1500SLR

tomato coupe

No, I'm betting he doesn't.

1500SLR

I just gave you a free tip on how to be a faster rider, and not look like a panting dog under stress. You should be thankful I bothered.

f4rrest

We're all thankful for your contribution.

Keep it up.

Where do you climb?

1500SLR

Australia.

f4rrest

I've never been.

What's the altitude like?

1500SLR

There's lots of small hills, but hills, all kinds of category climbs, and then some proper mountains up to 7,300ft. You can probably check it out on Strava routes. Here's a review of summiting the biggest mountain in Australia. Mt Hotham is a tougher climb in Victoria with sections above 10%

Wheever

f4rrest

Looks fun. I'll have to get there some day.

BillyD

Guys, I've taken notice of those individuals taking pot shots at somebody just because you disagree with him. Don't start trouble then point a finger at the other guy because he defends himself. If you can't be civil, leave the thread.

BillyD

Uh huh.

​​​​​​​Uh huh.

tomato coupe

Sorry. I thought his statement was meant as a joke, so I responded in kind.

Carbonfiberboy 

There's a thread over in 50+
https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/1143814-new-science-climbing.html
(well worth a read)

where Greg saysThis is totally true. Many riders don't want other riders to see that they have a pieplate in the back. After all, whoever-pro uses 11-23 so they have to, too. No matter that it's inefficient and exhausting on anything more than a few hundred foot climb. So they say, "get stronger" as if that's going to happen, and even if it does, it'll happen a lot faster if one can climb at a good cadence. But yeah, one should be seated and turning at least an 80 cadence on any common hill one rides.

In my mid-50s, I climbed mult-thousand foot climbs of 5°-8° in a 30 X 23 (35 g.i.). 20 years later, I use a 26 X 27 (26 g.i.) on those same climbs. Nope, didn't get stronger. But I'm still doing them. Use the calculator, work out the gearing you need. I find the greatest advantage in going with the smallest ring I can up front, which makes the jumps in the back a lot closer together when climbing, which is where one needs closer ratios.

Bah Humbug

Picking bike equipment - especially gearing and fit bits - based on the pros is a fool's errand.

Siu Blue Wind

Perhaps asking to clarify next time might help.

I have to admit. There are quite a few people that honestly try to help here and give great tips, hints and suggestions. Granted, what they are willing to share may go challenged and sometimes it gets frustrating trying to explain when you have some jokesters trying to make a fool out of the person trying to help. Remember, they don't HAVE to do this, they can let others wallow in the dark. But they continue to be giving and because of the harshness and non appreciation, this results in the person who is honestly trying to help, become short in patience.

Please... lets be thankful for what is given to us rather than push away the gifts that you may otherwise not be had.

exime

My favorite rings on my 11-28 chain are all cross-chained. I don't know when I'd ever use the big ring with the top gears and that is what it's designed for since that is the least cross-chain. I'd have to squat 800 lbs to be able to use that ring regularly I'm pretty sure and at 155 lbs it isn't going to happen. My favorite on an 11-28 is the small ring rear derailer and small ring front at front which is actually horrible because it's a cross chain. My next bike will have to be a lot more custom because although I love my bike, it really makes no sense. The LBS tells me I'm not supposed to cross-chain but those are the only good gears.

All I know is I would never get an 11-28 again... bad bike fit.

HTupolev

If you're not using your top gears, another option would be to use smaller chainrings. Then you can keep tighter cassette spacing and have more gears that are within the range that you use. There are some road cranks out there with much smaller rings, such as the Sugino OX901D which is available stock in combos like 44-30.

Bah Humbug

And the funny thing is, after years of thinking 11-28s were stupid and loving my 12-27... I'm about ready to switch to 11-28. I could use a slightly easier climbing gear, and now I do wish for bigger gears on certain descents.

May I ask what your chainrings are? If you love small/small and never use small/large it seems like you would enjoy bigger chainrings, so you can use small/large. You could also swap from 11-28 to 12-25 if you never use big/small.

exime

Shimano 105, 50/34 (compact), BB90, Shimano 105, 11-28, 11 speed (2016)

Small/small is my go-to on the flats and hills which is what I'm usually on even though it's cross chained. It's relatively quiet as is the small (rear) ring in general compared to the big ring. Big (front) Ring cross chained is really loud and Big/Small like I said earlier is way out of my power league.

I have been fine tuning other areas over the past year and just haven't gotten to it yet but I'd love to fix it. Swapping a cassette would be easier if that helps me. New Crank I'd have to take to the LBS.

Bah Humbug

Yes, a cassette would be easier. However, even just a 36t small would help, as would a 12-25. Just a suggestion to get you more gears you'd use, without cross-chaining

exime

Thank you so much. Got some wheels coming in a week so good time to fix this. It's gonna be a good year..

Iride01 

Tell that to all the sprinters in the gruppeto behind the peloton when the grand tours get into the serious mountain stages. They've got bulging quads but it doesn't seem to help them in the long run. They do quite well on climbing when the entire stage is not climbing. So there are a lot of if's and's and such to discuss.

At my age, I don't want to get stronger legs. That might blow out my otherwise aging knee joints in which cartiledge and other stuff simply wears out over the years. Chondroitin glucosamine and cortisone injections not withstanding. Lower gearing lets me spin up hills with little impact to my knees. I can't even say I've had sore knees since I really started keeping to the high cadence thing. If you are the one of the old guy exceptions that can still do it. Good for you. But not all of us can. If you are a young guy like I was years ago, I too was mashing out pretty respectable speeds at low cadence. We didn't have the hills where I lived when younger, but I could accelerate pretty good then in a 53F14R even from a dead stop. But I sure can't do that now. Nor do I want to.

80 rpm a 34 front and 34 back are 6.26 mph. Since becoming committed to the concept of spinning, I'm climbing hills at 90 rpm or better. I wish I had that 34F 34R for the metric century I just did. My cadence did get down to around 60 rpm on the very short segment of 12% grade with my 36F 32R combo which gave me just under 6 mph and yes at that point the bike starts to loose stability. But once over that, the remaining 6% grade again was a breeze when I got my cadence back up to over 80 rpm and was able to even shift back to the big 52 on the front and several smaller cogs on the back.


PS.... don't take this as a personal attack. It's just you put the best comments out there to allow me to make my side of the equation. I'm up for a beer anytime if you care to keep it a friendly disagreement. Friends that agree with me all the time are boring. Not fun if you can't argue about something.

tomato coupe

You realize that you can get the same gear ratio as the small-small, cross-chained combo by using your big chain ring and shifting to the middle of your cassette?

HTupolev

16T cog though.

redlude97

It takes a 165lb rider ~300w to maintain 5mph @45rpm in a 39x28 on a 15% gradient. This goes up to ~340 watts @185lbs. While doable, not what I'd recommend.