I’ve got an old borrowed road bike, Ultegra spec’ed Coyote Ultralite. Road cycling is not really my thing, but I do enjoy going out on it from time to time – the more I get used to it, the more I like it!

The bike has a standard crankset (53-39). I replaced the original 11-27 cassette with 11-32 Tiagra to give me an extra morale boost on steep climbs and it does work well. I tested it on some ridiculous 30% gradients and I didn’t die. I took it for a couple of 100k road rides around Dartmoor and Torbay (so quite hilly) and I enjoyed really.

In the summer I’m riding Dartmoor Classic, the Grande route. Last year I rode it on my 29er, which was great on the climbs (leaving all the Di2 road bikes behind was good feeling!). I’m considering doing it on that Coyote this year, but the crankset kind of scares me for such a long ride (100 miles) 😐 The thought that the small chainring is only 1t smaller from the big ring on my MTB does make me feel nervous. I was thinking about getting some cheap compact and swap it for the ride. Would that work? Would the front mech cope?

Yes.

It would work but you’d probably need to shorten your chain and also adjust the front mech to work perfectly though often you can get away with it.

You’re certainly better off being a little undergeared than overgeared for long rides.

Mind you I wouldn’t try to compare gearing on an mtb and a road bike as they’re very different given the different drag from wheels, etc.

leaving all the Di2 road bikes behind

You do know Di2 does not enhance performance.?

Just be careful when swapping the cranks over that the chain will run ok on the new rings. If your cassette is new-ish then I would pop a new chain on when you swap the cranks over.

I’m sure he does but even if you don’t admit it, it’s always a little satisfying to beat people on better bikes than you 😉

As to the chain, I’d go the opposite. Unless the cassette (and therefore probably the chain) is very worn, it’ll almost certainly be fine and not be worth changing the chain.

You do know Di2 does not enhance performance.?

So what are they for? 😉

Joking aside, on the start bit to Bovey Tracey I had quite a few “pro’s” looking at me and asking “you’re not riding it on this one, are you?” 😆

The cassette and chain were replaced very recently (about 300 km ago). Thanks for the replies!

If you can do 100km rides around Dartmouth and get up a 30% then I reckon you’d be ok, you get more gear spread with the bigger cassette that you put on, compact as well could be very twiddly

Joking aside, on the start bit to Bovey Tracey I had quite a few “pro’s” looking at me and asking “you’re not riding it on this one, are you?”

My first ever race, was a mad mishmash of all and every bike in the open class.

After the puke inducing initial climb, and I was in my groove, enjoying the experience, I was just at the 8km before the turn around point for the return leg when a lady who had been near the front of the back rode past me waving.

She was in a scruffy pair of shorts, wearing a tired helmet, on the equivalent of a Halfords/Supermarket special.

I was at this point just passing a guy on a full carbon s-works with full lycra and one of those wierd velodrome helmets on.

I came in 47th out 130ish. She was somewhere in the top 20.

I’m sure he does but even if you don’t admit it, it’s always a little satisfying to beat people on better bikes than you

Is it really? Seriously?

^ yep. Definitely. As for gears, depends how well you want to do (hear me out) go for the compact for safety, always being in the right cadence and for definitely and enjoyable ride. Stick with your current normal if you’re happy in the knowledge you might have to tough it out, resulting in more suffering/bonking. Equally, that could not happen at all considering your described level of fitness, just depends how confident you feel 😆