When I bought my first road bike (a 2010 Fuji SST 2.0), the salesman at Performance Bicycle basically laughed at me for wanting to swap out the standard (52/39) crank for a compact (50/34) crank and the 11/25 cassette for an 11/28 cassette. I disregarded his advice to keep the stock components and never regretted it.
Now I’ve noticed that some of the top climbers in my area, who hold amazing Strava times on some of the hardest climbs, are replacing their 11/28 cassettes with 11/32 cassettes. In fact, even Alberto Cantador is using an 11/32 cassette at TdF (see http://velonews.competitor.com/...ed-tarmac-sl4_292485). He says he likes the 11/32 cassette because he can stay in the big ring longer on climbs.
I overheard a conversation recently among top age groupers who are doing IMLT that they plan to install an 11/32 cassette with the idea that they can save their legs on the two 1000-foot climbs by spinning faster, especially when they have to take the hills on in the second lap of the course.
Currently, my 2012 Specialized Comp Rival has stock components, including a standard crank and an 11/28 cassette. It looks like I can easily swap my SRAM Rival Rear Derailleur with a SRAM Rival WiFli Rear Derailleur ($95) and then add a SRAM PG-1050 11-32T cassette ($84). See http://www.excelsports.com/...major=1&minor=14. With a new chain, the total cost would be ~$220.
For IMLT, do you think it would be a good idea for me to switch to an 11/32 cassette on my tri bike? If I switch to an 11/32 cassette, should I also switch to a compact crank? Or stick with the standard crank?
Yep, I am one of those folks. I have had a compact 50/34 11/28 setup for many many years. I climb lots of 15% hills around Auburn. For races like Auburn, Donner, Wildflower, etc., this has saved my butt.
But as you have been reading, for some of us planning to do IMLT in 12 weeks, some of us are asking is this enough.
So, I changed out my 11/28 for a 11/32 last week with a new 9 speed mountain bike Derailleur. (Bike is a 10 speed) I just raced on the setup on Sunday which had a few hills. Even though I could have used my 28 and been fine,
it used the 32 a few times. Boy did it make spinning so much more easier going up the hills and it was fun to be passing folks who were trying to grind it out with smaller gears. No question I feel this spinning,
vs pushing helps saves my legs and allowed me to run a 41:23 10K after the bike.
As has been posted on the IMLT FB pages, a 50/11 will go faster than a 53/12. But can you push over 30 MPH? If not, why anyone would want a standard crank setup makes no sense to me.
Bottom line, as was also posted from a coach, his comment was gearing for the IMLT race will be HUGE, especially on the second lap, let alone how it impacts the legs for running.
I see no negatives to having my 50/34 11/32 setup. I use all the gears. I just see no logic to not have this setup with the technology today.
I can’t speak to how well the kit works (I have it on my road bike, but I haven’t really used it), but if you’re looking into the upgrade, Wiggle has the best price I’ve seen for the components:
Are there benefits if you run a standard crank? Must be right ? Just not as much. On the big descents do you just tuck earlier when you are spinning 120rpm?
Sounds like it is time to start to bring back triples - step and a half grannies. Then you can do what I did on my touring bike many years ago and run a granny 32 or 34 up front with a 34 or 36 on the back. I’d have to go back and count but as I recall I was running a 34/36. But still running a 53 or 54 with a 12 for steep downhills.
I thought about that but since I dropped a chain going to my 34 in my last race, the fewer chain rings up front, the less amount of adjustments that need to be made.
Now, I still am interested in how the 32 works on my big hill climbing training rides. I have used the 28 for years, so will be interesting if the 32 makes it “easier”.
I keep hearing this more and more when it comes to Tahoe.
I’m already running 50/34T with 11-28 on the back and it’s pretty rare that I run into situations where that isn’t enough gears. I’m sitting at about 4.3 W/Kg right now but I expect I’m going to lose some power from now and Tahoe (run volume is too low right now due to a knee injury, so my bike fitness is slightly exaggerated) but continue to lean out between now and then, so I still expect to hit raceday north of 4.
Given that, I’m still kinda dubious to spend almost 200 bucks to go for the 32T… but I’m willing to entertain the idea. I’m definitely going to pre-ride the course on my 11-28 in August then will have to make the decision from there.
edit: Question for the folks who’ve done this.
Will a SRAM RD work with normal Shimano bar end shifters? I have two bikes, am wondering more for curiosity. I know for certain that my Zipp R2C are only compatible with SRAM, but that makes sense to me since it is indexed, and they apparently made a separate version that was indexed for Shimano. However, my old Shimano DA bar end shifters , the ones that were stock on pretty much every bike made before 2010, I can’t remember if they are indexed or straight pull.
Lake Tahoe. Hhhmmm. Is the climbing 6% or more like 8%+? And for how long? … I think it really depends. What % of the time will you actually be faced with 10% or steeper? If its only a few minutes here and there, then a compact & 27-28 cassette should be fine. Stand up and tough it out, those few minutes won’t wreck you (I thinking old CDA course or Lake Stevens)
… Now if the climbing on 8-12% grades is actually 5-10 minutes here & 10-15 minutes there, a few times, then I can totally see going for 32. For a roadie, better yet a triple or even touring or MTB gearing.
I have ridden the course once, and the big hill twice with my 34/28. Yep, I made it and said I do not need to spend money for anything else. But as I was thinking more about it, this is not the conditions for race day.
On top of having to do the loop twice, and the inside big hill twice we cannot train on, plus after a cold swim and maybe cold weather, and then have to run 26.2 miles, and for what this race has already cost in direct money
and training time, 200 bucks is a drop in the bucket. Last thing I want to do is DNF the race, or have a poor race, for something as simple as better gearing. Then having to sign up again is way more money
than having the gears to start with.
As I said, even in a race on Sunday with hills that the 28 would have been fine, the 32 just allowed me to spin more and save the legs. This again for me was well worth the 200 bucks.
standard crack, long cage RD and some ridiculous 12-36 MTB cassette
cyclocross compact (46x36) and 11/lots cassette
erm, a Rohloff speedhub and a 44 tooth front ring
Bottom line is:
don´t run out of gears when a marathon is awaiting at the end of a long day
don´t stress running out of gear at the top end on an IM, ever
don´t worry about your ego taking a hit by running a triple crank. Triples are beautiful things.
Oh, and it´s well worth remembering that SRAM Apex is Grand Tour proven. That Clenbuterol-swigging Spanish cheat ran it at the Giro a few years ago. Take that, Gruppo-snobs!
On the big descents do you just tuck earlier when you are spinning 120rpm?
The difference between 52 x 11 and 50 x 11 is pretty small. 44.4 mph v. 42.7 mph at 120 rpm
I guess you haven’t had the unique pleasure of passing people and pulling away from a group going down hill- with that extra 2mph. I do miss my 16 tho’.
On the big descents do you just tuck earlier when you are spinning 120rpm?
The difference between 52 x 11 and 50 x 11 is pretty small. 44.4 mph v. 42.7 mph at 120 rpm
I guess you haven’t had the unique pleasure of passing people and pulling away from a group going down hill- with that extra 2mph. I do miss my 16 tho’.
The greatest irony of all is that I do the vast majority of my passes on course on downhills and flats… riding my compact. Conversely, about the only time I will get passed during long course is on the uphills, by guys riding doubles, and especially guys riding doubles without power meters.
For all the talk of doubles having downhill speed and gears for the flats, my races are an endless display of comic relief watching dudes blow their wads charging up hill at 120% FTP then coast the entire downhill because they have nothing left in the tank. What good is a massive downhill gear when you don’t have any strength left to turn them?
