nightshade18

Evening all,

I have a cheap road bike in the garage after having a brief flirt with commuting to work a couple of years ago. I've now decided I want to give it another try and spent tonight washing and adjusting my bike. The only problem I have is that I've moved house to the top of a pretty decent hill - at least I think it is as an unfit rider. Here's a profile from google:



So my question to you lovely guys and girls is what can I do to my bike to make that hill.... uh ... manageable?

My bike is a Carerra Virtuoso - not the lightest thing in the world. It has a 36 tooth inner chain ring and I think a 23t is the largest gear at the back. I don't want to spend lots on it because, hey I might not carry on commuting and it's only a cheap bike, but also I don't want the hill to put me off. If the bug bites, I'll upgrade to something else as the frame is a bit on the larger size for me and I think I'd rather sit up a bit to protect my back.

So what are my options?
Could this bike take a triple chain ring? or could I swap the rear cogs? Or something else I haven't considered?

Link to my bike below if that helps - thank you all very much in advance for any help you might be able to offer

Cheers
Stu


Carrera Virtuoso review - BikeRadar

Kindaslow

Gearing is your friend!!! I have a very large hill on the way to work, and a shorter but steeper hill on the way back. So, I set-up my crank and cassette to take on these hills and not be a puddle of sweat.


And, ride more hills. The more you do it the easier it gets.

Leebo

Pics of bike?

nightshade18

Um not the best pic considering the nature of this thread, however I cycled the width of the UK on it years ago and took this at the top - hartside seems like nothing compared to the hill to my house lol




kindaslow - I figured I need to change the gearing, but what I don't know is will anything fit this bike? Do I just buy a different front cog or do I need to change derailuer? How would a triple work, because I think the shifters only have two steps? Or do I just change the rear cog set, and if so, what would fit the wheel and be a useable replacement - again do I worry about the derailuer?

Kindaslow

Let us know your current drivetrain and the make/model of the bike, then options might be more obvious. Personally, I change the entire drivetrain on my commuter to MTB parts. It made sense for my commute.

wphamilton

Ask in the Mechanics forum for specifics of the cog and rear derailleur.

Replacing the cogs is the cheapest and easiest option, and gives you more gear than replacing the chain ring. I'm not good enough to recognize the DR from that picture but FWIW it looks like a long-cage to me and could handle a 30 or 32 tooth cog. Get a MTB cassette, a cassette wrench, a new chain (maybe), and see if that's enough for that hill.

GovernorSilver

My bike has a 38T single chain ring on its crankset and a Shimano 8-speed internal gear hub. I suspect if I had a more common compact double or triple crankset with a 34T or smaller chain ring, climbing the hill to my house would be a bit easier. Its a 7%-9% grade. The bike is about 34 lbs.

At the time I was bike-shopping I didn't know I was making climbing a bit harder for myself by selecting this bike, but I've dealt with it by........ climbing the hill. Yes, it's sucked - by the time I reach my house, I'm gasping for breath, my lungs feel like they're going explode, and my legs are burning. When I first starting riding, I had to drop to my lowest gear and frantically pedal as fast I can to climb. Now, on a good day, I can climb part of the way on my 3rd lowest gear, standing and using my bodyweight for leverage, then sit down, drop to my 2nd lowest gear, and pedal seated to finish.

As for protecting your back, assuming your seatpost is at the proper height and all that, standing might work. For seated pedaling, REI's climbing article advises pushing your butt back on the saddle while leaning forward. Climbing Hills on Your Bike: How to - REI Expert Advice

To REI's advice I would add rolling your shoulders back to minimize that lower back bend.

BTW, there are some days where because of the mileage I'd ridden and/or the effort I'd expended I just don't have the energy to climb all the way home. On those days, I just climb as far as I can, then dismount and walk my bike up, calling it a day.

nightshade18

Kindaslow - all detailed in the first post. The bike is a Carerra Virtuoso and the drive train is 36 chain ring to a 23 at the rear. Actually the rear set is a Shimano HG50 according to that link at the bottom.

wphamilton - I'll pop over to that forum and re-post - thanks for the idea.

GovenorSilver - do you walk up in cleats? I'm thinking it might be a task!

hyegeek

The best thing to do to your bike for hill riding is to ride it. The more you do, the easier it gets. All the other suggestions are good as well.

If I'm doing my math correctly, that hill is about a 9% grade. It should not take long to get to where that is no big deal. My commute has grades up to 20%. It took a while, but they are now just another hill.

nightshade18

Really? yikes - I thought my hill was a monster. How long is your 20%er??

hyegeek

My commute in to work has two big hills. One only gets to 10% or so and is about a mile long. The second gets to around 18% and is a bit over a mile long. On the way home, I have not only the other side of those two hills but a third that gets to 20% The 20% section is only about 1/4 of a mile long.

At this point, a 10% hill is where I catch my breath. .

Total one way length of my commute is 18 miles half of which is gravel.

GovernorSilver

No, I wear skate shoes when I ride. My bike still has the stock platform pedals, but I want to upgrade them MKS Lamdas/Grip Kings or MKS Sneaker Pedals to improve wet weather grip.

MZilliox

have you tried riding the hill? just ride the hill, i don't understand. 36 x 23 should be great for hills. 36 x anything should get you up a hill. clip ins, flats, doesn't matter, but for commuting, flats are way easier than clipping in.

