Road Cycling Essentials

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Finally got around to building up my new frame this weekend, scavenged the Ultegra groupset from my old carbon bike. I made the frame myself a couple of months ago, main triangle is mostly Renyolds 631 with an 853 down tube, stays are 725.

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After cycling Arran I have came to the realisation that I currently struggle a little on the long hills and a change in ratios might help. The bike I currently ride is a Specialized Allez with chain rings 50 / 34 and the cassette is 11 to 25 (maybe 26) 8 Speed.
How do I gain some better climbing ability other than getting fitter?
 
A wider range cassette is the cheapest option, but you are limited by the capacity of your rear derailleur. You will probably get a 28t cassette on the back without any bother though.
 
I suspect that a 34 tooth chainring is probably the smallest that you can fit on your crank, maybe something with a couple less teeth would fit, but it's not really worth it.

New cassette would be the best option. Best to check the manual for your rear derailleur to find out what the biggest sprocket it can take is. I think pretty much everything can handle a 28 tooth, and something like an 11-28 or a 12-28 would make a difference to your climbing.

edit: yeah, pretty much what One More Solo said :(
 
:D Anecdotally though, my other half's bike is 8 speed Shimano and I managed to squeeze a 12-30t cassette on there without any issues despite it only having a short cage derailleur. She's not as much of a mountain goat as me (yet).
 
I managed to get out on Monday for a bit. Did a loop around Henley (33.3 miles), 7 minutes faster than the last time I did it. Is that good do you think? Very happy as I wasn't riding flat out to set a time. Felt much stronger on the climbs.
 
George Hincapie said:
I managed to get out on Monday for a bit. Did a loop around Henley (33.3 miles), 7 minutes faster than the last time I did it. Is that good do you think? Very happy as I wasn't riding flat out to set a time. Felt much stronger on the climbs.
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Depends, if it used to take you 7:07:00 and it now takes 7:00:00, thats not too good. If it used to take 1:50:00 and it now takes 1:43:00, thats pretty good :p


Seriously though, any improvement has got to be good :) Especially on the hills, thats where you can make up most of the time.
 
I've been using Conti GP4000 700/23 in red (as above). One of them has recently been destroyed and a direct replacement is obvious. However, I'm keen to move to 25mm tyres but to my dismay the 25mm red GP4000 has been discontinued!

So, can anyone recommend me a decent red 700/25?
 
Finally got round to selling my S1 framset. It wasn't a popular size and it wasn't in the best nick but still £200 and a bit isn't to be sniffed at. Sold the groupset and finishing kit to a guy at work for £80.

So I open my PC and it appears someone is doing Edge 800s for £250. Well, it would have been a shame not to.....
 
It's getting close to when I get my bike, I've been doing a lot of reading and this is the bike I'm having - http://www.formebikes.co.uk/bikes/road/longcliffe3.php
The main thing I'm worrying about is the correct size because the shop owner reckons I need a 53cm but I'm not so sure.
I straddled the top bar and got both my feet on the ground flat but only just.
Would it make more sense to go 51cm?

How do you do it?
 
It sounds like it's a bit big but it's impossible for us to tell without seeing you + the bike.
I have quite a bit of clearance over my top tube if i'm standing with both feet on the ground.

Did the guy in the shop measure you at all?
If you have relatively long torso compared to your legs then you might need a bigger frame to get the right length.
 
Try this bike fit calculator.
Dont rush through it, take your time and get all the measurements properly, it can take 20-30 mins to work through them all. Get somebody to help you out if you can.

It will never be as good as an experienced fitter looking at you in person, but it might help steer you in the right direction.
Also, the geometry of the bike can make a difference as well. My last bike was about 5cm "too short" in the seat tube because it had a long top tube.
 
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