low gear help

[bironi]

I am riding a hilly route in Portland, OR next Saturday. There are a couple climbs of 18 and 20% climbs. What options for low gears does my buddy have. He has a standard 53x39 Shimano crank and probably a 12x25 cassette. Are there cassettes and derailleurs that will give him much lower gears. The cheapest solution would be preferable.

I'm stuck with my 39x29, and too cheap to change. Pretty sure I'll be walking some sections.

Thanks in advance. :beer:

[Pete Serotta]

The cheapest route he could take is to get a 27 rear Ultegra cassette. It would be a direct replacement for the 25. The question he must ask and answer "will it make the difference he wants?" or should he hoof it with you..

[johnnymossville]

I'd do what Serotta Pete suggested. 39x27 should allow you to struggle up those hills. Other than that I think you're looking at more expensive options.

[xjoex]

I think you can really feel the difference between a 25 and 27.

And if you have a little extra change and are that worried., get a set of compact cranks.

-Joe

[thwart]

Here you go... a bolt on, nothing else needs to change.

http://tinyurl.com/dz4rn9

[dogdriver]

SRAM Rival (the highest level they make the 28 in) 12-28.

Shimano doesn't recommend it, but it works fine. $60.00 or so.

Cheers, Chris

[RPS]

If he wants to spend a little more, he can get a 38T chainring to replace the 39T; but that only buys about 2-1/2 percent which isn't a lot.

Many here and other places have stated that you can install at least a 30T single cog behind a 12-27 cassette -- minus one cog you leave off (or get a custom cassette that already has the 30T big cog). That buys a lot more low gearing.

Remind him to check the chain length to make sure it is long enough to handle the new cassette cogs -- unless he is "certain" he won't forget and cross the chain on the big climbs.

If he is running the older 9-speed, an inexpensive 11-34 MTB cassette and rear derailleur can buy much lower gearing also. That too will require a longer chain.

[bironi]

Keep em coming.

RPS,

What you suggest, if he's up for the expense, looks like the solution I'd read about here previously. I think this was mentioned in regards to climbing Mt. Washington.

Thanks much.

[rwsaunders]

I think you can really feel the difference between a 25 and 27.

And if you have a little extra change and are that worried., get a set of compact cranks.

-Joe

+1 on the 27 vs 25.

[palincss]

I am riding a hilly route in Portland, OR next Saturday. There are a couple climbs of 18 and 20% climbs. What options for low gears does my buddy have. He has a standard 53x39 Shimano crank and probably a 12x25 cassette. Are there cassettes and derailleurs that will give him much lower gears. The cheapest solution would be preferable.


So far, everybody's mentioned solutions which will give a slightly lower gear - 1 more shift, basically. But you asked about much lower gears; and the answer is yes indeed. If your friend has a 9-speed setup it's easy: 12-30, 12-32, 13-30, even 13-32 and 14-34 can be had in stock MTB or custom cassettes. A longer chain and a MTB rear derailleur will be needed.

If your friend has a 10-speed, IRD makes ultra-wide range cassettes -- among them, 11-32, 12-32 and 11-34. Again, longer chain and MTB rear derailleur are required.

Your friend's lowest gear right now is 42". Going to a 27T will bring that down to a 39". A 32T sprocket will bring that low gear down to 33", and a 34T will give a 31" low.

[palincss]

Many here and other places have stated that you can install at least a 30T single cog behind a 12-27 cassette -- minus one cog you leave off (or get a custom cassette that already has the 30T big cog). That buys a lot more low gearing.


You can do that with a 9, but not with a 10.


10-speed cassettes have a recess built into the back of the big spider module, allowing them to fit farther onto the Freehub body than older cassettes. This limits the possiblities of customizing the ratios, because you can't install a flat sprocket behind the spider module...you run out of clearance at the other end if you try.


It's why I consider moving from 10 to 9 an upgrade.

[Ahneida Ride]

Install the ultimate bailout ...

I run a TA Zephyr crank. Rings are 48/36/22 ..... yes 22 ...

rear is 13-29 Campy 10 ... That gives me 20 gear inches ...
bring on the 20% grade ....

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=30993

The TA Zephyr is discontinued ...But you can purchase a TA Carmina
from Peter White ...

[Louis]

The TA Zephyr is discontinued ...But you can purchase a TA Carmina from Peter White ...

Two warnings:

1) They aren't cheap

2) If it's not in stock and he has to order it from France it can take up to 6 months. (Don't ask me why I know this, but I do.)

[northbend]

Sounds like you're riding Ronde Portlandia!

Borrow a mountain bike. It doesn't get any cheaper than that

[RPS]

Sounds like you're riding Ronde Portlandia!Do you know how long the 18 to 20 percent sections are? Just curious.

[northbend]

never rode it before.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/or/portland/897979375

[RPS]

You can do that with a 9, but not with a 10.

