It sounds like the main ingredient is a small chainring. But how about you tell us the number of teeth on your chainrings, both for the double (eg, 42/53 or whatever it is) and the same for your triple. I take it the triple is on the other bike, or do you routinely change the right crank over? Also, how many sprockets on the cassette and what range? Please give this for both bikes.
TBH Don where he lives only requires 52 and 39 chainrings. I used to get up the Alpine and Pyrenean climbs on 39x 25, and he needs nowhere near that. I cut my climbing teeth in the Pennines for years. Of course I don't expect riders to follow what I did, but a club rider should have no problem with the lower range, whatever the age.
I once failed a climb and nearly died of suffocation. Then I retried it with a triple and did it easily. The main ingredient is will-power to get up there.
Err, I managed to do Dent Head (1:4) with my heavy mudguards & all steel frame and 15kg of luggage with a triple easily...
There is no way that I am an expert cyclist but I can't help but wonder if you are attacking when you should be cruising. Play to your strengths and your weaknesses will follow.
Err, I managed to do Dent Head (1:4) with my heavy mudguards & all steel frame and 15kg of luggage with a triple easily...
There is no way that I am an expert cyclist but I can't help but wonder if you are attacking when you should be cruising. Play to your strengths and your weaknesses will follow.
I admire you for other more erudite contributions and analysis on Soapbox. Para. 2 is the total domain of dozens of factors. Weaknesses will always be generally be known. There are a myriad of jobs to be done which differ on a day to day basis. Best left alone on Soapbox. Thanks all the same. War on wheels is the way I would describe it.
TBH Don where he lives only requires 52 and 39 chainrings. I used to get up the Alpine and Pyrenean climbs on 39x 25, and he needs nowhere near that. I cut my climbing teeth in the Pennines for years. Of course I don't expect riders to follow what I did, but a club rider should have no problem with the lower range, whatever the age.
I wasn't aware I didn't have to count the teeth manually which seemed like a chore. I have the box to my cassette somewhere which should tell you which one it is. The climbs in my area aren't actually that easy. There are some pretty difficult climbs in this region although these tend to be shorter. O.K. it's not Wales but neither is it pancake flat. But I lived in Pamplona and Basque country which is very hilly - hence so many Spanish climbers. And there are one or two hills in my area that are a match for what I saw in Pamplona but you need to get into remote countryside here to find them. I can tell you I'm a pretty strong climber for my weight. I've gone on group rides and pushed riders who weigh 2 stone less than I do. I seldom fall behind and enjoy a huge advantage on descents due to my weight. Yesterday I was doing weight-training with a sprinter and we hit the squats. This guy did very well and kept up with me. He was using his back a heck of a lot but not incorrectly. Today I did an easy ride as my legs are a bit stiff.
FredC said:
TBH Don where he lives only requires 52 and 39 chainrings. I used to get up the Alpine and Pyrenean climbs on 39x 25, and he needs nowhere near that. I cut my climbing teeth in the Pennines for years. Of course I don't expect riders to follow what I did, but a club rider should have no problem with the lower range, whatever the age.
Myself, I find that I can climb anything on a triple but can really die on a bigger cog. That was the first thing I discovered about my cycling. If I want to do a mad session, I can climb a long, steep gradient on a bigger gear so the strokes require a lot of physical effort. And that gets my breathing going big time. There is one training route here that's a real b*****d. It's a hill that just keep winding up round tight corners but it's hell in a big gear standing up. I once did it with a bus behind me and could hear the bus groaning as we went upwards and the passengers taking the p***s and waving from behind. So for me, it's easier if I use my gears but can be very tough in the bigger cogs. Maybe it boils down to my weight and mass.
darkboong said:
Err, I managed to do Dent Head (1:4) with my heavy mudguards & all steel frame and 15kg of luggage with a triple easily...
There is no way that I am an expert cyclist but I can't help but wonder if you are attacking when you should be cruising. Play to your strengths and your weaknesses will follow.
