climbing

12-23 isn't really what I'd call a low gear, especially if you struggle at climbing. I have an 11-23 on one of my wheels and I went out to do some hills one day and didn't realize I had that cassette on until it was too late to turn around. I went through with it anyway, helluva challenge! Some of the grades were 15-20%, and my cadence was in the 30's and 40's a lot. Most of the time I spent standing. I'd recommend getting as many extra teeth on your cassette as possible, at least 25. I have a campy 13-29 that I like to climb with. On the other hand, you can go with the compact crank (50-34) on the front, but I don't have any experience with them. It also depends on how steep your hills are that you're going to be on.

So you think it would be impractical to try and climb with 12 -23? perhaps an upgrade to a 12-27 would be better? any thoughts on that?

john

Bikeridindude said:

12-23 isn't really what I'd call a low gear, especially if you struggle at climbing. I have an 11-23 on one of my wheels and I went out to do some hills one day and didn't realize I had that cassette on until it was too late to turn around. I went through with it anyway, helluva challenge! Some of the grades were 15-20%, and my cadence was in the 30's and 40's a lot. Most of the time I spent standing. I'd recommend getting as many extra teeth on your cassette as possible, at least 25. I have a campy 13-29 that I like to climb with. On the other hand, you can go with the compact crank (50-34) on the front, but I don't have any experience with them. It also depends on how steep your hills are that you're going to be on.

Go the 12-27 as you will still have a big gear for descending.

seksy_johnny3 said:

So you think it would be impractical to try and climb with 12 -23? perhaps an upgrade to a 12-27 would be better? any thoughts on that?

john

I'd go for a 12-27 or 12-25.

I wouldn't say that a 12-23 is impractical for climbing, it mostly depends on your fitness level. Power to weight ratio comes largely into play. It seems as though you may be somewhat new to the game, so I would suggest getting the 12-27. There's no need to limit yourself unneccessarily. The drawback of the 12-27 is that it has larger "jumps" between gears compared to the 12-23, which won't hinder you at all. Also, you may need the next larger rear der. cage to accomodate the larger range of gears, which doesn't amount to much either (a couple of grams, if that). I think that if you find yourself on a long steep hill, you'll appreciate having the 27.🙂

Bikeridindude said:

I wouldn't say that a 12-23 is impractical for climbing, it mostly depends on your fitness level. Power to weight ratio comes largely into play. It seems as though you may be somewhat new to the game, so I would suggest getting the 12-27. There's no need to limit yourself unneccessarily. The drawback of the 12-27 is that it has larger "jumps" between gears compared to the 12-23, which won't hinder you at all. Also, you may need the next larger rear der. cage to accomodate the larger range of gears, which doesn't amount to much either (a couple of grams, if that). I think that if you find yourself on a long steep hill, you'll appreciate having the 27.🙂

Fitness level is crucial, as is technique (you can be as fit as you like, but if you've got no technique, you'll struggle). A lot also depends on what sort of climbs you're talking about. If you're talking short-ish (less than a couple of miles), then even if they're hellishly steep, then you can probably get up them using your 23 and going into the red physically. On long mountain climbs, you're going to struggle because you need to stay within your aerobic threshold - ie the effort has to be sustainable because otherwise you're just going to stop dead. In that scenario you really need to have some bail-out options. I went to the alps for the first time this year, with a 13-26 9spd and I would have been completely screwed if I hadn't also thrown a triple on the front (30t granny ring). To put that in perspective, I can get up anything closer to home (the worst is a 2.5km [censored] of a hill) on the same bike in 42/23.
Technique: Again, for shorter climbs you can almost sprint up them - out of the saddle, attack it. For longer climbs you're looking to get into a rhythm, trying to keep your cadence up rather than grinding, making every part of the pedal stroke count, not just stamping on the downstroke. Look at some videos of mountain stages - the real climbers are locked into the bike, no wasted energy, no swaying shoulders. You'll also notice they're looking way ahead, eyes glued to the furthest point on the road - helps your mental focus - once your eyes slide down to just in front of your front wheel, you get no sense of progress. Getting out of the saddle every now and then uses your muscles in a slightly different way and can ease the discomfort, as well as getting you back up to cadence after hairpin bends, but if you find you need to do it all the time, you gearing's probably too high. Another tip, the longer the climb, the more you need to dose out your effort - go too hard on the lower slopes and if you blow up, you'll just park it. Save the big effort for when you can see the top!

seksy_johnny3 said:

hi guys,

i was actually wondering if you'd be able to answer a question of mine about climbing...
the bike i'm about to purchase has 39-53 on the front, and 12-23 on the back. will this be low enough gearing to decent climbs? a triple chain ring isnt an option, and i'd rather not have to put a compact on it, so do u think this will suffice? also, when climbing, is there any key pointers i should take into consideration? i've only been a few times (on my current hybrid) and have struggled like all hell.

many thanks,

john

I ride a 53/39 and 12-27 for my regular rides in the Dandenongs, seems to work for me. The 27 isnt used all that much but its good to know its there, and there are much harder climbs around other than the Dandenongs where I am sure the 27 will be required for me!

Andrew

I was riding a 40/23 but not using the 23 - using my 21(saving the 23 for when I was deserate). I went riding with a friend and another guy. They dropped me on hills and both suggested I go for lower gearing.

I've now got a 38/27 = 36 inch gear which is the same as a 36/25 in compact gearing.

So much better - cadence is up and fatigue is down on longer climbs. I use that gear much more🙂 .

My saddle sores have increased though as I'm sitting down so much more climbing:o
If I were you I'd be going for a 12-27 Ultegra(not made in 105 anymore) and stick with the 39 up front. Try that before spending large amounts on a compact or triple.

Without knowing your pedaling style, fitness level, and your definition of a hill your question is pretty hard to answer. I'd suggest that you head to www.sheldonbrown.com and have a look at the gear calculator. If you know at what speed you usually tackle your hills you can find out what cadence you will need. For instance 39-23 at 60 RPM would mean something like 13 km/h.

As per the others, it really depends on type of rider you are.

I use 53/42/30 11-21 and I never go lower than 42-21 on any of the climbs around sydney, such as Royal National Park. BTW, the 30 does have a purpose, when the chain drops off the 42, its caught by the 30.

Why don't you ride with what you have got and find out if its right or wrong for you. Only you can decide.

Bigbananabike said:

I was riding a 40/23 but not using the 23 - using my 21(saving the 23 for when I was deserate). I went riding with a friend and another guy. They dropped me on hills and both suggested I go for lower gearing.

I've now got a 38/27 = 36 inch gear which is the same as a 36/25 in compact gearing.

So much better - cadence is up and fatigue is down on longer climbs. I use that gear much more🙂 .

My saddle sores have increased though as I'm sitting down so much more climbing:o
If I were you I'd be going for a 12-27 Ultegra(not made in 105 anymore) and stick with the 39 up front. Try that before spending large amounts on a compact or triple.

How does them dropping you on hills mean you have to go for lower gearing? If you like to spin and have more ratios to maintain a constant effort then something like a 12-27 would be good. If you friends are dropping you, it is fitness, not gearing. A lower gear will not make you go faster, it will allow you to go slower.

bobbyOCR said:

A lower gear will not make you go faster, it will allow you to go slower.

Not necessarily. If you're a spinner and don't have the gearing available to let you keep your cadence high, then as soon as you go out of your comfortable rev range you'll go backwards pretty quickly.