Originally Posted by
I_like_cereal
I did use the bail out gear, but I stopped because it felt "harder" to maintain cadence than it does with the 39/25. I feel more comfortable with the 39/25 than the 30/25. Odd? I think so, but I can keep a more equal cadence with the 39/25 than the 30/25. It may change with the new wheel I had to get yesterday.
That's perfectly valid. A lot of MTBers climb in that cadence, and San Fransisco couriers. furballi's advice is based on commonly accepted wisdom derived from the cadence of pro road racers. When applied to other groups of cyclists it turns out to be garbage:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/cycl...nt-rider-42241
In fact, I can estimate your power output at around 100W from your climb speed, and your cadence is about right for this power output. (And I'd have made the same mistake as furballi until recently.)