Originally Posted by RockyMtnMerlin
Barcelona rider, your posts are a really fun to read! FWIW, although I'm sure you have ridden it and will disagree, here's what cyclingnews.com says about gear ratios on the Angliru, "As those of us who ride sit back in awe, it all comes home in a most frightening and real manner when we think of the gearing used: chainrings of 30 or 32 teeth and rear sprockets of 25 or more." And that was their observation for racers in the Vuelta.
Riders in the vuelta get to the angliru after 1-2 weeks of 45kph riding and one the day probably do a ouple of passes before they do the angliru. I would do it on fresh legs and a good warm up hence I would not need anything as low as a 30-25!!!!! Besides I would not go up it at racing speed; merely go up slowly without having to put my foot down for pride's sake which means having a 36-27 would be more or less ok, although I daresay I would attempt t on a 39-25.