All there is here is hills, never flat, not just one hill, but hills. Because of that i bought bikes with triples. I never use the granny, finding that 40x28 is plenty low for 3 mile long 6-15% hills. My other bike is 42x28 for the middle, and i rarely drop to granny on that one either. there is one killer that has dropped me to the granny once or twice, but only when its at the end of the ride, not the beginning. My riding is nothing special, so if i can ride hills in the 42, anyone should be able to ride hills in a 36 or 32 low.

don't fear the hill, its the best and fastest way to get exercise and improve your cycling. Unless you don't want to get in better shape and be better at riding your bike. then walk it up the hill every time.

last thought, easiest solution is simple, just buy a rear cassette with wider gearing, like a 14-32 or something.

jfowler85

Agreed - just ride the hill.

Disagreed - clipless makes riding easier.

Agreed - easiest/cheapest option is a shminao mega range cassette/freewheel...assuming the RD and chain can handle it.

SouthFLpix

It's possible to gear a bike low enough to get up any hill. Touring bikes are often geared in the low 20s (gear inches). I am also a fan of electric bikes if you want to ride uphill without breaking a sweat.

MZilliox

we agree, I agree riding clipless is a bit easier for power transfer, but I don;t agree its easier as a commuter, if that is yoru riding style. as a commuter, i'm stopping at lights, in and out for lunches, grabbing coffee, stopping for a chat, etc etc. being clipped slows me down and is much more uncomfortable.

Long rides in the woods, sure, clip in, racing yoru buddies, clip in, riding to work and around town? why bother? of course i'd never commute in a jersey either.

kickstart

I ride up a mile long 15% grade on a 65 lb bike with a 44-24 8 speed IGH (26-GI), or a 40 lb bike with a 39/52-14/34 2X5 (31-GI).

The trick is to just stick with it.


A strong experienced rider might be able to apply more power with foot retention, but moving ones foot forward on the pedal reduces strain and perceived effort.

Phil_gretz

Stu,

I've looked at the photos, and I'd be really, really surprised if the rear cogset isn't 13-28T. [EDIT: Review implies 26T, 37 GI {Bike Radar**] You have plenty low gearing for any hill. Start riding that twice daily. Every day. Soon, it'll be no big deal.

Ride more and you'll soon wonder why you even had this question. You'd also benefit from foot retention. I prefer clipless, after having been a toe clip guy for many years. Don't listen to naysayers and coddlers, you can do this. Get after it!

EDIT: I just read the bikeradar review of the bike. Lowest is 37 gear inches, which translates to a 26T rear cog. So, it's low enough for your hills.

Jim from Boston

FYA, check this recent thread on the Road Cycling Forum, ” Climbing short, steep hills. Experiences wanted....

Also, if riding for fitness, consider this change of attitude as recommended in this thread, ”Long, steep hills are an investment that shouldn't be wasted.”

nightshade18

Thanks guys - yes, as I've discovered my other thread in the repair section, don't believe what someone else wrote about your bike on the internet - go out and look!
I counted the teeth this morning and it is indeed 26 and 36. The guys over there recon I can change the rear cassette for a 30t if I want to without too much hassle or expense.

Meantime I will just get on the hill, I have no need for the car tomorrow so it'll be my first day back on the bike - I'll let you know how I get on.

I know a few of you have said my current gearing should let me ride up mt everest without breaking a sweat, but maybe I'm just not in the same league as you all. Because of having to drop the children at school, I'll likely get 2 days a week over the summer holidays, then it will be odd days I can cycle - perhaps 2 or 3 a month depending on my wife shifts. So I don't see a big increase in fitness with that level of cycling coming quickly (at all?!?)
At my peak 3 years ago I cycled 4 days a week for 4 months - it's a 20 mile round trip, though I used to live at the bottom of that big hill. Even at my fittest, I'm sure I couldn't have made that hill as smaller ones defeated me reguraly.
But then all I was doing is riding the flats and focusing on getting to work safely, and to be fair that's all I'm interested in now - I'm not aiming for mega fitness.

I'll pop in tomorrow and give you a giggle at how far before I was pushing
I've even gone as far as bringing all my work gear in today so I don't have the extra weight on panniers tomorrow

tarwheel 

I would bring your bike by your local bike shop and find out the biggest rear cassette that your derailleurs can handle. You could also explore changing the rear derailleur to one that could handle a cassette with a 34 cog, as well as a compact crank with smaller chainrings (most are 50-34). For more money, you could explore changing your bike's drivetrain to a triple, but that would involve changing a lot more parts -- the crank, shifters, front and rear derailleurs and cassette.

Reducing the weight of gear that you carry will help, but not as much as gearing. Fitness is perhaps the biggest issue. Riding more hills will make you stronger, and eventually your big hill will get easier to climb if you start riding it more often.

jfowler85

Hey, to each his/her own. I commute in full kit with single entry clipless; this is also how I run errands, albeit I change to shoes that are easier to walk in.

nightshade18

Well guys, I've made that first commute. 11 mile each way - took 45 mins there and 1 hour home. I don't think that's so bad as I haven't ridden in 18 months.

So the hill? I actually felt pretty good on the way home, got into a bit of a rhythm and got the legs spinning over nicely. I hit that hill with as much speed as I could and managed to get about half way up before I just physically couldn't push the pedals any more. I sat for a few mins, pushed maybe 50m of the steepest section, then hopped back on and powered to the top.

I have a couple more days I can cycle in next week, so I'm looking forward to that.

GovernorSilver

Good job!

No shame in taking breaks while climbing. I'm guessing the fact that you climbed it half-way before taking a break is already giving you some confidence. I know I needed to gain some confidence by climbing shorter segments before I could start tackling longer ones.

nightshade18

to be honest I'm amazed that I made it to work, never mind back and halfway up the hill. I had a backup plan on taking the train to from work to the bottom of the hill if I was really tired - so happy I didn't need to do that!