L'Etape - gear ratio suggestions?

[Pierre]

Hi - I'm seriously considering trying my luck with L'Etape 2013. I'd classify myself as a "serious enthousiast" type. I've done a few century rides + one double century but as far as serious climbing my resume is pretty thin. I can climb but I'm middle of the pack. I get into trouble when I'm stuck pounding it out at less than 65rpm. I'm a relatively light fella (6", 162lb) so theoretically I have some climbing potential...:-)

If I was to bring my own bike out there, I'm thinking that I would need to make some changes. I'm on a 53-42 ring config and a 12-27 cassette - the groupo is DA 7800 so 27 is the largest I can get without switching to a 7900 RD.

Have any of you had experience with TDF-type climbs? Any suggestions on what changes I should make? If I switched to a compact - do you think this would be sufficient? I've heard some say a triple is required but I'm hoping I can do without.

[maxn]

Compact +27 should be fine. 42 for the small ring would be hard IMO, but plenty of people do it (and worse!).

I'm guessing that one of the 2013 Etapes will be the double Huez stage which should be awesome but a killer. Good luck!

[Lionel]

The 2013 etapes are not known yet but with 53/42 and 12/27 forget it as they typically pick the mountain stages (I hope that they pick Corsica mysef for one of them).

Switch to a 50/34 and you should be fine.

[AngryScientist]

yea man, "if in doubt, bring a bail-out".

[RonW87]

I did the Etape out of Albertville this past summer. Three 20k + climbs and a 15k + climb. I spent 5+ hrs in my 34x27 (and I finished in the front 25% of all riders).

You will not regret having a very low go-to gear.

R.

[Pierre]

I did the Etape out of Albertville this past summer. Three 20k + climbs and a 15k + climb. I spent 5+ hrs in my 34x27 (and I finished in the front 25% of all riders).

You will not regret having a very low go-to gear.

R.

Wow - thanks, Ron. Congrats on a very respectable finish. Where you happy with your go-to gear? Seeing you are also from Toronto, might you have done the Centurion ride in Blue Mountains? I ask as I was very happy with my gearing choice for that particular ride where I switched out my 12x25 with a 12x27 but stuck with the classic ring config. Wondering what you would have gone with for such a ride so that I can compare...

Thanks,
Pierre

[Lionel]

Pierre, most pros are on 39/23 or 39/25 as their lowest gear.

42-27 ain't going to work well. In particular if the etape finishes at the top of Mont Ventoux :)

[RonW87]

Yup, I did Centurion. Etape is a whole different thing. Think two Centurions back to back. Think each climb being three times as long. For comparison, I was sub-5hrs at Centurion but close to 9hrs at Etape.

The 34x27 compact was OK, but I wasn't even close to spinning up any of the climbs. I would climb in that combination and occasionally shift to a smaller cog to get out of the saddle and use different muscles.

It would have been nice to be able to have an even lower gear on the last climb of the day. I saw someone literally fall sideways because they were going so slowly.

R.

[tiretrax]

I switched to a compact with and 11-28 cassette. Works for me in Colorado and he few steep hills we have in north Texas.

[oldpotatoe]

Hi - I'm seriously considering trying my luck with L'Etape 2013. I'd classify myself as a "serious enthousiast" type. I've done a few century rides + one double century but as far as serious climbing my resume is pretty thin. I can climb but I'm middle of the pack. I get into trouble when I'm stuck pounding it out at less than 65rpm. I'm a relatively light fella (6", 162lb) so theoretically I have some climbing potential...:-)

If I was to bring my own bike out there, I'm thinking that I would need to make some changes. I'm on a 53-42 ring config and a 12-27 cassette - the groupo is DA 7800 so 27 is the largest I can get without switching to a 7900 RD.

Have any of you had experience with TDF-type climbs? Any suggestions on what changes I should make? If I switched to a compact - do you think this would be sufficient? I've heard some say a triple is required but I'm hoping I can do without.

Not true..use a 11-28, and a 39t small ring. No need to swap to a 7900 RD, regardless of what shimano says. I have installed a lot of 11-28 and also the new 12-30 w/o any change to the RD.

[Pierre]

Yup, I did Centurion. Etape is a whole different thing. Think two Centurions back to back. Think each climb being three times as long. For comparison, I was sub-5hrs at Centurion but close to 9hrs at Etape.

The 34x27 compact was OK, but I wasn't even close to spinning up any of the climbs. I would climb in that combination and occasionally shift to a smaller cog to get out of the saddle and use different muscles.

It would have been nice to be able to have an even lower gear on the last climb of the day. I saw someone literally fall sideways because they were going so slowly.

R.

Okaaay - glad I asked. I came it at 5hrs and change for Centurion with not an ounce of energy left. Two back to back, ehe? Ouch, that basically means I need to ratchet up my training by a decent margin. I would ideally like to maintain some decent spinning for at least for some of the climbing so maybe I'll go all out with a 12x30/32 cassette. That should do the trick! I looks like I may have a shot at keeping the same derailleur based on a related post.

Two back to back...oh boy.

[Pierre]

Not true..use a 11-28, and a 39t small ring. No need to swap to a 7900 RD, regardless of what shimano says. I have installed a lot of 11-28 and also the new 12-30 w/o any change to the RD.

Thanks - good suggestion. I took a quick look around various sites but am having trouble locating the 12-30 that you mentioned. Is it Dura-ace?