Yesterday whilst gasping for breath climbing Challacombe Lane out of Woolacombe i was wondering about the gearing on my road bike.
I have a bottom gear of 39x23, which was a tad on the high side. If i had a 39x26 it would be easier, but in the real world would it be faster?
smaller gear, easier to turn over but not as much distance for each crank revolution, bigger gear harder to turn over but more distance? So can anyone suggest whether a smaller gear would be faster or would in all likelihood take it easier for little or no gain in speed.
Definitely faster if you are struggling to turn the 23
String? how long is it?
TBH it depends how you pedal. Some people can generate enough power to grind, others need a higher cadence to make progress. With a lower gearing you are more likely to be using cardio-vascular fitness more than outright strength. The only way to answer it is to do it yourself and see how it feels.
why not try it?
If you can turn a gear, a lower one may be easier but not faster.
I think it will be faster overall due to the fact you'll be able to keep pedalling for longer thiout your legs tiring as quickly.
As an avid Single speeder, I can say that a lower gear is often faster - eg I can get up Hardnot Pass on 32:16, but I can get up it a lot quicker (and in a lot less pain) with a lower gear!
I used to sweat this stuff, then a light came on. Don't tell your mates that you have lowered the gearing on your bike- either wide cassette or compact chainring- then sit and spin past on the steeps retaining enough power to burn on the descents, priceless! They are sweating and aching with lactic build up and you are comfy, your choice,machismo knee busting in hard gearing is for muscle bound numb skulls, gears are designed to turn pain into pleasure,just my twopennorth.
However ......respect to single speeders who drink lactic acid for fun.
I have a 50/36 compact up front with a SRAM 12-32 cassette on the rear, just how the bike (boardman hybrid) came.
Now, i'm no road rider but i can usually beat my mate up hills and he uses a narrow ratio road cassette.
Either i'm simply fitter, or i can spin faster on a smaller gear.
unless you're a physiological freak, a gear you can turn without struggling will be faster across a whole ride though may be slower on some climbs (since you'll be forced to turn it over faster). Basically you'll fade more on any decent length ride if you're overgeared
39:23 is proper race gearing.
No harm in swapping the cassette to a 12-25 or 12-26, it'll give a useful extra bit of leeway for climbing. As to whether it'll be faster, that kind of depends on how hard you press on the pedals and how fast you can spin! 😉
I'm running a 12-27 currently. I had an 11-25 before and on some of the short sharp climbs here (10-15% for 1km) I just wasn't able to keep going without ruining my legs. 13% ramp today and I just sat and span up, taking 1m off my best time. Works for me.
a 13-23 cassette makes sense for commuting to work and most of the roads i ride in the cotswolds. It also happened to be cheap when i needed a new cassette. Oh and i have 9spd, so didn't want big gaps in the cassette.
spending the weekend in Barnstaple.. and you see a sign saying 25% so decide to give it ago...maybe not so much sense.
I dont race but use a 12-27 on my road bike, but live in snowdonia so quit a lot of climbing.
The thing is, with the wider ratio cassette you always have the option of not dropping right into first gear and hence sticking with a gear similar to your current lowest. With your current gearing you have no choice for a lower gear.
I'd be going for the wider cassette and having more choice rather than the closer ratios of your current set up.
If you are genuinely struggling I'd be going bigger than 26T
For Challacombe Hill I'd recomend a car 🙂
Or ride down and catch the bus out of Woolacombe (after lunch at the Red Barn).
If you are genuinely struggling I'd be going bigger than 26T
there is struggling and struggling, I was definitely not spinning put it that way.
As i asked originally just wondering if you have a slightly lower gear whether you go quicker, so rather than rolling the gear, you can spin it a bit more, or do you end rolling a slightly smaller gear and go slower?
cynic-al - Member
If you can turn a gear, a lower one may be easier but not faster.
That will explain why even on the 24% Angliru, the fastest climber around is spinning merrily away:
glenh - Member
That will explain why even on the 24% Angliru, the fastest climber around is spinning merrily away:
Of course, it was his gear, nothing else 🙄
I maintain, unless you are almost trackstanding, a lower gear will not in itself make you faster, unless you are tired or lacking strength.
More BS on this thread than usual!
No one is ever tired when riding a bike of course....
Of course they can be - but whether that is the issue for the OP isn't even implied.
The fastest gear is whichever one you feel best with. theres no right or wrong gear if its gettinng you up a hill fast. i prefer to use higher gears so just run a 23/39 as my lowest. That gets me up most 25% hills and im not fit at the moment.
If you're struggling get a cassette with a bigger last cog, not exactly expensive to try.
I suppose to clarify, tired wasn't anything to do with the question, i went out for a 30mile explore, hardly what you can call tiring. If i was doing the Dragon or some other sportive with a few hills in it then i certainly would have made sure i had a smaller sprocket and yes a smaller gear keeps your legs in a better state, i won't argue that, but does it mean you are faster or less tired?
Look at some of the gearing you see on some time-trialists bikes, very much brute strength rather than spinning gears.
I'm faster spinning than grinding - again this is really noticeable switching between singlespeed and geared bikes. I run a compact and a 27 on the back but still find I can get up hills faster than most.
You would either need to give it ago or decide if you are a spinner or a grinder - normally obvious from what kind of cadence you normally ride at.