Gear ratio

Brian Drury said:

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?

A lower ratio cassette like that made a big difference to my road bike.
Yes, go for it.
I also took the opportunity to fit an SRAM chain with a powerlink
(New cassette ratio - new chain)

Someone who knows what they are talking about can give advice on a
compact chainset.

"Brian Drury" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?

Not sure, but your bread's upsidedown.

Brian Drury said:

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

Looking at you current rear derailer cage you may need a longer one to
properly accommodate that cassette (check the group set specs). You'd
also need to replace the chain, or if there's no wear lengthen it.

Quoted message said:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?

Lower gears will allow you to climb steeper inclines and/or allow you to
maintain a proper cadence, it won't get you up an incline any faster.

Quoted message said:

Also, is the gear ratio that I have now reasonable for hill climbing?

Depends on how fit and/or strong you are, fit the gearing to suit your
fitness level.

Quoted message said:

Maybe I am just showing my age 🙁

If you aim to increase your fitness to a higher level, first reach that
level before deciding on what gears to fit.

--
Membrane

"Membrane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian Drury <[email hidden]> wrote:

Lower gears will allow you to climb steeper inclines and/or allow you to
maintain a proper cadence, it won't get you up an incline any faster.

It may well do if the new lower gear suits his natural cadence better and
allows him to spin up the hill more efficiently rather than trying to grind
up and grit his teeth through the lactic acid burn.

Adam

Brian Drury said:

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?
Also, is the gear ratio that I have now reasonable for hill climbing?

I suppose an obvious question would be; what sort of gearing were you
using on the hills?
What extra gearing would the 13-29 give you? 27 and 29?

--
Mike
Van Tuyl titanium Dura ace 10
Fausto Coppi aluminium Ultegra 10
Raleigh Record sprint mongrel

Brian Drury said:

The lure of seeing the TDF was too much so I set off early on Sunday
last to join a small group claiming to do a 'fast' ride to Goudhurst
near Tunbridge Wells.

Fast! supersonic more likely. On the flat was ok but the hills were
very hard at that speed. Some of the hills were hard at any speed.

Normally I am not that slow but this was the first proper ride on the
new bike:

http://www.ibisdesigns.ukfsn.org/cycling/bianchi02.jpg

Arriving home after 120 miles I figured there must be something I can
do to make hill climbing easier. A trip to Evans cycles today
discovered that the cost of adding a triple chain set would be so
great that I may as well buy a new bike.

So I have been browsing around looking at components and I learned a
few things but now I need advice on what to do.

First the techy stuff:

Front rings - 34,50

Rear 10 speed cassette - 12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,23,25

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?
Also, is the gear ratio that I have now reasonable for hill climbing?
Maybe I am just showing my age 🙁

Thanks in advance

Brian

(a) Work out your cadence when cycling on the flat.

(b) Ditto but on the steepest hills you climb.

(c) Compute the gear inches of your current set up in the lowest gear:
34/29*27=31.7

(d) (b)/(a) *(c) will give you the gear inches you need to get the
most efficient set up - or near enough.

Hope that helps.

Ray

in message <[email hidden]>, Brian Drury

(') said:

So I have been browsing around looking at components and I learned a
few things but now I need advice on what to do.

First the techy stuff:

Front rings - 34,50

That's a 'compact'.

Quoted message said:

Rear 10 speed cassette - 12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,23,25

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?

Yes. To fit a 13-29 cassette you'd also need to fit a 'medium cage' rear
mech. It will give you a lowest gear 16% lower.

Quoted message said:

Also, is the gear ratio that I have now reasonable for hill climbing?
Maybe I am just showing my age 🙁

I'm afraid this is probably the case. Lower gears will not make you faster
up hill, they'll just help you to get up hills slowly but comfortably.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Usenet: like distance learning without the learning.

in message <[email hidden]>, John

Hearns (') said:

Brian Drury said:

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?

A lower ratio cassette like that made a big difference to my road bike.
Yes, go for it.
I also took the opportunity to fit an SRAM chain with a powerlink
(New cassette ratio - new chain)

You don't need a new chain when changing cassette, unless the existing
cassette is already worn. You can't use a SRAM chain with a Campag 10
speed set up and I'd be cautious using one with a Campag 9 speed - a
shame, because I think SRAM chains are excellent. However you can (and I
would advise) use a Wipperman Connex link with a Campag 9 or 10 speed
chain - there are specific Wipperman links for each chain type, but Pete
Biggs of this parish recommends using the Wipperman link designed for
Shimano 10 speed with Campag 'narrow' 10 speed chains (and I think he's
probably right but I haven't tried it).

Quoted message said:

Someone who knows what they are talking about can give advice on a
compact chainset.

He already has a compact.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Women are from Venus. Men are from Mars. Lusers are from Uranus.

Brian Drury said:

The lure of seeing the TDF was too much so I set off early on Sunday
last to join a small group claiming to do a 'fast' ride to Goudhurst
near Tunbridge Wells.

Fast! supersonic more likely. On the flat was ok but the hills were
very hard at that speed. Some of the hills were hard at any speed.

thats what i found and do find on club runs.

Quoted message said:

Normally I am not that slow but this was the first proper ride on the
new bike:

http://www.ibisdesigns.ukfsn.org/cycling/bianchi02.jpg

nice bike.

Quoted message said:

Arriving home after 120 miles I figured there must be something I can
do to make hill climbing easier. A trip to Evans cycles today
discovered that the cost of adding a triple chain set would be so
great that I may as well buy a new bike.

So I have been browsing around looking at components and I learned a
few things but now I need advice on what to do.

First the techy stuff:

Front rings - 34,50

Rear 10 speed cassette - 12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,23,25

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?
Also, is the gear ratio that I have now reasonable for hill climbing?
Maybe I am just showing my age 🙁

have a look at <http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/> looking at the ratios
it's about a extra one gear shift down, i guess the question is will
that be enought.

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance

Brian

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

in message <[email hidden]>, Simon Brooke

(') said:

in message <[email hidden]>, John

Hearns (') said:

Brian Drury said:

My simple plan is to replace the cassette with one of these 13 - 29
jobbies:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360019527

So the question really is would this be enough to make a difference?

A lower ratio cassette like that made a big difference to my road bike.
Yes, go for it.
I also took the opportunity to fit an SRAM chain with a powerlink
(New cassette ratio - new chain)

You don't need a new chain when changing cassette, unless the existing
cassette is already worn.

I'm an idiot. You will, of course, need to lengthen the chain - and
typically you won't have kept the spare links you cut off the end around,
so you will in practice need a new one.

Quoted message said:

You can't use a SRAM chain with a Campag 10
speed set up and I'd be cautious using one with a Campag 9 speed - a
shame, because I think SRAM chains are excellent. However you can (and I
would advise) use a Wipperman Connex link with a Campag 9 or 10 speed
chain - there are specific Wipperman links for each chain type, but Pete
Biggs of this parish recommends using the Wipperman link designed for
Shimano 10 speed with Campag 'narrow' 10 speed chains (and I think he's
probably right but I haven't tried it).

Quoted message said:

Someone who knows what they are talking about can give advice on a
compact chainset.

He already has a compact.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Anagram: I'm soon broke.

Simon Brooke said:

I'm afraid this is probably the case. Lower gears will not make you faster
up hill, they'll just help you to get up hills slowly but comfortably.

More comfortable gears _might_ make you more efficient and therefore faster.