Myself, I find that I can climb anything on a triple but can really die on a bigger cog. That was the first thing I discovered about my cycling. If I want to do a mad session, I can climb a long, steep gradient on a bigger gear so the strokes require a lot of physical effort. And that gets my breathing going big time. There is one training route here that's a real b*****d. It's a hill that just keep winding up round tight corners but it's hell in a big gear standing up. I once did it with a bus behind me and could hear the bus groaning as we went upwards and the passengers taking the p***s and waving from behind. So for me, it's easier if I use my gears but can be very tough in the bigger cogs. Maybe it boils down to my weight and mass.
Why climb in the wrong gear at all? You'll bugger up your knees if you do too much of that, especially in winter. Doesn't do the bike much good either. Counting the number of sprockets shouldn't be much of a chore, and you ought to know the number of teeth on your chainrings. If you can't find the box that the cassette came in, wipe the oil off and you'll see the number of teeth stamped on each sprocket. If nothing else, just check the largest and smallest.
My bike was shipped with a compact crank and a triple chain ring. I was pretty [censored] about it since the website never stated any of these specifications.
I am finding the big chain ring not too bad, with my mtb i used the big ring a lot, Shimano LX 42 teeth. But the bike had a lot of rolling resistance when compared with a road bike so 52 teeth on my road bike feels not disimmilar. But of course you get up to a greater speed with less effort.
Even on steep climbs >12% i never use the granny ring, i just dont need it. I would chuck it but the shifter and mechs are set up for 27 speeds.
Sadly, my bike gives me constant problems with the chain rubbing on the front derailleur. I can solve it for 3 weeks or so and then it slips back to the grating. The cable tension adjusters also keep seizing up and I have to change them. Tomorrow I'll have to refit the whole thing again. Maybe I'll go as far as to buy a new front derailleur as this rubbing and grating seems impossible to solve. 😠
MountainPro said:
My bike was shipped with a compact crank and a triple chain ring. I was pretty [censored] about it since the website never stated any of these specifications.
I am finding the big chain ring not too bad, with my mtb i used the big ring a lot, Shimano LX 42 teeth. But the bike had a lot of rolling resistance when compared with a road bike so 52 teeth on my road bike feels not disimmilar. But of course you get up to a greater speed with less effort.
Even on steep climbs >12% i never use the granny ring, i just dont need it. I would chuck it but the shifter and mechs are set up for 27 speeds.
Sadly, my bike gives me constant problems with the chain rubbing on the front derailleur. I can solve it for 3 weeks or so and then it slips back to the grating. The cable tension adjusters also keep seizing up and I have to change them. Tomorrow I'll have to refit the whole thing again. Maybe I'll go as far as to buy a new front derailleur as this rubbing and grating seems impossible to solve. 😠
If you are forcing round a big gear then the frame will flex and this can cause rubbing. You have said that you climb with the chain on the outer ring running to the second largest sprocket until this gets too hard, then try and change to the smaller ring, at which point the chain comes off. Solve your problems by switching to the small ring and running it to the second smallest sprocket as you hit the incline, then drop down the gears as you climb. The frame will flex less, the chain will be running at a different angle and won't rub, and it should stay on as you change down. Now, humour us. Tell us how many teeth your big ring has, how many your small has, how many sprockets are on your cassette and what range they cover. Are good bike mechanics as rare in your neck of the woods as engineers?
Don, I tend to use big gears on the smaller inclines but very small gears on the huge hills. I agree with Fred on that point. If I used the big ring all the time, I'd wind up strong and fast on main roads but not enhanced fitness you get climbing really big hills on the small ring. Today I did repetitions up a steep hill I found in no mans land but used my smallest gear. It was grating too and really getting on my wick. What happens is I tend to dismount and loosen the allen key screw before pushing the derailleur away from the chain as it stands on the biggest cassette sprocket and on the middle chain ring. But it seems to be slipping back. I'll have to change the allen key to see if I can get a tighter fit. My cable tension screws have also seized up and are letting me down. I'll have to start again tomorrow and refit the whole device and see if I can find cable screws that work properly. I did an exceptionally tough ride today but get fed up with the derailleur. Yesterday I did a very easy ride. Sure, you can get bike mechanics over here but I know a bit more myself now. My cousin is coming to do my boat and he works with car and plane engines.
