Road Cycling
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Soldato
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Some work fine but others don't! Different bikes have the mech sitting in different positions relative to the cassette.
Soldato
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I'm going to presume you have a compact 34/50T chainset.
Given how you're struggling with a 28T for the climbs you want to do, I would seriously consider biting the bullet and buying the medium cage Ultegra R8000 derailleur that works with the Ultegra R8000 11-34T cassette, which has the following sprockets (~£130 total and both in stock at Merlin)...
11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34
You then get a 30 and a 34 to use when your legs are tiring and while your legs strengthen, getting used to whatever this/these climbs are.
There's no pint spending ~£65 on a medium cage 105 derailleur and 11-32 cassette if it doesn't get you up the climb(s) you want to do.
Don't forget to fit a new chain while doing these changes!
I started out doubting the gearing, then moved onto doubting myself (fuelling/not hydrated etc), then back to the gearing. Today I started wondering again if doing too much track has wrecked my hill climbing (not that I was particularly strong a climber anyway).
Dunno, might even do absolutely nothing with the bike and just get some hills done over the next 5 weeks on the 28T and look at the power data. It's feeling like the gearing is putting me the zone into needing to hold 3xxw plus for longer than I can hold 3xxw plus.
Soldato
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On a similar topic to whats going on....
I have a Tiagra 4600 setup - a 50/34 and a 12-28 and I think a shortcage RD. I've been to the peak district a couple of times and some riding in france with a lot more climbing than at home, up to 15% is ok but above that it's a struggle, i'm probably a bit stronger this year after getting a zwift setup but it would still be nice to spin a bit more if I can instead of wanting to die. I don't really want to get a triple, but was thinking of an 11-32 or 11-34.
I've read some places where people saying you can get away with a 11-32 by adjusting the b screw? Or should I just find a long cage tiagra 4600 RD? Just supposing i got the RD would that be able to run 12-28 and 11-32/34?
I'm off to North Devon in the summer and the climbs look pretty tough in places.
Cheers
I have a Tiagra 4600 setup - a 50/34 and a 12-28 and I think a shortcage RD. I've been to the peak district a couple of times and some riding in france with a lot more climbing than at home, up to 15% is ok but above that it's a struggle, i'm probably a bit stronger this year after getting a zwift setup but it would still be nice to spin a bit more if I can instead of wanting to die. I don't really want to get a triple, but was thinking of an 11-32 or 11-34.
I've read some places where people saying you can get away with a 11-32 by adjusting the b screw? Or should I just find a long cage tiagra 4600 RD? Just supposing i got the RD would that be able to run 12-28 and 11-32/34?
I'm off to North Devon in the summer and the climbs look pretty tough in places.
Cheers
Wednesday? Yeah, just could not be arsed with that.
I rode in today for only the second time after Monday - was working from home Tuesday as yesterday as daughter one is ill.
Still, even with lame commuting numbers I’m on course to beat my record of 250 miles in January, which is the most I’ve managed in the past five years of riding.
you'd need to fit a new chain lengthed for the larger sprocket. The longer cage takes up the extra slack when you're on the smaller sprockets.
the extra cage length is there to allow the chain to be longer. In principle you could use a short cage on a 40t MTB cassette but only if the bottom sprocket was about an 18 or something. Not recommended though - you'd be ignoring the maximum cog size.
rear mechs should quote a "capacity" and a maximum cog size
this is determined thus
- Determine Maximum Chainring Difference by subtracting the number of teeth in the smallest chainring from the number of teeth in the largest chainring
- Determine Maximum Cassette Cog Difference by subtracting the number of teeth on the smallest cassette cog from the number of teeth on the largest cassette cog
- Determine Total Drivetrain Capacity by adding Maximum Chainring Difference to the Maximum Cassette Cog Difference
- Record the Maximum Cassette Cog (the number of teeth on the largest Cassette Cog)
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This is the obvious solution.
How's your Fibre-lyte? Post a drool pic!
Haha chain defo a bit on the short side! Is that a 52T chainring too? Always hard to judge on those Cannondale spiders.Short cage derailleur didn't seem to be a huge fan of the 32T the bike shop accidentally put on my rental bike in GC...
(chain might have been a tad too short as well)
Hate to say it mate but it sounds more like technique, around these parts (midlands, I'm not far away!) you can get used to charging at hills, nailing them (and then just hanging on) yet when it comes to something longer you just ride them too hard. You get used to 'climbing' at threshold for short periods (rather than pacing at tempo) and then just blow yourself up...
Unfortunately hills are one of those things, you only get better at riding them, by riding them!
How's your Fibre-lyte? Post a drool pic!
Few issues with the TT bike currently so will post once it's all back together.
That feel when the first outdoor ride in 4 months is potentially looming for this Sunday (12 degrees)... If it rains AM instead of PM on Saturday I might even make it a double
#prayforben
I'm hiding inside again this weekend as saturday morning forecast looks like more of the same - rain, 30mph winds and temperatures below 5 degrees.
Also ordered a Tacx Flux yesterday which should be arriving today so have another incentive to be inside...
10% off on CRC + 10% BC discount + 2% topcashback + 4% 'kidstart' (2nd cashback, if it works!) = £532.
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Soldato
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ok so I have
Total drivetrain cap of 37
I was looking at the Tiagra cassettes, looking at the 4601-gs it has a max cap of 37 and max sprocket size of 32
where my 4601-ss has max cap of 34 and max sprocket of 30
so....if i got the 11-32 tiagra cassette, the gs RD and a new tiagra chain i'll be good?
Thanks a lot
everything looks like it's in spec to me
Soldato
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- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
#prayforben
I'm hiding inside again this weekend as saturday morning forecast looks like more of the same - rain, 30mph winds and temperatures below 5 degrees.
Also ordered a Tacx Flux yesterday which should be arriving today so have another incentive to be inside...
10% off on CRC + 10% BC discount + 2% topcashback + 4% 'kidstart' (2nd cashback, if it works!) = £532.
Fingers crossed your new toy behaves,
I've been trying unsuccessfully trying to find some enthusiasm to ride this morning, no doubt almost certainly in the virtual world, I'm not sure if I've done an outdoor ride this year besides commutes!
Probably find your power profile has changed a bit or you're just more adept to a higher cadence now for the same given power.
I'd see where in relation to threshold your power is and if the cadence is sustainable without it becoming too muscular and less aerobic
Could have a point there actually, I really don't like SUSTAINED low cadence climbing, it's the looooong climbs that just **** me up.
This is the sort of climb I'm ok with - it's steep but it's over with in no time at all:
https://www.strava.com/segments/7568915 — All Mucklow Hill
I did Saintbury (not sure if Gloucester or Worcestershire) last summer and it had me in all sorts of trouble.
This is the sort of climb I'm ok with - it's steep but it's over with in no time at all:
https://www.strava.com/segments/7568915 — All Mucklow Hill
I did Saintbury (not sure if Gloucester or Worcestershire) last summer and it had me in all sorts of trouble.