Originally Posted by
InTheRain
Clifton... I'm not questioning you at all on the effectiveness of the gearing change. I know you are an excellent long distance rider and randonuer. I'm just saying that if the goal is the STP, I don't know if it is worth changing the cassette and derailleur. I didn't encounter any really long hills on the STP. The two most difficult - Puyallup and just before Vader? They aren't really long hills and I saw plenty of people walking their bikes up those hills. I agree, if a person is going to ride a lot of hills (I think the Seattle Rando folks try to find these hills on the routes that they cycle) then the change to the 11-32 or 11-34 would be worth it. Most of the bigger recreational riders that I know try to avoid hills (I include myself in that group.)
Thank you for the compliment. And you are correct; I don't suggest dropping money into changing out a drivetrain just for STP. "The Hill" out of Puyallup is the longest climb on the route, and it's barely a mile long at less than 6% grade. The worst hill on the course is that quarter-mile steep climb coming off Rt. 30 in Oregon to get into downtown Portland at mile 195-ish.
Let me clarify my reason on gearing choices: The club I ride with (Seattle Int'l Randonneurs) intentionally picks the routes and roads which most riders in the area avoid, or we take what most people would call a 3 day tour (Like the Courage Classic 3-Pass) and turn it into a single day event.
While my gearing selections are effective for climbing lots of hills, most recreational riders won't need that sort of overkill. For the average 7% - 8% grades over 0.5 - 0.75 miles on a typical club ride in the Seattle area, a 34/50 compact with a 12 - 27 cassette is fine.
For STP, even a relatively new rider can get away with a standard double (39/52) and a tight 12 - 25 cassette with minimal problems on the hills. The real challenge of STP isn't the course itself; it's the distance. Once you know what and how much to eat/drink on a long ride, the STP is an easy ride.
Sometimes I forget myself, and assume that everyone wants to ride Squawk Mtn and Zoo Hill just for fun.