TnBama

Where can you go to see that kind of thing talked about?

I was reading, maybe on Podium Cafe, some racer was talking about the chainrings and cogs he would probably use to get through certain stages of the Giro. He seemed to have a wide selection of sizes to choose in mind. I am guessing the team mechanics will just change that day to day for the different routes and the different riders. He was talking about sizes you never see offered on the usual bike for sale.

It just started me wondering. I wonder who makes them all? You don't see all those different size cassettes and chain-rings on the big three component maker's websites. I will say I got my wide-range cassette from IRD and I love it.

VA_Esquire

What gearing do you want? Major manufacturers make them, you just have to buy them.

pdedes

they'll use whatever they need. in order to avoid being hors delai (outside the time limit) the non-climbers will band together in the autobus. so even if they're outside the time limit, the tour cannot dq riders finishing with the same time that constitute a given percentage of the peloton.

Drew Eckhardt 

Lance used a 53-39 x 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-22-23 in the 2001 Tour on the Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden with seven large aluminum cogs from Specialties T.A because he pined for the missing 22 up l'Alpe d'Huez.

Most of the other riders were content with stock 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23 9 speed (Shimano) or 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23 10 speed (Campagnolo) cogs.

https://velonews.competitor.com/2001/...t-that-22_1242

TA Specialties makes pretty much any chain ring you'd want to buy. Miche makes Campagnolo and Shimano splined 8/9/10 speed cogs with 11-16T starting cogs and 1 tooth steps from up to 29. Marchisio has similar offerings.

I can't stand wide range cassettes when riding at more than a hard tempo pace and don't care to swap based on the ride.

I rode 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21 in the 8 speed era when living in Boulder, CO (including Ride The Rockies covering 418 miles from Grand Junction to Golden with 30,000 feet of climbing and the Mike Horgan Memorial Hill Climb) and moved to 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23 when Campagnolo scrapped that cassette.

I paired the 13-21 8 speed with 50-40-30 to net a low enough climbing gear (like 42x28 or 39x26) and 9 speed 13-23 with 50-34.

If a tough climb and my belly call for a low like 34x32 it'll take the form of 28x26 with 10 cogs and I'd have chosen 24x23 if restricted to 9 cogs.

bbattle

The pros have used whatever they needed to get up over the climbs; compact cranks, triples, cassettes custom made to their needs. While you may not find the same combinations at your LBS, you can obtain them with a little work. Somebody used a 52-34 compact crankset in last year's Giro with an 11-28 cassette. Not recommended, but they probably had to shift the FD a couple of times the whole stage.

Most people here in the Roadie forum use 53-39 with an 11-21 cassette. When crossing the Rockies, we'll switch to an 11-25. At least, those who haven't HTFU yet will.

TnBama

Yes, I know. I really like your sig photo btw

TnBama

I wondered about that. For stages with climbs, but that still had a sprint at the finish- and the rider thought they might have a chance to be in on it if they survived the climby part.

As far as the 42 forum guys- and the big gears-I didn't know that. But I felt in their auras.