aooa

First off I know there's no comparison going to proper road bike.. But at the moment I have mountain bike that I've been using a lot on the road with a bit of steep hills.. wondering what I can do to make going uphill better.. I have a 2009 cannondale F7.. here's some specs from web..

Frame: CO2 Alloy 1 1/8"
Fork: RST Gila Pro, 100mm w/ Lock out
Rims: Jalco Disc x320, 32Hole
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X-4
Crank: FSA CK-306TT, 22/32/44
Brakes: Avid BB-5 Mechanical Disc

I've already changed to semi slick tires kinda 26x1.5.. anything else I can do to help with the hills?? Anything I can do regarding the gears?

Thanks in advance for any information and suggestions you can provide..

wallrat

You're not going to get better gearing for climbing hills than you already have on your mountain bike. I'd suggest making sure you have your front shocks locked off. Any type of bounce on your shocks would slow you down uphill. Check your tire inflation too. Go towards the upper limit of what your tire will support.

aooa

I was also thinking about changing the handlebar to a bullhorn... I started attending spin classes and really like the hand position with a bullhorn off the saddle.. just need to find out what size is ideal for me and compatible with the bike..

good idea about the shocks - will have to turn that off and see how much it makes a difference... where I ride there's a 4km stretch of uphill with almost 90m elevation with upto 6% grade according to strava... was thinking of possibly getting different crankset/cassette that would allow me to be able to switch gears between on and off the saddle... with current bike, I'd be off the saddle for a while but when I get too tired and need to sit back down, I'd have to shift through multiple gears before I can get to the correct gear that allows me to have a decent cadence - but all that time I'm loosing huge momentum... mind you, as you have probably realized, I'm not a very experienced rider.. so maybe it's all with my abilities and not the bike...

appreciate your time and input..

LesterOfPuppets

Just get some barends. Most bullhorns are roadbike diameter, a little bigger than mtb, so sometimes tough to get shifters and brakes onto.

Or go vintage and get Brahma Bars, Scott at-2 or 3. You'd probably have to get another stem for those bars - 25.4mm clamp.

I like to sit and spin all the way til close to the top of a road grind. Once near the top up shift twice stand up then power over the top, put her in the big ring.

You can switch back and forth to just practice shifting. Pedal light while shifting.

aooa

Thanks for that tip... definitely need to learn to shift properly / efficiently.. I'll try that this weekend.. re: barends.. was originally thinking about that but I find with the stock handle bars are a little bit wide for bar end position for me... that's why I was thinking of replacing with narrow bullhorns instead.. thanks for the info - will have to watch out for sizing if I go that route..

hermanchauw

Just move all the stuff on your handlebar inboard and you can mount your barends narrower.

wallrat

It takes time to build up your riding muscles and lungs. Focus on your strengths. If you are strong cardiovascular, go in your lowest gear with a high cadence and spin your way up to the top. If you have beastly legs, put it in a higher gear and stand up to pedal. You can also play with what feels good to you. The way I usually approach hills is to start in a low gear and get into a comfortable rhythm. When I am close to the summit, say 25% to the top, I'll move to a higher gear and stand up to pedal harder. You often hear people say, start slow and finish strong. If you start strong, you might not make it to the top.