Zef

To the OP, the hilliest race I recall in CT was the state road race, which if I recall correctly was out in the Roxbury area...I don't know if they are still using the same course as the late 80s early 90s, but I recall the climbs being long and steep. I rode this race as a Junior with a 13-26 7spd cassette and 53/39 crankset. If you think you need anything lower in CT than a 26x39 then either they grew steeper hills since I left or you just need to train more.


-J

sch

One other consideration besides the maybe difficult to find JUNIOR intended Shimano cassettes (ie meant to meet
the needs of gear ratio limits placed on junior racers) is that IIRC the rule is based on the rollout of the bike in its
largest gear: eg: https://www.google.com/search?q=juni...hrome&ie=UTF-8

So wheel diameters variance with different tires can make a calculated legal bike illegal with the rollout test.

Mr IGH

OP, join a club and get some current advice. The member Doge has experience racing in modern times. The other folks giving you advice here have no experience and it shows with the quality of their responses.

Good luck, I raced a little as a Junior back in the 70's, it's important to find a club with members that can help you get started.

DiabloScott

Doesn't Di2 allow you to block out the smallest cog?

Blocked gears for juniors are legal on anything up to Nat's.

pmt

The answer here is to get a set of Wickwerks chainrings in 41/33. Then you can use any 11-whatever cassette you like, and you're guaranteed to be junior-legal for any race. The shifting is like butter between them as well.

70sSanO

Unless I missed one of the OP's posts. He is going to run a 52/36. He is not open to suggestions other than how to build a 14-30 or 14-32 cassette. He has that info. He just has to do it and get a compatible RD.

John

pmt

Right, well, he needs to rethink that. If he changes to 41/33 rings, as I think his existing crank will take, then he can pretty much use any cassette out there without worry. He can quickly borrow an adult-geared wheel in case of a flat and still race without cassette changes or issues.

70sSanO

Maybe... but I think he would need to go with XTR Di2 derailleurs to accommodate a 41t chainring. I don't know the ins and outs of Di2 setups, but I wouldn't think a typical double FD shifts like butter with a 41 large chainring.

John

Rishav

I live around allot of hills, and it makes a difference during fast descents and sprints.


I talked to some other juniors in the area and figured it out. I put an Ultegra 14-28 cassette on the back. Doge's reply was very helpful lol. thanks for the advice!


For the people concerned about my bike being too expensive to race, I don't think I could back to mechanical after using electronic shifting for so long lol. And my coach needs to see my power data after races, so I can't exactly race without that. I considered insuring my bike for snapped frames, damaged carbon rims etc.. but with those monthly fees... naahhh...

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Mr IGH

I got tired of high school coaching (basketball and track), joined a racing club my freshman year. Won three state championships as a Junior (2 TT, 1 RR), raced against Mark Gorski on Thursday nights at Northbrook, won plenty of points races, sucked at the miss-and-out, took 8th place in the 1978 Jr TT Nationals. I had a full Campy/531 bike, I used to get lectured from no-nothings about what I deserved to ride.....

Good luck!