Second idiotic question of the day: Highlander Century

[Tom]

OK, they recommend 39x27. I have 39x25 and if it's above 10% grade I use my 25.

Last year there were hills that annoyed me because I couldn't go as fast up them as I'd like. The next level of difficulty were hills where I didn't care how fast I went up them just as long as I went up them. Then there were the hills where I didn't know if I could keep the pedals turning. This year, most of the hills around here have moved into the category just below where they were last year. I believe I can get up over anything if I really want to.

This year I've done a lot more 40-50 mile hill fests than last year but to date no 80 mile sawblade days. I think I need to see what happens on the 10th or 15th hill of the day.

You guys that have ridden it, do you think I'm asking for trouble showing up with my current setup, or should I set up with a bailout gear?

[Brian]

I rode the Highlander last year with four other people. Only one, a pretty strong racer, had the nerve to show up with a 25. He was killing himself getting up the steeper hills and actually had to push so hard on the pedals, that he broke his shoe! I can only imagine how much stress he was putting on his knees and how they felt the next day…

Two of us had triples, so we didn’t need to change cassettes (and, yes, we used our triples quite often even though we are fairly strong climbers). Another put on a mountain bike cassette (11-32) and was counting her lucky stars that she did! The fifth person changed to a 39-27 from a 39-25. She is an extremely strong climber and consistently beats most of the guys up the hills, but the 27 left her wishing for more gears.

There are several climbs that are well in excess of 10%. Bopple Hill averages about 16% for a mile, followed immediately by Gannet at about 9% average for two miles. Sickle Hill is over 20% and hits you at about the 70-mile mark. Mile 90 greets you with a sustained four-mile climb. Not to mention all the other nasty climbs throughout the course.

We’ll be doing the Highlander again this year, and everyone who doesn’t have a triple is putting on a mountain bike cassette. You can get them at Performance for less than $25. As long as you stay out of the 53-32, you shouldn’t need a longer chain.

Just because you “can” climb a 20% grade with a 39-25 doesn’t mean you have to. The Highlander is an epic and beautiful ride. Enjoy!

[Dekonick]

20%?!!!

Ouch

[vaxn8r]

Just because you “can” climb a 20% grade with a 39-25 doesn’t mean you have to. The Highlander is an epic and beautiful ride. Enjoy!

That should be a classic quote. I find myself struggling with this issue like Tom does. I finally added a 39x25 last year as my "bailout" and rarely ever use it except when climbing over 12% or so. I've climbed 18-20% grades in the 39x25 and that's why your quote made me laugh. Just because you can doesn't mean you have to. Classic!

[dbrk]

Many of the Highlander's best climbs are minutes from my house and I ride them routinely, though rarely all in one day (since that's...well..._hard_). I have ridden the Highlander route _many_ times, however, in a day (though I would not choose to ride the event because, well, I'm not that social...) I would strongly recommend at least your notions of a bailout gear. I happen to run much smaller gears (36/29 is my biggest but I rarely use it, though I do use the 36/27 regularly, depending on the bike) because I like to, have no concern about who gets up what faster, and prefer to spin over grinding. These are steep and long. If the weather is cool, it will be better but living around here I would never have a 39 small ring. Them's racing gears. No one should really listen to me though since I am also just an oldfashioned cyclosportif guy who thinks that that best solution to such climbs is a half-step triple (which is actually impossible using modern combinations) with six cogs max in the back...

dbrk
selling most of his "contemporary" bikes, as I am no longer jonesin' for the new stuff...For sale: 55cm with extra ht Pegoretti Fina, 60/57.5cm Legend (polished), 56cm Carrera Giove, 56.5tt compact Strong Ti (headtube makes it fit like a 59cm), other stuff too if anyone is looking for a high-end modern bike...I've a Nagasawa, Sachs, Mariposa incoming, all traditonal steel, alas, my only true love...Keeping Hampsten Z1 and StradaBiancaTi, as well as the IF CJ (looks like I sold the white one to a nice local fella...) but anything that's otherwise modern is for sale...

[Johny]

We’ll be doing the Highlander again this year, and everyone who doesn’t have a triple is putting on a mountain bike cassette. You can get them at Performance for less than $25. As long as you stay out of the 53-32, you shouldn’t need a longer chain.

