Gearing Differences/Ratios?

After getting my Salsa Fargo I realized the gear ratios are really different from my Madone and it's taken some getting used too. It almost seems like the small and middle gear just pedal in circles regardless of shift changes like I don't need them. I've spent most of my riding in the top ring even going up hills. Is that normal?

According to Salsa's website, I have a Shimano HG-50 9 speed 11-34T and the chainrings are 26-36-48.

I'm not sure what my Madone's gears are. Trek only shows the 2012 model.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

9 speed 11-34T

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That's a mountain bike cassette.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

chainrings are 26-36-48

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Those are about half way between mountain bike and road bike gears. Such gears might be found on touring bikes (where the rider might be hauling 100 pounds of gear) and bikes targeting casual riders.

This overall gearing is certainly much easier than what you'd find on a road bike like the Madone.

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Originally Posted by laura*

That's a mountain bike cassette.

Those are about half way between mountain bike and road bike gears. Such gears might be found on touring bikes (where the rider might be hauling 100 pounds of gear) and bikes targeting casual riders.

This overall gearing is certainly much easier than what you'd find on a road bike like the Madone.

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This makes sense as the Fargo was originally designed for off-road touring, basically. That is why I wanted one so badly last year :)

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

After getting my Salsa Fargo I realized the gear ratios are really different from my Madone and it's taken some getting used too. It almost seems like the small and middle gear just pedal in circles regardless of shift changes like I don't need them. I've spent most of my riding in the top ring even going up hills. Is that normal?

According to Salsa's website, I have a Shimano HG-50 9 speed 11-34T and the chainrings are 26-36-48.

I'm not sure what my Madone's gears are. Trek only shows the 2012 model.

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So you find that you go up hills in really high gears? Have you ever thought about what kind of cadence you ride at? Maybe you have been pushing the pedals too hard (mashing). The advantage of spinning the pedals faster is that your legs will get less tired and so you can often go a lot further. It also strengthens your cardiovascular system. Because I am not a strong person I never could really mash my way up hills or on the flats. Instead I spin those pedals fast, without pushing on them significantly.

Of course, YMMV.

I also have the same Madone you have. The gearing is road gearing and does not have the really low gears that my Cannondale Quick hybrid has.

LOL. It is meant for off-road touring. Duh. Didn't even occur to me why the gears are that way until you pointed it out. If you added touring gear you would need this set-up.

I don't have a computer w/cadence on this bike, only a basic one. I have a wireless one on the Madone and it varies from 75-85. Not sure what it would be with the Fargo. It was just crazy to be going uphill at 15 mph on a hill that my Madone only does at 10. I was doing 20mph on flats w/o coasting. Just humming along in the top gear and using the middle gear to get up hills. This bike is amazing.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

I don't have a computer w/cadence on this bike, only a basic one. I have a wireless one on the Madone and it varies from 75-85. Not sure what it would be with the Fargo. It was just crazy to be going uphill at 15 mph on a hill that my Madone only does at 10. I was doing 20mph on flats w/o coasting. Just humming along in the top gear and using the middle gear to get up hills. This bike is amazing.

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You are strong!

Funny, this is how I feel on my Guru, with the compact and a mountain rd. Also, on the Jamis Coda I had, with a triple and mountain rd. Except, it has the opposite effect; I can't go as fast as I can ride on my triple road bike that has an 11-27. I am more of a spinner, and now I find myself mashing on the Guru, because the harder gears "feel" more natural, but my cadence is lower, and hence my knees don't like that.

I went to a bike trail and did 20 miles to get used to how the gears work on my Fargo and to get a better idea of cadence. I have a cadence sensor coming in on Thursday for the Fargo.

I figured a flat trail would give me a better idea than going up/down crappy 1+ mile hills like I've done all summer on my Madone so I headed to Lincoln. I have a relatively good idea of what 80-90 cadence feels like as I've worked on cadence with my trainer and over the summer on the flat areas of the road. It's an odd feeling to spin and feel like you aren't going anywhere.

I worked through the gears, found some comfortable ones and about 8 miles in when it hit me how cadence works and how you can rest your legs while still riding. You can ride at a high gear at 15mph but you are still "mashing" even if it doesn't feel like it. Or you can ride at 15mph in a low gear spinning away once your brain/legs/gears coordinate the movements.

My brain still wants to mash gears. You feel like you get there faster even if it wipes you out. Mashing up hills seemed to get me up faster which probably explains why I could only do about a 6 miles a day over the summer.

I get the concept of spinning/mashing, but like you Bethany, I would prefer to mash. The only time I really feel comfortable spinning is going up hill.
I put a cadence sensor on my new road bike and I seem to be comfortable right around 80 rpm. Is this considered mashing? I see lots of articles, etc that say you should be around 90, but that feels so ...not sure of the right word..."unproductive" maybe? to me.

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Originally Posted by jlnc

I put a cadence sensor on my new road bike and I seem to be comfortable right around 80 rpm. Is this considered mashing? I see lots of articles, etc that say you should be around 90, but that feels so ...not sure of the right word..."unproductive" maybe? to me.

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Mashing is much lower, say 40 rpm. Thus 80 rpm is not mashing.

It can take a while to adapt to spinning fast. You have to train lots of muscles to work in a very choreographed way.

Well, that's good to know! I'm not doing as bad as I thought then :)