What gearing to use for open roads and steep hills?

[echelon_john]

I'm going to sound like a grump here, but saying you're putting a Dura Ace 9000 group on an Ottrott and asking gearing advice is like saying you just bought a Porsche 911 and asking if anybody has any tips for driving a car with a manual transmission.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by ljdan

Some of the hills around here have a slope of over 8%. Under those conditions, I am definitely cranking on the 30-27. The latter gives me a ratio of 1.11 vs 1.21 for the 34-28; I am thinking that at the low end, I will be ok. But I do not have any experience with the new 11 speed DA 9000 cassette. Will the extra cog make the middle range tolerable or will there be an energy depleting jump?

Larry D.

Your first two sentences are telling. If you feel that you'll be OK with a 34-28, then go for the DA 9000. Otherwise, you should stick to the triple, which means Ultegra as far as I know. Regarding your second question, adding an extra cog typically closes up the gaps in a cassette, not widens them. 11 speed usually has an additional cog right where you want it.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

Your first two sentences are telling. If you feel that you'll be OK with a 34-28, then go for the DA 9000. Otherwise, you should stick to the triple, which means Ultegra as far as I know. Regarding your second question, adding an extra cog typically closes up the gaps in a cassette, not widens them. 11 speed usually has an additional cog right where you want it.

It sounds like in this case he is picking up the 11T small sprocket as his additional cog. Hence it doesn't help much in the middle. Additionally, the gearing spacing for the 11-speed cassette is different than expected for Shimano (as reported in the linked article previously mentioned). Shimano doesn't just add the 11T to a 12-28 10-speed to make an 11-28 11-speed, but instead seems to give up the 16T in order to close ratios of the biggest climbing cogs. Don't particularly like that at all (although haven't tried it). Personally prefer tighter gears in the middle where we ride most often.

11-23: 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23
11-25: 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25
11-28: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25-28
12-25: 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-25
12-28: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25-28

[krhea]

Originally Posted by echelon_john

i'm going to sound like a grump here, but saying you're putting a dura ace 9000 group on an ottrott and asking gearing advice is like saying you just bought a porsche 911 and asking if anybody has any tips for driving a car with a manual transmission.

+1

[fiataccompli]

No love here for 39/53 with a 25t or 27t in back? I cant seem to get comfortable with compact gearing (always feel like i'm cross-chaining or just don't have the right sweet spot in the gears.)

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by fiataccompli

No love here for 39/53 with a 25t or 27t in back? I cant seem to get comfortable with compact gearing (always feel like i'm cross-chaining or just don't have the right sweet spot in the gears.)

I think it depends on where you're riding.

Here's in Charlotte, there's nothing really steep enough that a 39-25 or 39-27 can't get over. None of the hills are long enough that just powering over them isn't an option. I came to hate my 50-34 here for that exact reason. I've since swapped to a 50-36, and that seems to help a bit.

Drive a couple hours west though...

[fiataccompli]

Im in East TN, so i do a fair share of climbing ..18% grade "wall" sections are harsh but im those cases I wonder how much difference a few teeth would make. Btw, 36/50 seems like a good crank but i dont hear about that much.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by Chance

It sounds like in this case he is picking up the 11T small sprocket as his additional cog.

Excellent point. I missed the details on the new layout. I don't like it either. 11T and 16T are mandatory for me, as are more than three cassette choices.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by fiataccompli

Im in East TN, so i do a fair share of climbing ..18% grade "wall" sections are harsh but im those cases I wonder how much difference a few teeth would make. Btw, 36/50 seems like a good crank but i dont hear about that much.

I really like mine. The 34 was useful, but really only when I was on the steepest of stuff. Otherwise I felt like I was just constantly cross chained. The 36 seems to ameliorate that, while not being as tall as a 39. Gets me closer to the best of both worlds imo.

I really like it, though I suspect I'd like a semi-compact 52-36 even more.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by ljdan

I will be equipping my Serotta Ottrott with the new Shimano 9000 mechanical gruppo. The bike is presently equipped with a Shimano 7800 group set: triple on the front (30-39-52) and 12-27 on the cassette (12-3-4-5-6-7-19-21-24-27). I am hoping that the compact gearing of the DA 9000, front (34-50) and an 11 speed cassette of 11-27 will meet my needs.

The riding I do is on the road (50+ miles) with lots of hills and on a paved bike trail.

So, what are your needs? What's the highest high you use, and the lowest low? What gear do you use for flat terrain, and where is it in terms of the rest of the gears? Those are the things you need to determine before you can evaluate any proposed gearing combination.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by Ahneida Ride

I have a 22/29 but then I encounter 14-18% hills.

I wonder how many of those who say "you can get up anything with a ..." routinely deal with terrain like that.

[witcombusa]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

I really like mine. The 34 was useful, but really only when I was on the steepest of stuff. Otherwise I felt like I was just constantly cross chained. The 36 seems to ameliorate that, while not being as tall as a 39. Gets me closer to the best of both worlds imo.

I really like it, though I suspect I'd like a semi-compact 52-36 even more.

46-34 is my choice

[fiataccompli]

Yeah, actually that was a type-o...i meant 36/52...so, yeah!

[sg8357]

Originally Posted by efuentes

After seeing my options a while back I decided to ditch the 34-50 and went with a 30-46 and 11-30. got a really deep 1:1 for climbing everything and 46-11 is fast enough for me (I went with a MTB 2X10 crankset)

New roadie super compact from Sugino, 46/30 available.
http://store.somafab.com/suoxcrarwcu.html

[Pete Mckeon]

Originally Posted by witcombusa

this was already asked and answered above ^^^^^ (post #14)

Did not see it. That is the way to address it. Or start it