Brian, do you use a Shimano (or Campy) road-bike short-cage rear derailleur for the mountain bike cassette?
It is OK to use the 39X32? Thanks.

[csb]

if you do not sell/trade the compact strong by the time TdFl comes
'round, i would love to take a spin on it.
my spectrum super ti compact is 56.8 tt'd and similar in other aspects.
curious.

regardez,
csb

[Tom]

The word I get is a short cage Campy can handle a 27 in the back. I'll probably bother the people at the shop later this morning when they aren't as busy. (Mental note: 5pm on a rainy day is a bad time to call the shop. People are getting out of work and they are less likely to be riding. Where do they go? The shop....)

What's sticky is I can find no front chainrings smaller than 39t in 135mm unless I go to a triple. It appears that a triple is just that: front der, crank and BB. Yow.

Rear cassettes look like I can go 13-26 or a long cage rear der and 13-29. Maybe that's the route I'll take.

Or, maybe I'll just train and suck it up when I get there. Part of the reason I signed up for this is that Mont Ventoux wasn't in the cards this fall and I was looking for an epic. I'm rassling with the concept of putting on easy gears because I was looking for a test. Assuring I'll pass ahead of time seems a little, I don't know, unfortunate.

[Onno]

We’ll be doing the Highlander again this year, and everyone who doesn’t have a triple is putting on a mountain bike cassette. You can get them at Performance for less than $25. As long as you stay out of the 53-32, you shouldn’t need a longer chain.

Just because you “can” climb a 20% grade with a 39-25 doesn’t mean you have to. The Highlander is an epic and beautiful ride. Enjoy!


So does this mean that one can simply switch one's Dura Ace cassette for a LX 12-32 cassette with no compatibility problems whatsoever (aside from not doing the 53-32 thing, which seems nuts anyway)?

This seems a very simple solution....

Onno

[Brian]

Since I have a triple, I have no direct experience with putting an 11-32 on a road bike.

The one person in our group who did it, however, claimed that her husband simply removed her Shimano road cassette and installed the 11-32. He told her to stay out of the 53-32 and she would be fine. Over the 100-mile course, she had no shifting problems. I’m not sure what kind of derailleur she has, but everything worked perfectly.

[hybridbellbaske]

Tom, It is possible for a Chorus 10 short cage RD to handle a 29. It may not be recommended by the Popes of Campagnolo, but I have one and it shifts no problem!

[Tom]

Campagnolo site says it can't be done because it won't work when the chain is crossed. I try to avoid crossing up anyway, so maybe I'll just put the one on that's kicking around the house and try it.

I'm getting slightly cold feet about this ride because I am not sure I want to run out and spend money on a derailleur as well as a cluster and then take them off and put them in a box for twenty years. The cluster, should I find it works with the der I have, might see more use...

[Ray]

I'm getting slightly cold feet about this ride because I am not sure I want to run out and spend money on a derailleur as well as a cluster and then take them off and put them in a box for twenty years. The cluster, should I find it works with the der I have, might see more use...

If you need the longer cage derailure, why not just leave it on and then you'll have the ability to go back and forth between cassettes. Sell the short cage if you don't have another use for it. I'm highly dubious that anyone could feel the difference in shifting or in weight. I had a Dura Ace rear derailure on a bike and switched it for an XT for a similar occasion (and an mtb cassette). Never noticed a difference in shifting. When I switched the cassette back to the roadie gearing, I didn't change the derailure back and have the XT on to this day. I don't need the capacity very often, but it shifts wonderfully and if you can feel the weight difference on a ride..... well, lets just say I'd be dubious.

-Ray

[JackL]

The word I get is a short cage Campy can handle a 27 in the back.

I run a 12/27 Dura Ace Cassette with a short cage Campy 9-speed derailleur. It works fine with the b-screw moving the derailleur all the way back, but it doesn't look like there's clearance for a larger cog.

[tuco]

Campagnolo site says it can't be done because it won't work when the chain is crossed. I try to avoid crossing up anyway, so maybe I'll just put the one on that's kicking around the house and try it.

...

No problems here either with a Chorus short-cage rd + 13-29.
And Thank G-d for the 29 now & then. I mix this with other
wheels and cassettes, and chains with acceptable results.
To me.