help a lot, but that does not translate to a lot of other things you need. Do you do other sports in addition to running? If so, this should be a familiar issue.

ThisIsNotMic

Agreed, and in a previous post I pointed out that I made a mistake and took offense when I didn't need to. Thanks for your suggestions.

ThisIsNotMic

From the little I know, I think going to a 30 or 32 would be great. I think that's the route I'm headed.

ThisIsNotMic

I guess I shouldn't have even mentioned my running background. I'm not trying to make any case that because I ran I have some sort of advantage or cardio base or anything of the sort that will translate to cycling. And I don't think putting on a different cassette and/or crank is going to make me magically fly up a mountain, the same way a new pair of running shoes isn't going to take a min off your 5k time. Thanks for the advice on the descents.

eja_ bottecchia

I should have read through all your posts. BTW, Mt. Washington sounds like a hell of a climb. The view from the top (one of the rewards of a hard climb) must be awesome.

ThisIsNotMic

I've run it multiple times, and exactly as you state, it's the feeling at the top that makes it worth it.

Jakedatc

Luckily, you're not allowed to ride down Mt washington, you need someone with you to bring you down in a car. no driver, no race. Ascutney on the other hand is open all the time and is apparently a popular hang gliding spot so the road is always open to traffic. which would be terrifying.

Jakedatc

meh.. too many freaking people. most of which drove up in a car. There are far better mountains in the Presi's with similar views... but you have to hike there

Homebrew01

Don't forget to get a longer chain to match the bigger cassette. You can save the old chain in case you put your current cassette back on.

ThisIsNotMic

Good to know. Thank you.

banerjek

Actually, it's a good thing you mentioned it. Otherwise, I would have thought you were insane. In these forums, we regularly see people lacking both conditioning and experience trying things that are pretty tough. It's sort of like watching beginning runners go straight to marathons, which they do all the time.

BTW, do you have a 26 or a 28? You've reported both. If the latter is the case, don't waste your money on the 30 -- you'll barely be able to tell the difference if you can at all. If you have a 28, going the 32 route is going to be noticeable. If this gearing change is the difference between you making it and not making it, this is not a good plan.

An extra gear can make life noticeably easier and help you last longer, but it definitely shouldn't keep you from climbing a few thousand feet. If you have a 26 and go to 36, the difference will be massive. Expect people to give you grief if you show up with a 36 on the rear.

hueyhoolihan

i assume you have a 110 BCD on your crank, if so, you can get a 33t chainring (TA). i would also look into buying an inexpensive, compatible to your hub, 30t cassette, which will probably work. that should help, but honestly, it will only be marginal. those hills, mountains, in the northeast can be brutal. anywhere north of virginia to maine, and east to ohio...

ThisIsNotMic

Sorry if I posted that I have a 28. I have 11-26, so I'm thinking if I can get my hands on a 30 or 32 I'll be a happy climber.

ThisIsNotMic

Just looked up the 33t, not a bad idea at all. Thank you.

svtmike

I've never experienced this. I've had people offer me money for my gearing though.

banerjek

Just so you know, you probably won't notice any difference between going from 34 to 33T. 26 to 30 will be very noticeable. 26 to 34 or 36 will be absolutely massive, but you'll definitely need to pick up a cheap MTB RD to accommodate it.

This can help you determine how much difference various gear combos make.

Elvo

The Trek 1.1 is probably at least 20 lbs. There are 9 lb bikes you can buy that will make it much easier to go up.

rpenmanparker 

This is really not correct. It is really hard to ride so slow that you can hardly keep your balance just so you won't be exerting so hard. If you are that unable to manage hills, just don't do it.

ThisIsNotMic

I've said at least 3x that I know there isn't a secret formula. And I know my bike has typical climbing ratios, but I'm looking at atypical climbs. And if gearing doesn't help, then maybe im missing the point of gears.

pgjackson

There is no such thing. Hills don't get easier, you just get faster. The misery still remains.

svtmike

This is patently incorrect as a generalization. The right gears for the rider can make the difference between riding up and walking up a seriously steep hill. The right gears give you a choice between standing and sitting. The right gears give you the choice to mash or spin.

Options are good.

banerjek

All you need is a recumbent trike. I can keep my balance while taking a nap in mine.

Some trike riders rock 11-32s. Mount that on a 20" wheel, add a triple on the front, and you can tow a canoe up a 15% grade. Of course, it would be faster to walk than ride with that setup...

pgjackson

I know. I deleted that post after reading more. At this point I think you just got off to a bad start here. We were thinking it was about the knee injury and wanting to keep up with people on hills. You are actually planning a competition ride ride up a mountain. I think if you had left out the knee injury stuff and indicated that you were preparing for race you would have had the answer you were looking for within a few posts without all the controversy. Like many have said, gearing will help a little, but hills just suck.