Don Shipp said:
If you are forcing round a big gear then the frame will flex and this can cause rubbing. You have said that you climb with the chain on the outer ring running to the second largest sprocket until this gets too hard, then try and change to the smaller ring, at which point the chain comes off. Solve your problems by switching to the small ring and running it to the second smallest sprocket as you hit the incline, then drop down the gears as you climb. The frame will flex less, the chain will be running at a different angle and won't rub, and it should stay on as you change down. Now, humour us. Tell us how many teeth your big ring has, how many your small has, how many sprockets are on your cassette and what range they cover. Are good bike mechanics as rare in your neck of the woods as engineers?
Don, I tend to use big gears on the smaller inclines but very small gears on the huge hills. I agree with Fred on that point. If I used the big ring all the time, I'd wind up strong and fast on main roads but not enhanced fitness you get climbing really big hills on the small ring. Today I did repetitions up a steep hill I found in no mans land but used my smallest gear. It was grating too and really getting on my wick. What happens is I tend to dismount and loosen the allen key screw before pushing the derailleur away from the chain as it stands on the biggest cassette sprocket and on the middle chain ring. But it seems to be slipping back. I'll have to change the allen key to see if I can get a tighter fit. My cable tension screws have also seized up and are letting me down. I'll have to start again tomorrow and refit the whole device and see if I can find cable screws that work properly. I did an exceptionally tough ride today but get fed up with the derailleur. Yesterday I did a very easy ride. Sure, you can get bike mechanics over here but I know a bit more myself now. My cousin is coming to do my boat and he works with car and plane engines.
Are you telling me that you know more about bike mechanics than my old sparring partner of 45 years ago Brian Rourke, and his teammate from the Tunstall Wheelers, the famous Les West? Jesus wept.
Nope, not a bit. Trained mechanics can get the gears set up better than I can. They can set them up to last a while but inevitably gears decline as cables stretch or the cold and grit sets in. One of these days I'll have Rourkes set me up a custom bike and I'll have to view my options with regard to the front derailleur. To tell the truth I'm forever having problems on both bikes with the damned thing.
FredC said:
Are you telling me that you know more about bike mechanics than my old sparring partner of 45 years ago Brian Rourke, and his teammate from the Tunstall Wheelers, the famous Les West? Jesus wept.
Sadly, my bike gives me constant problems with the chain rubbing on the front derailleur. I can solve it for 3 weeks or so and then it slips back to the grating. The cable tension adjusters also keep seizing up and I have to change them. Tomorrow I'll have to refit the whole thing again. Maybe I'll go as far as to buy a new front derailleur as this rubbing and grating seems impossible to solve. 😠
a lot of people think most front mechs are the same, theyre not. If you are running a 9 speed block you'll need a 9 speed compatible front mech. That happened to me once and i couldnt figure it out. I was sold the LX mech in my LBS, didnt come in a box so i didnt know it was for an 8 speed (24) transmission. It had a slightly restricted swing, it rubbed like a [censored].
I have model number FHA416 cassette if that means anything. You could be on to something, though. The thing with the front derailleur is position, cable tension and the screws all come into play. The damned thing can be angled right but cable tension is supposed to pull it so the chain doesn't rub. There are a number of factors. Lately, my derailleur has been slipping somehow. It needs to be tightened like hell so I'll need a new allen screw. But this problem has been dogging me for ages with both bikes. Rourkes told me there's no way I can eliminate rubbing throughout my full range of gears. A top mechanic can get it good enough so you get rubbing on maybe 2 gears. I can get maybe all but 3 or 4 gears free of noise. Needless to say, it can ruin a training ride totally. I was just setting off on a big climb today and the bloody thing started rubbing and grinding. Had to stop and get out my tools and I was cussing and moaning (as dusk wasn't far off) and I wanted to get on with it. I do sympathise with David Millar exploding with temper when his chain come off in a time trial. I suppose I'm not the only frustrated cyclist out there. 🙁
MountainPro said:
a lot of people think most front mechs are the same, theyre not. If you are running a 9 speed block you'll need a 9 speed compatible front mech. That happened to me once and i couldnt figure it out. I was sold the LX mech in my LBS, didnt come in a box so i didnt know it was for an 8 speed (24) transmission. It had a slightly restricted swing, it rubbed like a [censored].
