This amused me. Surely they'd have got him an XTR?
http://bicycling.com/blogs/thisjustin/2012/07/16/tour-tech-wiggos-di2-derailleur-hack/
Maybe they needed a little extra weight on the bike?
True, I suppose, maybe he's using a heavy cassette.
Thought this was going to be a Downfall style parody 🙁
I run a 34 on my road bike to make the Compact work in the lakes - still ran out at 20% today though - new leg time
Or maybe they acknowledge that titanium and cassettes do not go together..
Very interesting -thanks for link.
I am excited about today..
I got a new Planet-X with the very low Sram WiFli kit on it with a 11-32 cassette
I was dubious about needing it and was going to swap it for something else, but now I've tried it on a few steep and long hills, I quite like it
won't the other riders point and laugh at his obvious weakness?
Oh no - because he's pasting most of them isn't he.
GO ON WIGGO! Get through today and it's nearly done!
I used the SRAM Apex mid-cage mech with an 11-32 for the Dolomites - worked very well, once you get used to the jump between gears.
Interesting that they've launched a Red version of WiFLi.
Surely they'd have got him an XTR?
But XT is more [i]all mountain[/i] than XTR .... (gets coat)
Interesting this as I didn't think that the indexing worked using a 10 speed mtb cassette with road shifters. Maybe the Di2 stuff can be made to work with the crossover.
Bit of a slap in the face for Shimano, the XT vs XTR choice
Its also because of his OSymetric rings which don't come in a compact, so he needs to run a bigger cassette.
matthew_h - MemberInteresting this as I didn't think that the indexing worked using a 10 speed mtb cassette with road shifters. Maybe the Di2 stuff can be made to work with the crossover.
Road & MTB 10 speed chains and cassettes are cross compatible - it's the dérailleurs & shifters that have different pull ratios
Contador used an apex rear mech and 11-32 in last years giro for the really steep stages, iirc miller had 11-36 and some xx mtb bits, and now wiggo. Obviously if they were as hard as some stw'ers, they would be on 53/39 with 11-23 out back.
Bit of a slap in the face for Shimano, the XT vs XTR choice
If there was a choice, maybe it was weight. The XTR could have taken him under the limit.
Maybe it was what they had, maybe it was hundreds of things. Might just be that XTR is too damm expensive
Road & MTB 10 speed chains and cassettes are cross compatible - it's the dérailleurs & shifters that have different pull ratios
I'm not sure you're right there. I'm pretty sure that the spacing of the sprockets on the road cassettes is slightly tighter than the mtb ones.
Obviously if they were as hard as some stw'ers, they would be on [s]53/39 with 11-23 out back.[/s] [b]a singlespeed[/b]
FTFY
Obviously if they were as hard as some stw'ers, they would be on [s]53/39 with 11-23 out back[/s]. [b]a singlespeed fixie[/b].
FTFY
Bit of a slap in the face for Shimano, the XT vs XTR choice
I doubt they'll be losing much sleep over it.
I didn't know he was riding on Shimano stuff, but I do now. That's a win for them I reckon.
By an amazing coincidence I put a 32t mtb cassette on my road bike last week. Spooky. I don't suppose he has an 8 speed Spesh Allez as well? That would be too wierd...
53:19 fixed
Road & MTB 10 speed chains and cassettes are cross compatible - it's the dérailleurs & shifters that have different pull ratiosI'm not sure you're right there. I'm pretty sure that the spacing of the sprockets on the road cassettes is slightly tighter than the mtb ones.
I run a 10sp Ultegra cassette with xt components and its fine.
Doesn't that German company offer modified Di2 rear mech's, which have a normal XT/XTR long cage bolted on and a few other mod's to make it work?
But yeah, can see why he's a spinner, I am too, hate grinding up climbs on road bike, my current lowest gear is 38/23 and at my lowest comfortable cadence that's about 9-10mph which is still a fairly high gear, I'd welcome something lower** like a decent coffee machine in the workplace.
**would also mean I could climb faster and for longer, as grinding slow means my legs just seize up after about 5-10minutes.
Always had a triple and a mtb cassette on my road bike. Only reason to have 'pro' ratios is for false bravado in my opinion, or you live in a pan-flat area.
Did a few crits a few years ago. First time I turned up most of the lads scoffed with the ratios I had, I then got 3rd =)
Gears ratios do not determine if you're a good rider or not.
