porqui Posted January 23, 2017 Posted January 23, 2017 Go to a 28 as you will still have the 25 to go back to. One thing that helps a lot is to change to an easier gear sooner rather than later. you want to spin uphill and not grind. Doing hill work also makes a big difference.
Marco Crow Posted January 23, 2017 Author Posted January 23, 2017 Ok cool im getting excited here as i will enjoy cycling more
eccc whippet Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 How big are you...if you are a skinny little oke...stick with the 11-25...you just need to train more. Big oke and plan of ride lots of hills...compact crank 50/34 ...11-28 Or standard 53/36 ...11-32 (you need to make sure the derailleur hanger is suitable) aim for 70-80 rpm on hills...if you can't maintain 70-80 in the easy gear then you either need to do more training or change your gearing...smaller on the front or bigger on the back. Just remember chain and cassettes are disposal items and easy to swop...so having an 11-25...11-28...11-32 for various application might not be a bad idea Buy the tools to swop the cassette...around R300 last I checked...it is a simple procedure. As I have just learnt...keep a couple spare chains...you should have a chain break and spare link in your " saddle bag"
Marco Crow Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 Morning im far from skinny not big i will try the 11-28 first????
dee_biker Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 Keep the 53 up front, the 28 combo will get you up any hill with moderate strength. Just avoid using it to get lazy, as the temptation is there. Because you don't have a 25, it can be awkward to keep up with someone on a 25 up a hill (your closest ratio is the 26). You'll just not feel right. But stick to your own pace and you'll be fine.Hi there, I can vouch for this. I have always had a 53-39 with 11-25 at the back, and last year decided to get a 11-28 for those nasty hills. Since then I have become a lot stronger and fitter, and now find myself getting up the same hills with my middle ring in the back and 39 up front. I RARELY use my 28 now. I agree with the comment that the 28 gear might make you lazy. I am going back to 11-25 soon. My suggestion to make you stronger to not need those 28 granny gears, is do A LOT of Hills Intervals, at least once a week. Also, what I do is Big blade Tempo rides, once you're fitter. This means that you do you're whole Tempo Ride 1h30 to 2h in your big blade front, and play with the back gears. Concentrate on your pedalling stroke, and also pedalling standing up/. This will make you very strong.
Bateleur1 Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 Since you did state you are a beginner I would say stick with what you have and just train. You will become stronger as you train and most propably won't need to spend energy and money to put on a different gears. I remember when I started cycling. I dreaded the hills. A year later I was enjoying it more with the same gears.
Capricorn Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 maybe with someone with insights into the international scene: why are many pro's racing with 11-28 cassettes, yet here on bikehub, many advocate on the basis of rider mass (typically much heavier than an elite pro), or lack of training, meaning, if you a big guy, get an 11-28 till you get lighter, or get 11-28 until you get stronger. BTW: going on info noted by bike journos covering the tour of australia with many as-raced bikes sporting 11-28 cassettes. So why is a lighter, much stronger Elite pro riding 11-28s with a standard crank up front?
Spinnekop Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 maybe with someone with insights into the international scene: why are many pro's racing with 11-28 cassettes, yet here on bikehub, many advocate on the basis of rider mass (typically much heavier than an elite pro), or lack of training, meaning, if you a big guy, get an 11-28 till you get lighter, or get 11-28 until you get stronger. BTW: going on info noted by bike journos covering the tour of australia with many as-raced bikes sporting 11-28 cassettes. So why is a lighter, much stronger Elite pro riding 11-28s with a standard crank up front?The pro's are riding 9-19% gradients for hours. We don't have those mountains in SA.Not even CLOSE....... That's why the Pro's also prefer decent alu rims over carbon because descending those crazy mountains tends to delaminate even the best of wheels.
Capricorn Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 The pro's are riding 9-19% gradients for hours. We don't have those mountains in SA.Not even CLOSE....... That's why the Pro's also prefer decent alu rims over carbon because descending those crazy mountains tends to delaminate even the best of wheels. checked the TDU profile, or comments on the route profiles, and only certain sections have those crazy gradients, not for kilometers and hours on end as you seem to suggest? Even the interviews with the riders suggest the routes or stages are relatively flat. Their words. Is there not perhaps some physiological benefits (other than the more direct benefit of easier climbing), like on-bike recovery, that is better effected by the 11-28 than a cassette with tighter ratios, notably over the longer stage distances?
Duane_Bosch Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 checked the TDU profile, or comments on the route profiles, and only certain sections have those crazy gradients, not for kilometers and hours on end as you seem to suggest? Even the interviews with the riders suggest the routes or stages are relatively flat. Their words. Is there not perhaps some physiological benefits (other than the more direct benefit of easier climbing), like on-bike recovery, that is better effected by the 11-28 than a cassette with tighter ratios, notably over the longer stage distances?I watch quite a lot of GCN and they reckon the trend in the pro ranks towards easier gearing is to do with the pro's running at higher cadence. Hence the easier gearing.
Saudiq Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 I ride the compact 11-28 combo and I find these gears to be very effective for me. I have a power meter on my bike and I can tell you that I find it much easier to generate power using the lighter gears on the climbs. I'm a heavy guy weighing 87kgs, so not a fast climber by any measure but I find that I can maintain 280 - 300 watts in my lighter gears and my legs are still fresh when I get to the top and I'm then not only able to catch the mountain goats on the downhill but also pass them. Also remember that the only gear that's bigger than 50 X 11 is a 53 X 11 which is a gear you very very seldom use (especially as a beginner). I'm a sub 3:30 Argus rider and I very seldom find the guys getting away from me at top end but then I'm also able to spin at a high cadence. What this means is that you're able to get almost any gear as a 53x39 and 11-25 cassette (yes, i know the jumps between the teeth is bigger with the 11-28 vs the 11-25). In the words of Chris Froome: 'There is nothing worse than running out of gears' So my philosophy is rather have and not need, than to need and not have...
Saudiq Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 checked the TDU profile, or comments on the route profiles, and only certain sections have those crazy gradients, not for kilometers and hours on end as you seem to suggest? Even the interviews with the riders suggest the routes or stages are relatively flat. Their words. Is there not perhaps some physiological benefits (other than the more direct benefit of easier climbing), like on-bike recovery, that is better effected by the 11-28 than a cassette with tighter ratios, notably over the longer stage distances?In my opinion I find it easier to recover when I've climbed using my lighter gears. Just dropping my cadence from 70-80 to 60 drains my legs completely and I have relative strong legs (I can leg press 400kgs and squat 160kgs, or at least I was able to a few months ago )
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