I have been riding a Defy 1 with 50front 28 cass compact gearing and I have been looking at some bikes which are 53f 25 cass and I am wondering how much you notice the higher gearing when hill climbing or can I put a 28 cassette to help out with the climbing.

Quite a lot is the short answer. I take it you have an inside ring at the front too? That’s more the issue when climbing.

Depends on how fit you are. Personally a compact is only really needed if you live in the mountains, Britain doesn’t have proper mountains. A 53/39 with a 28 out back will cope with pretty much anything.

Look at a gear chart, work out many low gears you will lose and try to ride without using them.

Or MTFU.

I seem to be able to climb the hills on the Sunday club runs ok and keep with the front of the group with the compact and it would be 53/39 front if I change bikes. . I did get lent a TCR Advance 2 53/39 25 cassette last week to do a 10 mile TT last week which was fasters as there was not much climbing but I did not get chace to go out on any of the local hills.

Mtfu might not get you up hardknot in 39-25

I’ve got a compact and 13-27, still use the 34-27 on some of the sillier climbs in the Chilterns, and still drop below 70rpm might only be 10-15minutes but they can be chuffing steep!

MTFU

Nothing wrong with admitting that you neither have the power output or 68kg bodyweight of the pro’s, and therefore don’t really suit the same gears.

Mtfu might not get you up hardknot in 39-25

Might do with a 28 though.

neilsonwheels – Member
Depends on how fit you are. Personally a compact is only really needed if you live in the mountains, Britain doesn’t have proper mountains. A 53/39 with a 28 out back will cope with pretty much anything.

Really?

Galibier is an average of about 8% with a peak gradient of about 12%. I live in Kent and on my ride to work I have a hill which is 14% and any number around here which are over 20%.

I ride in the Lakes on holiday where Hardknott Pass is over 30%

It’s the gradient not the length of the climb that affects the gearing needed. OP, forget the willy wavers – you will probably be faster up any climb longer than about 1km by sitting and spinning rather than grinding your way up.

Look at what happened on the key climb of the Vuelta in 2011. The Angliru is 23%, Cobo won it with a bottom gear of 34f 32 rear. He destroyed Wiggins who was running 38f 32 rear and ultimately won the race. Now I have nowhere near the power of these guys but when climbing anything steeper than about 15% then I like my 30f 28r bottom gear.

Gearing is a personal thing and ultimately only you can decide what is right for you, but don’t be swayed by others telling you that your gearing is too easy or to just MTFU.

It’s the gradient not the length of the climb that affects the gearing needed

Aple d’huez averages out at around 8%. There are many 8%’ers around the midlands which are doable in the big ring but they don’t go on for 8.5 miles. Spinning a nice easy gear up said alpe would make life easier.

Depends on how fit you are.

And possibly more importantly, how heavy you are.

Britain doesn’t have proper mountains.

It may not. But it does have some hellishly steep climbs (depending on where you live, of course). Which is exactly where you need more gears.

It’s a very personal thing, depending on yourself and your environment. I ride a triple, and even then there are times I struggle. On the tail end of a 100 mile ride the other week, I had just descended from a 1500ft climb to be faced by another monster with a gradient that I would estimate at around 20 percent. I nearly stopped. Out of the saddle, my entire bodyweight digging into the pedals, and the bike really didn’t want to move. I’d struggle to make it out of the street on a regular chainset, and I might not be a poster boy for fitness, but I’m not unfit either.