there is no way you can eliminate it as you say...i always [censored] about with my gears a bit however the frame flexes around the bottom bracket on out of the seat climbs you get a little rubbing. It frustrates me so i set it up to work best in the gears that i use most.
buying decent kit also helps.
Carrera said:
I have model number FHA416 cassette if that means anything. You could be on to something, though. The thing with the front derailleur is position, cable tension and the screws all come into play. The damned thing can be angled right but cable tension is supposed to pull it so the chain doesn't rub. There are a number of factors. Lately, my derailleur has been slipping somehow. It needs to be tightened like hell so I'll need a new allen screw. But this problem has been dogging me for ages with both bikes. Rourkes told me there's no way I can eliminate rubbing throughout my full range of gears. A top mechanic can get it good enough so you get rubbing on maybe 2 gears. I can get maybe all but 3 or 4 gears free of noise. Needless to say, it can ruin a training ride totally. I was just setting off on a big climb today and the bloody thing started rubbing and grinding. Had to stop and get out my tools and I was cussing and moaning (as dusk wasn't far off) and I wanted to get on with it. I do sympathise with David Millar exploding with temper when his chain come off in a time trial. I suppose I'm not the only frustrated cyclist out there. 🙁
I have model number FHA416 cassette if that means anything. You could be on to something, though. The thing with the front derailleur is position, cable tension and the screws all come into play. The damned thing can be angled right but cable tension is supposed to pull it so the chain doesn't rub. There are a number of factors. Lately, my derailleur has been slipping somehow. It needs to be tightened like hell so I'll need a new allen screw. But this problem has been dogging me for ages with both bikes. Rourkes told me there's no way I can eliminate rubbing throughout my full range of gears. A top mechanic can get it good enough so you get rubbing on maybe 2 gears. I can get maybe all but 3 or 4 gears free of noise. Needless to say, it can ruin a training ride totally. I was just setting off on a big climb today and the bloody thing started rubbing and grinding. Had to stop and get out my tools and I was cussing and moaning (as dusk wasn't far off) and I wanted to get on with it. I do sympathise with David Millar exploding with temper when his chain come off in a time trial. I suppose I'm not the only frustrated cyclist out there. 🙁
You should be able to set it up so that the gears you use are not rubbing. Doesn't matter if it rubs on gears that you don't use. Look for duplications, a large to large can give the same gear as a small to small but the chain line is different so one will rub and t'other won't. We can help you out here, and calculate all your gear ratios; if you tell us how many teeth &c. &c.
I have model number FHA416 cassette if that means anything. You could be on to something, though. The thing with the front derailleur is position, cable tension and the screws all come into play. The damned thing can be angled right but cable tension is supposed to pull it so the chain doesn't rub. There are a number of factors. Lately, my derailleur has been slipping somehow. It needs to be tightened like hell so I'll need a new allen screw. But this problem has been dogging me for ages with both bikes. Rourkes told me there's no way I can eliminate rubbing throughout my full range of gears. A top mechanic can get it good enough so you get rubbing on maybe 2 gears. I can get maybe all but 3 or 4 gears free of noise. Needless to say, it can ruin a training ride totally. I was just setting off on a big climb today and the bloody thing started rubbing and grinding. Had to stop and get out my tools and I was cussing and moaning (as dusk wasn't far off) and I wanted to get on with it. I do sympathise with David Millar exploding with temper when his chain come off in a time trial. I suppose I'm not the only frustrated cyclist out there. 🙁
You are so [censored] THICK that words fail me. There was a particular reason why Millars chain unshipped, but it's not worth explaining to a thick railway sleeper like you. I hope that you get run down by a 40ton wagon.
