Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Spinning out the gears downhill
Quote | Reply
Being a fatty I was a bit worried about 1500m/5000feet ish climbing in Marbella. Turned out I was all good. Super happy! The long sections with a slight decline on the other hand made me go backwards through the field. I couldn't keep any pressure on the pedals regardless of how fast I tried to spin the crank. Everyone else seemed to be just fine.

Solution: go to ST and get educated.

The bike setup was 53/39 with 12-32 in the back. 170mm crank arms might have been the problem, but normally I'm on 172,5mm and I don't know if that would have been enough. Like I said I was a bit worried about the climbing so I wanted a kind cassette. Not cool to work your ass off and then see it all go down the drain on the other side of the mountain.

So what's the solution? 11-25 and/or 55/42?
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The 12 was probably your problem, but use this chart to see relationship between speed at different gearing/cadences.

https://www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence
Last edited by: Sean H: May 2, 19 7:25
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
How fast were you going on those descents, and was everyone else pedaling to pass you? And, what cadence do you typically ride?

If you were pedaling at 100 RPM in a 53/12, you would be going about 35 MPH. That is pretty fast. An 11 would get you another 3 MPH.

If you are lower cadence rider, like around 80, then yeah you would spin out at around 28 MPH-- not so fast. An 11 would get you to 30 MPH as an 80 RPM rider.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
An 11t is probably the cheapest and easiest fix.

Itā€™s also possible that your position and/or equipment setup is not as aero as the people flying by.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I do not understand 12-32 cassettes, unless it is an uphill TT or similar. If you need a 32, then eventually you'll be going down the other side pretty quick. A 12-25 makes sense, same with an 11-32.

Do you have a ride file to share? Do you track cadence? As stated above, even at 100RPM, you'd be going pretty quick. Maybe you just need to learn to spinnnn.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
From 32 to 48mph. On the steepest parts I was down on my frame so that's all right. But when I reached 35 and above I had a hard time creating any momentum. And people were peddling past at a much lower cadence.

I didn't have neither a PM nor my pod sensor for measuring cadence, so I don't know any data from this race. Last 70.3 I did I averaged 91 with a max of 110. But that was before the winter break. Might have gotten lazy and slow over the winter.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
11 cog in the rear and/or 54 chain ring - you probably don't need a 55. Use a gearing calculator and see what those get you.

What's your CdA?
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
You are probably relatively high cadence, so that is probably not it.

I wonder if it is position and aero? When I get on a hill steep enough to carry me into the 30s, I will offend relax my pedaling and coast. I rarely pedal above 35 MPH during a triathlon. So, if I am more aero than others on the hill, I would pass them at what looked like a slower cadence.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Schnellinger wrote:
From 32 to 48mph. On the steepest parts I was down on my frame so that's all right. But when I reached 35 and above I had a hard time creating any momentum. And people were peddling past at a much lower cadence.

A 53/11 is a 9% higher gear than a 53/12, and that is the highest gear someone would typically run. So if they were blowing by you at "much lower cadence", they were soft pedaling. In that case aero drag would be the issue.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Would be very surprised if people were pedalling past you at low cadence if you're doing 35mph. Even on a 53-11 you'd need to be spinning over 90rpm just to hit 35, so people cruising past you at that speed would need to be spinning at 100+. And realistically 53-11 is the highest gear any triathlete is likely to have.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The problem is not your gearing or crankarm length. Going downhill fast is about aerodynamics. Pedal hard for a few revolutions, then immediately get into a tuck and get your head down.

At a certain speed it becomes more economical to stop pedaling and supertuck instead.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [cartsman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
cartsman wrote:
And realistically 53-11 is the highest gear any triathlete is likely to have.

Not sure about that - I'm running 56x42 and 11-28 and I know quite a few people with larger than 53 chainrings.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Do you stay in the aero bars on a descent. I have an 11-28, which will get you up almost any hill and down the other side. Same 53/39 at the front. The trick is to get going hard as soon as you crest the hill. Once you are past 50kph, you're a passenger. A little weight doesn't hurt, gravity likes a little weight. It's the tuck that will make you faster. If you don't go full tuck, try one handed.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Schnellinger or should I say,..... ED BAKER!! You are the most brilliant troll of the modern ST era. Wow. Bravo! Are you a distant relative of Finman?
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Could definitely be aero dynamics (or lack of such). Was on an Easton shallow rimed training wheel in the front. And please don't laugh, a 15year old road helmet. The back wheel was slightly better. IĀ“m quite tall (and chubby) so it could definitely be that my frontal area and equipment need some work.

I'm by no means a power house so I don't want to go too big, but I think the 11 option seems resonable. There's a disc cover waiting together with my 808 zippĀ“s and an aero helmet back home so hopefully I won't run into this ever again :)

I don't get why you think I'm a troll BT_DreamChaser?
Last edited by: Schnellinger: May 2, 19 11:18
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [ni31mo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
ni31mo wrote:
cartsman wrote:
And realistically 53-11 is the highest gear any triathlete is likely to have.


Not sure about that - I'm running 56x42 and 11-28 and I know quite a few people with larger than 53 chainrings.
53 is the highest people run in the states. I understand that Europeans often run bigger chainrings, especially the pure TTers.

No idea why the difference.
Quote Reply
Re: Spinning out the gears downhill [Schnellinger] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Schnellinger wrote:
Could definitely be aero dynamics (or lack of such). Was on an Easton shallow rimed training wheel in the front. And please don't laugh, a 15year old road helmet. The back wheel was slightly better. IĀ“m quite tall (and chubby) so it could definitely be that my frontal area and equipment need some work.


I'm by no means a power house so I don't want to go too big, but I think the 11 option seems resonable. There's a disc cover waiting together with my 808 zippĀ“s and an aero helmet back home so hopefully I won't run into this ever again :)

I don't get why you think I'm a troll BT_DreamChaser?



In prior posts, a few other ST'ers have accused you of being an alter-ego/ dummy account for Ed Baker. They did so because you posted some suspiciously positive, almost scripted responses supporting Mr. Baker, and your ST account was recently created around the time the Ed Baker thread was posted. At the time, I thought these posters were on to something.


However, upon conducting my own in-depth research, and reading your prior ST posts, and conferring with my imaginary friend Watson, I've in fact concluded that you are NOT Ed Baker! So to that end, apologies for saying you're a troll. Which actually, you wouldn't be a "troll" -- just a "fake account" created for propaganda purposes and trying to shed positive light on the brand and image that Mr. Baker is so desperately trying to build.


And if I'm wrong, and the other ST'ers are right, and you are fake/ alter-ego account for Edward Baker then that's some next-level Keyser Soze type shit!!




Quote Reply