It's funny listening to sean kelly on eurosport, can tell he's proper old school and even though he doesn't say it you can tell he doesn't approve of 'easy' ratios 🙂
Got a full MTB drivetrain on my road bike complete with MTB triple chainset. I built the bike specifically for riding up steep hills (it's hilly where I live)and find that over the length of a long climb being able to keep spinning is a far more efficient approach. I do tend to run out of gears on the flat from time to time however.
they stole that idea
naffrider - Member
Always had a triple and a mtb cassette on my road bike. Only reason to have 'pro' ratios is for false bravado in my opinion, or you live in a pan-flat area.
What rubbish - i have stick thin legs but use a 11/26 cassette and 52/39 and ride in the Peak District. More about fitness than bravado `
Only reason to have 'pro' ratios is for false bravado in my opinion, or you live in a pan-flat area.
I live in a pan flat area*.
Am I allowed to ride my standard, or should I fit a compact just in case there's a better ride around?
*So does Mr Wiggins - he lives a couple of miles away.
Rob jackson
"What rubbish - i have stick thin legs but use a 11/26 cassette and 52/39 and ride in the Peak District. More about fitness than bravado" `
is rob jackson your real name or a forum name - its just i cant see your name in previous or current tour rosters
Pauper.
What rubbish - i have [b]stick thin[/b] legs but use a 11/26 cassette and 52/39 and ride in the Peak District. More about fitness than bravado `
There's you'r answer.
I used to ride round the Peak on 38-25 whilst at Uni, these days I've got a 34-27 and find it too high sometimes 🙁
Okay, maybe I was a little harsh with my generalisation but reason I say was because I know people in my area who avoid some hills because they don't have the ratios to get up them. I ask if they ever thought about using easier ratios, one guys response who I know quite well 'I don't like the idea of twiddily gears' Haha.
I took that as only sissy's use compacts 😉
What shred and smell said. His rotor rings can only be made in limited larger sizes, and he is a smooth spinner, hence him nearly having to get off and push up Angliru last year with froome looking itching to drop him and win the race.
And there were plenty of pics of millars bike with mtb rear gearing last year.
they do a 38/50 setup in that o.symetric range but that's as small as it goes btw.
Trail rat - you have lost me, i was saying that having normal ratios was not about bravado it was about being fit thats all.
Tinas - again confused by your comment?
[i]i was saying that having normal ratios was not about bravado it was about being fit thats all[/i]
I suspect that SKY've looked at Wiggins fitness levels, decided they're not going to improve that by much and given him some gearing options instead?
i am not talking about Le Tour, just about normal riding in the UK FFS
The Di2 looks like a normal rise roadbike setup for the parallelogram part of the mech. I thought road bike normal rise was limited to 28t capacity and that if you wanted to reach 32t you needed MTB parallelogram setup ... and shadow mech to reach 36t
or does Di2 have a bigger capacity than the older mechanical rear mechs
Tinas - again confused by your comment?
I was implying that he's a skinny bugger and therefore for any given gear he's gong to have to push less hard on the pedals, therefore probably manage to ride in 'normal' gears in the Peak just like I used to. Whereas I'm now a tubbster and ride with a compact and 12-27.
So MTB or compact gearing is for people who are either unfit (legs, cardio or just a fatty) riding in normal places like the Peak, or Pro's riding up 5000m in a day.
The Di2 looks like a normal rise roadbike setup for the parallelogram part of the mech. I thought road bike normal rise was limited to 28t capacity and that if you wanted to reach 32t you needed MTB parallelogram setup ... and shadow mech to reach 36t
I think they work upto 32t? Shimano mechs have that extra link in them so they can follow the cassette better, whereas SRAM move in a fixed path.
Obviously if they were as hard as some stw'ers, they would be on 53/39 with 11-23 out back. a singlespeed fixie.
Well of course, they used to ride the entire Tour on fixed.
Wiggins needs more options, given and given his oval rings, a larger cog on the bag allows for that.
Indurain used to ride with a triple on the big hills.
Well of course, they used to ride the entire Tour on fixed.
but they used to flip the rear wheel round to be able to use a different gear for the mountains. Pussies.
I think they work upto 32t?
work quite happy upto 32t with 10t jockey wheels
shift upto 36t just with 10t jockeys and a longer b-tension screw - although i wouldnt want to put any power down (never tried 34t as xx on comes in 32/36)