Newbie Questions

[chatnoire]

I suppose this could go anywhere. But, I've got some questions that I was hoping TE people could explain, and I'm sure there are other occasional newbie questions that are easy enough and don't need their own individual threads.

As a start:
I've got a 11-28 shimano 105 set....what does this mean? I started thinking about it wrt the thread about biking CO mountains on the cervelo vs synapse. I'm not super clear on the specifics of what my gears do, other than "make bike go". What should I look for in other bikes, future bikes, bike n+1?

Second q: wool in the summer? and tangentially, base layers and layering systems....worth considering?

So....yea.

[Aquila]

Hi Chatnoire, and welcome.

Shimano (and SRAM, and Campagnolo sp?) have different levels of cost and quality for their group sets. (A group set, or grupo sp? is a set of components that are supposed to be designed to work well together, so, probably brake levers, crank, cassettes, chain, and maybe something I'm not thinking of? My bike has Shimano ultegra and 105, so I guess they can be mixed to some degree.)

I'm guessing the 11-28 is the rear cassette. On the littlest cog, there are 11 teath, and on the biggest, 28 teeth. More teeth in back means easier to pedal. (On the front, more teeth means harder to pedal). My understanding is that 11-28 is a good all around choice because the 28 makes it easy to pedal, and the 11 is good for when you're going faster. So you have a wide range of choices. (Your front cassette either has one ring, two rings, or three rings.)

The more expensive the group set, the lighter weight, and better quality it's supposed to be. If I recall, 105 is about the middle or lower middle of the line for Shimano. It should work well for most regular folks biking.

Cervelo vs Synapse in mountains? I think Cervelo is a company that makes several different sorts of bikes, and Synapse is the name of one of the bikes made by, umm, Cannondale?

Depending on your biking needs and desires, different bikes will work for whatever mountains you're riding. If you're like me (middle aged and not very serious), a less aggressive road geometry is comfortable and makes me smile. Were I more fit and flexible, then a more aggressive geometry might make me smile. The bike for you is the one you can afford that makes you smile. Try lots, and see which makes you smile.

Wool in summer. Sure. Wool tends not to smell in quite the ways that some synthetic clothes do, and the right wool can be comfortable in warm weather. It's a pretty cool material, too (in technical terms).

Base layers: for cold, for sure. But surprisingly, I've read that wearing a special base layer that wicks sweat away (so that it can cool you by evaporation) is a great thing in really hot weather. I know when I watch hot races, a lot of the pros are wearing a light looking underlayer under their team jersey.

[laura*]

The more expensive the group set, the lighter weight, and better quality it's supposed to be. If I recall, 105 is about the middle or lower middle of the line for Shimano. It should work well for most regular folks biking.

The Shimano 105 group has always been in the sweet spot in terms of price/performance. There are only two groups above it: Ultegra and Dura-ace. 105 and Ultegra have generally shared a common design with Ultegra (quite literally) a bit more polished. (Ultegra components get some hands on finishing whereas 105 is mostly just machine finished.) Dura-ace is the top of line (race) group - it is what you run when your sponsor is paying for components. Dura-ace is also usually a bit "different" - it is where Shimano tries out new ideas which may or may not show up the cheaper groups.

Stuff to pay attention to in regards to future bikes (or changes to your Cannondale):

Do you ever use the 11 tooth cassette cog? If not, you might find a 12-28 cassette a better match.

Do you ever use the 28 tooth cog? If not, maybe an 11-25 or 12-25 might be better.

Are you wishing you had an even easier gear than the 28 tooth? You might want to change to a mountain bike cassette with easier gearing.

[Crankin]

See the "wool weenies" thread.
Merino wool is non-itchy and as stated above, wicks sweat, doesn't smell. I've worn merino hiking shirts very successfully. While I don't wear wool for cycling in the summer, I do know those who do. I have wool jerseys for cooler weather.
Base layers? They really save you in the bridge seasons, especially spring, where rides start cool and often ended up warm. The right base layer can work in a wide range of temperatures. I have Craft base layers in short sleeve, long sleeved, and sleeveless. I also have a couple of Smart Wool LS base layers that I love for nordic skiing and really cold rides.