What gearing do you use on your rear wheel?
I’ve got a 12-25, but contemplating changing to an 12-23 or 12-21. Does it really make that much of a difference? FWIW, I live in the “rolling hills” of North County San Diego and am doing Wildflower and IM Canada this year.
Thanks!
Kinda depends on what gearing you have in front.
Doing Wildflower with a 53/39 and 12/23 or 12/21 would have killed me last year. Nasty Grade has some pretty steep sections on it. I used a 13/29 last year, and probably would use a 53/39 with a 13/26 this year - I am in better shape and a bit lighter. At World’s Toughest I am running 50/34 in front and 11/23 in the rear.
Shimano 9 speed drivetrain with FSA 53/39 Crankset
11-21 for TT
12-21 for relatively flat terrain (Houston and surrounding areas)
12-23 for relatively hilly terrain (West Texas) and mountains in Eastern US (Alabama, Georgia, N/S Carolina, Tennesse, Virgina)
12-25 for rockies (Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Washington St., New Mexico)
Michael
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Read Julian’s manifesto from a couple of months ago. He says that 90% of triathletes don’t ride small enough gears. I agree. FWIW I run a 12-27 with a 39 front on my 650 tri bike and a 12-27 with a triple on my 700 road bike. I am a lousy cyclist so take it with a grain of salt but I would have paid a lot of money for a 29 on the climb to Yellow Lake last year.
What gearing do you use on your rear wheel?
I’ve got a 12-25, but contemplating changing to an 12-23 or 12-21. Does it really make that much of a difference? FWIW, I live in the “rolling hills” of North County San Diego and am doing Wildflower and IM Canada this year.
Thanks!
YES! What he said (ie, read Julian’s diatribe against big gears).
Gearing choice has two inputs: Your own personal power profile; and the terrain you ride. Gearing choices are more important than bike choice and wheel choice and shoe choice combined. The only thing more important than your gearing choices is your training.
So, when you survey a board and find people riding 11-23 or 12-25 or whatever – their answer has nothing to do with you.
Here are my rough parameters:
What is your comfortable, flat-land cruising cadence (let’s say 85).
Also, what is your race-day power output cruising on the flats? (if you don’t know, try to figure it out. A Canada bike split of 5:30 is probably nearly 200 watts; 6:00 is maybe 175; 6:30 is maybe 150; let’s use 175)
You want to climb any hill longer than 1/2 mile at no less than 10 rpm less than your flats rpms (let’s say 75).
You also do not want to climb in an IM at more than 10-15 watts above your cruising watts. (let’s say 195 climbing cap). In a half IM, you might got a little harder.
Ok – 75 rpms at 195 watts on a 4.5% grade takes a 39x27 (if you weigh around 155 lbs, like me). Ratchet the grade up to 5.5%, and you need a 39x32 (or a 34x27 with an FSA compact).
Now, 195 watts for long IM climbs is some serious effort, and will bring you home in the front third of most age groups. So, does a 34x27 sound so weak? I can climb a long time at 195 watts (I’ve done a double climb of Palomar holding 215 watts). There is no way I would go to Canada without a 34x25 or 39x27 low gear.
But, don’t do what I would do. Figure out your power output, and figure out what gearing you need to hold cadence up and power down. If you let your power spike on the early part of climbs because your gearing is wrong, you’ll have a bad day.
The biggest problem a fit cyclist has on a hilly IM course is holding power down on the climbs. You are the fittest you’ve ever been in your life; you are capable of blasting up those hills with ease. But, you can’t. You’ve got to hold back.
i agree with you, but i think its a little complex. My suggestion is find the steepest hill in your riding area. Do your longest ride in that general area at your Tri race pace. Now finish that long, ralatively hard ride with the climb. You should be able to climb it comfortably and still have a lower bail out gear. If you grinding away in your lowest gear, wishing you had a lower one, well you need a lower one.
You should be able to climb it comfortably and still have a lower bail out gear. If you grinding away in your lowest gear, wishing you had a lower one, well you need a lower one.
Perfect advice. A race rehearsal ride is the best way to really be sure.
In prepping for WT in three weeks, I did that double of Palomar to be sure I’m happy with my gearing. I’m riding 34 ring with a 11-25 (a 12-25 with an 11 swapped for the 12) in back. As long as I pace well and don’t get in trouble, I’ll be climbing in a 34x21-23 most of the time, holding power to 210-220 and cadence at 75-80.
With all this talk of gearing and hills, I am starting to get paranoid about the hills at WF. I have a 53/39 12-27 set up currently on 650 wheels. Not being the strongest of cyclists, if I want to set up back up gearing of 12-32 or 12-34 is this overkill or possible without switching the rear der? I am thinking of options without shelling out big dollars.
12-27 w/ 650* ought* to be enough, but I don’t know you. You would have to switch out the rear der. to accomodate any larger. I know many female triathletes who have done this, most of them because they were running 700’s.
Absolutely stick with what you’ve got. Certainly don’t go any smaller. You absolutely need that 25, especially for WF. Avoid the tendency to overgear.
Unless you’re running 650’s. You don’t say.
Another option is to have various cassettes and change for varying courses. I have 11-23, 11-21, 12-23, 12-25, and 12-27 cassettes between various wheels/bikes and frequently switch them out depending on what kind of race/ride I’m doing.
i did canada last year with a 53/39 - 12/23.
Should have split aroud 6 hours, but i had some major IT problems (partly due to not having a bail out gear) and had to stop for 20minutes or so…
This year, i’m going back with a 12-27 on the back. (i am riding 700). Hoping to put up a 5:30 bike split this year.
That said, i haven’t actually ridden the 27 yet…but i know that having another couple cogs on the back last year would have been incredible…
-kevin
“You should be able to climb it comfortably and still have a lower bail out gear.” Reminds me of the movie Spinal Tap: “You see, these go to 11.”
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