For those of you that raced IMC last weekend, were you happy with your choice of gears for your bike?
What did you have for the large and small ring and what did you have for a cassette?
If you were to do the race again, would you change your cassette or rings and if so in what way?
What was your bike split?
Have you raced this course with other gearing and if so which was better?
For the second year in a row I stood on the final climb approaching Yellow Lake and watched the competitors make their way up. It left me wondering what gears they had chosen and if they would do it differently if they could. My own impression was that a substantial part of the field would have benefitted (a lot) from a change, but…let’s hear from the field!
seemed to work for me, 5:39 bike split, felt good on all the climbs
Never raced the course before but I’ve ridden it on my road bike which has an 11-28 and 53-39 - I think the tribike setup was actually better overall but it’s hard to compare race day to an early season recon ride
.
FWIW, I mass 100kg and ride a P2SL.
39/53 and 12-25
It suited me fine.
Last year I had a new bike PB at 6:42:00
This year I made the Husky at 2:00:00 and was sure I’d improve my PB,
but I broke a spoke when I got out of the saddle on the first slopes of the Richter.
I heard the ping and in 25m it was rubbing badly.
I rode it to Lidder’s fruitstand where Ian of the Bike Barn did a truing job that was very impressive.
Thank you Ian! Thank you Bike Barn!
But the damage was done, I lost over 18 minutes on that 40k.
For those of you that raced IMC last weekend, were you happy with your choice of gears for your bike?
What did you have for the large and small ring and what did you have for a cassette?
If you were to do the race again, would you change your cassette or rings and if so in what way?
What was your bike split?
Have you raced this course with other gearing and if so which was better?
Yes
53/39 12-27
No
5:45 (including a crash as some out of control idiot took me out at the first aid station which cost me about 5+min as I got bandaged up and my bike checked out…volunteers were awesome!)
Probably not…although perhaps 12-28 would have allowed higher cadence on some of the steeper climbs like McLean Creek and the final Yellow grade.
5:45
No, first IM
FWIW, I’m about 155 lbs, and do the climbs at a fairly moderate 180-190w keeping the effort in check with a power meter. In training I was running an 11-27 but I figured once the 11 was in play I should be coasting and conserving in an Ironman. So I went to a 12-27 which added a 16 tooth that I was missing on the 11-27 and that was a good decision because that one actually gets used a fair amount.
Not trying to jack the thread, just pondering the topic. Why is everyone so hung up on gearing for any of the IM races? To the best of my knowledge, none of the courses on the circuit contain any particularly daunting climbs. Unless you’re training on zero elevation gain, you should be safe racing on whatever you train on. If 39-25 is out of reach on a normal day, then it probably won’t get you home on race day.
I needed more gears. Normal training in Iowa with 50/34 and 11-23, did IMC on 50/34 and 11-25. Next time I’d either be lighter, stronger, or use a 12-27.
My first IMC, bike split 6:10 (which is 20min improvement over IMLP two years ago).
I will answer your question after I get a few more replies. Have you raced IMC,IMLP, IMCDA or IMOO? If so, what sort of gearing worked for you and what are your bike splits on any of those courses. I’m guesiing based on your comment that you are reasonably quick.
A simple search of the race results shows that of the 2,509 race finishers, the median bike split was 6:17:13, meaning half the finishers rode quicker and half rode slower than this time.
But of the 6 replies so far, all but one is either faster or substantially faster than the median.
Any other competitors willing to share their information? Particularly those that rode slower than the median.
How many riders got the same advice that Burnman gave above? (it is the same advice that I was given before my first time at IMC and I followed it to my regret).
I will answer your question after I get a few more replies. Have you raced IMC,IMLP, IMCDA or IMOO? If so, what sort of gearing worked for you and what are your bike splits on any of those courses. I’m guesiing based on your comment that you are reasonably quick.
I’m not a cycling superstar, but I race in the 20-21mph range. I’ve trained and raced the IMLP course on a 53/39 up front and 11-25 in the rear. I stay in the saddle and keep at least one gear beneath me, in the event that I need a bailout. To qualify the situation, I race at 140 lbs and train over hilly terrain.
Not trying to jack the thread, just pondering the topic. Why is everyone so hung up on gearing for any of the IM races? To the best of my knowledge, none of the courses on the circuit contain any particularly daunting climbs. Unless you’re training on zero elevation gain, you should be safe racing on whatever you train on. If 39-25 is out of reach on a normal day, then it probably won’t get you home on race day.
Agreed
Many threads about this, and it’s a head scratcher for me as well.
I think the thing with Yellow Lake really has little to do with the way the typical bike is geared these days but more to do with where it is in the bike leg( right near the end) and how people have paced themselves on the bike to that point( not that well).
The run in to Yellow Lake as the Similkimeen Valley starts to close in on you is a long false flat - it looks flat but you are on a gradual climb for a long way, then it kicks up right near the end. If the rider has cooked themselves on the false flat, then the little kick at the end can and will overwhelm you.
I’d like to try 50/36 'cause I don’t like the bigger jump between rings on the compact. If I ever manage to work around injury and life in general enough to get the training in, and get 10 or 20 lbs under the current 200+, I would go back to the bike’s original 53/39 gearing.
For those of you that raced IMC last weekend, were you happy with your choice of gears for your bike?
This question made me smile…I came upon my husband at around 60km into the bike (he’s usually MUCH faster than I am) and he was walking with the bike slung over his shoulder. A crash (hit someone’s dropped waterbottle at an aid station) ended up resulting in a broken derailleur (along with scrapes, bruses, etc).
After stopping and talking to him for a few minutes and realizing it was the end of his day, Ian from the BB (and Dale) came by in the bike support vehicle, removed the derailleur, put on a different chain, and set him up with a single speed (39/15). So, from 60-180km, he rode with one gear.
Not sure if he would have ever chosen to do the tougher section of the course on a single gear bike… …but I know he was thrilled to have the option to finish. Maybe not perfect for a fast bike time, but doable with the ‘reduced’ selection of gears! LOL BTW, Ian rocks!
OK with gear choice, as I was able to spin up all climbs, though had a bit of a gap in the middle.
53/39 12/30. Made the switch from 12/27 about a week before the race after riding the course. Would have gone to a compact but I use an SRM.
5h18
Raced in 2007 on 53/39 12/27, also on 5h18 with a mid-80s cadence (versus mid-90s in 2009). Preferred having the 30 for the climbs but I think a compact would be even better.
So the real question is how much time did you spend in 53/11 and again how much time in 39/25?
edit to remove stupid…
Very little time in either … and I think that’s exactly how it should be. If you’re pushing either of your extreme gear ratios then you could probably be going faster and/or easier with proper gearing.
In Reply To So the real question is how much time did you spend in 53/11 and again how much time in 39/25?
edit to remove stupid…
Very little time in either … and I think that’s exactly how it should be. If you’re pushing either of your extreme gear ratios then you could probably be going faster and/or easier with proper gearing.
Exactly. I don’t know about KY, but I’m now on a 12-23 as I was really missing the 18 - and find it to be a much better range for 99% of what I do.
