gearing and climbing-help

[lacyliz]

Hi All,

I'm a new rider (began May 06)- started out with a Giant Sedona, moved to an FCR3(cross) and just got a Giant TCRw road bike (geometry for women). the guys at my LBS said that I'm definitely strong enough for the gearing (though they've never ridden with me)- Its a compact 34/50 and the cassette is a 12-25. My FCR was a triple 30-42-52 with an 11-28 on the rear. When I compared the gear ratios I am losing about the last 2 granny gears with the new TCR. Oh- the new TCR is much lighter than the FCR (23lbs vs. 18.3).

My questions is this- I am not a very strong climber - I dread steep hills (I live on a steep hill-live in the Catskills) - I get up a moderately steep hill very slowly (maybe 6-7mph) and I can feel it in my back. Would you recommend that I just practice more on hills or have the rear cassette changed to a 12-27 (It would give me 1 lower gear that's almost as low as a 30/27-if I had a triple).

Thanks for your help- I am new and don't know if the guys at the shop know about women and hill climbing.

[LadyinWhite]

New Paltz is gorgeous. I've never ridden there but seeing your post makes me think.. hmmmm.. I should take the Girl up there!

I have a triple so I'll let someone with a double answer your question, just wanted to give you a shout because I just love the NP area.

[HillSlugger]

You should be able to go to a 12-27 without having to change out anything else. I did that with my road bike even though I do have a triple. I feel it's made a world of difference. I recommend it.

[Kimmyt]

Have you ridden that hill with the switchback up by the cliffs!?!?!

Every time I drive up that, I think how awful (and fulfilling) it would be to ride up it... my car has trouble going up that sucker!

K.

[Veronica]

I don't know what the Catskills are like, but I do know that for our steep hills and mountains I'm very thankful for my 11 - 34 with my double. And so are my knees.

V.

[lacyliz]

Thanks everyone for your speedy replies. Sounds like I may need BOTH to practice more and change in to a 12-27... even if just for the psychological aspect of knowing I have one more lower gear.

Yes- I am using clipless pedals and they definitely help.

New Paltz, NY is beautiful - miles of apple orchards and farmland- and the Mohonk Mountain Preserve. Come check it out sometime - it's fabulous riding.

I'll check out the climbing threads as well! Liz

[HillSlugger]

I'll check out the climbing threads as well! Liz

The Gunks are great for climbing.

[Kalidurga]

- I get up a moderately steep hill very slowly (maybe 6-7mph) and I can feel it in my back.

My first question on reading this is: Have you been fitted on your bike? If you're feeling it in your back, I'd wonder if your crank/saddle position is off, and therefore putting you in a position that's stressing your back.

Also, are you using clipless pedals? When I switched to clipless, I was amazed at how much more my hamstrings and glutes were put to use in climbing.

Definitely do a search of hill climbing in the forum. There have been a few good threads on not only gearing, but also on proper position for climbing. All other things considered, if you're like me then you just need more practice

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My questions is this- I am not a very strong climber - I dread steep hills (I live on a steep hill-live in the Catskills) - I get up a moderately steep hill very slowly (maybe 6-7mph) and I can feel it in my back.

When I climb very STEEP hills I sometimes only go 3-4 mph, so 6-7mph seems like nothing to be ashamed of to me! If you have not ridden very many miles a week you may well feel the climbing in your back and legs until you build up stronger muscles. It took me 6 months of riding 40-100 miles per week to not get too sore anymore after hilly 2 hour rides.
We have some REALLY steep hills here. We put a front triple 24/36/46 and a cassette of 13-34 on my 29 lb.steel road bike. Works pretty well.

By the way, I lived in NewPaltz many years ago (owned an ice cream parlor there briefly in a former life), and then my younger daughter went to SUNY NP, so I visited there a lot too up until a couple years ago. (Now she's getting her masters in UMASS Dartmouth.) Are you in school there?

[salsabike]

Hey, I went to NP my first two years of college! It is a really nice area.

If you're feeling hill climbing in your back, it may indeed be a fit issue---that's how I found out my top tube was too long, by using my back too much to get up a hill.

[lacyliz]

Lisa- thanks for the encouragement about the steeper hills. New Paltz is beautiful but I'm not in school anymore by a long stretch I'm 43 - so I'm done with all that now thank God.

salsa- yeah, I'm going to ask my LBS about the back and the bike fit as you and a few people suggested. I suspect, as Lisa suggested, that it may be about logging in more miles and building up the legs. In season I had been logging in about 50-60 miles per week. My goal this year is to log in more like 75-100. The lower back strain is only when I climb up the steepest parts of a hill. Otherwise I'm comfy cozy on the bike.

It's so great to have a forum like this - I'm loving it - thanks everyone for being there...

[Crankin]

Off topic here, but Lisa S. H., what is your daughter studying at UMass Dartmouth? You should stop by if you are visiting your daughter. We could do some nice riding when the weather gets warmer. Seriously, we have plenty of room and a nice pond for cooling off after a ride.
My son went to UMass Amherst and he got a great education for a reasonable price.

Robyn

[Gowest]

My two cents is to get the 12/27 cassette and use it if you need it, and keep the 25 for more rolling rides or racing. I recently went from a triple to a double and have an 11/26 SRAM on the rear. We have lots of steep hills surrounding us - so I rarely have a ride that is all rolling - matter of fact - you have to try really hard to get a totally rolling ride around here!! I like having the 11/26 no matter how strong of a rider you might be - sometimes you hit a steep grade and rather than "wrestle" your bike up - with the lower gear you can keep your momentum and cadence going - your technique suffers less and you don't hurt yourself!! If you can - get another wheel and mount the other cassette on it - then it is a quick change between the two cassettes! For me - I just kept my triple Trek and use it for really really long hilly stuff like the Assault on Mount Mitchell kinda hilly and long.

Debi (also a native New York Stater)

Anyone from NY done the Highlander 100 out of Bristol??? I am thinking of going up this year.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Off topic here, but Lisa S. H., what is your daughter studying at UMass Dartmouth? You should stop by if you are visiting your daughter. We could do some nice riding when the weather gets warmer. Seriously, we have plenty of room and a nice pond for cooling off after a ride.
My son went to UMass Amherst and he got a great education for a reasonable price.

Robyn

Thanks Robyn!
My daughter is getting her masters in fine art- specifically: metal work and jewelry design. She's currently teaching a metals course there. She lives next door in New Bedford.
Will keep you in mind for bike visits! Plus same goes for you if you ever need to go to PittsfieldMA, WilliamstownMA, AlbanyNY, etc. area.

[anakiwa]

I recently went through a similar decision ordering a bike. There are a ton of hills where I live- I actually love going up hills, but I don't like having to struggle up them in a gear that's too hard. I ultimately decided that while most of the time I would be fine with a compact (34-50), I wanted to keep the versatility of a triple.

How often do you use your lower gears? If you rely on the lower gears a lot, I'd be worried about giving them up (even as I've gotten stronger, there are still days when I'm tired or just not up to pushing things).