It's why I consider moving from 10 to 9 an upgrade.So to fit a single 30T on a 10 speed you'd have to remove 2 other cogs, making it a 9 speed? ;)


On a serious note, I think Shimano now makes 11-28 for 10-speed; but they are expensive (WEB shows them only for DA). And it doesn't buy much more than a 12-27 anyway.

[bironi]

Do you know how long the 18 to 20 percent sections are? Just curious.

It's hard to get solid info on this ride. It is not a club sponsored ride. It started a couple years ago by some friends, but has grown quickly. Here is a link to last year's ride. This year they added 5 miles, and a couple more climbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbvQqssD_jI

[RPS]

It's hard to get solid info on this ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbvQqssD_jIThanks for the video link. With wet roads I'd probably go with lower gearing than I would otherwise to ensure I can control traction a little better. MTB shoes for walking may be a good idea also. ;)

BTW, I looked at the data northbend linked, and it looks like the steepest parts are not that long. Of course, 18 to 20 percent makes everything relative.

[Louis]

BTW, I looked at the data northbend linked, and it looks like the steepest parts are not that long. Of course, 18 to 20 percent makes everything relative.

I guess your choice of gearing depends in part on where in the ride the steep stuff will be. At the beginning when your legs are still fresh you may be able to do it all out of the saddle. (Depends on both you're conditioning and how you define "not that long") If it's at the end of the ride then all bets are off.

On all of my rides I have the dubious pleasure of climbing a pretty tough series of hills into my subdivision, with several sections at 20%. I always use the little ring in my triple, and after any length ride it's a darn good thing I have it. On long group rides we often find one or two guys who are stronger and faster than I am, but they still have to bail on the hill because they have a double and just can't make it up. There's no shame in walking a super-tough hill.

Good Luck
Louis

[gasman]

I have ben very happy with a compact crank 50/34 with a 12/27 on the back. I can climb all day even at my advanced age.

[Ken Robb]

Sugino cranks readily available w/rings to 26 and separately to 22.

[Ray]

Sugino cranks readily available w/rings to 26 and separately to 22.
You sure? I believe 74 bcd grannies only go down to 24. On the TA Zephyr, they had both 74 and 56 bcd mounting options and with the 56 you could go down to 20 or 22. I'm not aware of another crank with both of those options.

But a 24 ring mated to any of the options discussed above SHOULD do it unless those 20+ slopes go on awhile. The only place I've ridden repeated 20+ slopes was on a tour in Wales in the summer of 2001. I was younger and stronger then and I still had a gear in the low 20s and used it quite a lot.

On a single day ride with relatively fresh legs, I can muscle over short sections of crazy steep in a 34-23 or 34-26, but if I need to save my legs or if the grade goes on more than a few hundred feet, I want some LOW gears.

-Ray

[RPS]

On all of my rides I have the dubious pleasure of climbing a pretty tough series of hills into my subdivision, with several sections at 20%. I always use the little ring in my triple, and after any length ride it's a darn good thing I have it. On long group rides we often find one or two guys who are stronger and faster than I am, but they still have to bail on the hill because they have a double and just can't make it up. There's no shame in walking a super-tough hill.That's why I asked about length of climbs. In the Texas Hill Country there are many places where roads go up sharply, but most are relatively short so they are generally rideable without too much trouble if you have the leg strength. On longer sustained climbs -- say a mile at 15 percent or better -- then proper gearing becomes more important to me.

The GPS data in the link supplied (if I read it correctly) doesn't show any sections that are very steep for very long. Most of the data was in 20- to 50-meter increments, and the slope changes quite a bit between data points.

Louis, I agree it's no shame to walk, but I'd rather have the right gears to ride it. I've ridden short sections of 20 percent in 39/23 but would not try it again. It's a good way to get hurt.

[Ti Designs]

Learn how to - oh, never mind.

[Ray]

Learn how to - oh, never mind.
Learn how to.... match your riding ability to the gears that will allow you to ride where you want? That's what you were GOING to say. Right? It must have been. Can't imagine where else you were going with that. :cool:

-Ray

[fiamme red]

Learn how to - oh, never mind.Yes, learn how to ride. Then you'd be fine with a low gear of 42x19. ;) :) :rolleyes:

[r_mutt]

granny ring!!!

[RPS]

Learn how to.... match your riding ability to the gears that will allow you to ride where you want? That's what you were GOING to say. Right? It must have been. Can't imagine where else you were going with that. :cool:

-Ray+1 My thought as well. :rolleyes:

While in Texas Hill Country two weeks ago, I rode a century often seeing a guy on a fixed. The gearing was either 45/19 or 45/17 -- really high for some of the hills there. Granted this particular day's century was relatively lacking in big climbs, but still the thought of climbing with one high gear made me appreciate his tenacity.