compact crank
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compact crank
Postby elizabethw » Sat May 07, 2011 6:35 pm
I am having trouble with long hills, I seem to run out of puff .. get winded. I am a 56 year old woman and have been riding casually for about 12 months.. on and off. I have signed up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer in August 200k over 2 days. A fortnight ago I did my first 100k which i learnt what bonk is... lesson now learned eat more.
I decided to increase my hill work as I know there is going to be hills... short hills or short steep hills I seem to manage.. but if you give me a long hill that progresses upwards I conk out get so short of breath. Someone said I should think about a compact crank set up. I have a triple crank set up on my bike which is a Specialized Dolce 2009 which has the following
Shift Levers Shimano 105 STI
Front Derailleur Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur Shimano 105
Crankset Shimano R553, 30/39/50 teeth
Should I be thinking about this compact crank would it make that much difference or should I just perserve and keep riding as much as I can. Another thought I had was maybe my fitness needs improving and I should get back to jogging on the treadmill to increase my endurance.
Any suggestions will be gratefully received.. I am so hooked to this riding and just love getting out on my bike. I have a great fellow rider who comes with me and is so patient... he has a mtb with slicks on and seems to just be able to slow down go into a low gear and pedals up the hills..
Cheers
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Re: compact crank
Postby Mustang » Sat May 07, 2011 6:53 pm
One oldie to another, you are only one year young in cycle terms. Keep the setup you have, the triple chainring will give you better capacity on the hills rather than a compact which has two chainrings, usually 50/34. Good luck with the CC ride I'am sure it wont seem that long on the day & you can take all day & stop as needed.
Keep up the good work & visit the forum often, its amazing what you pick up.
Cheers Brent
70 years young.
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Re: compact crank
Postby elizabethw » Sat May 07, 2011 6:58 pm
Cheers
Elizabeth
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Re: compact crank
Postby mitzikatzi » Sat May 07, 2011 8:11 pm
His lowest gear is front 22t rear 32/34t on 26 inch (1.5inch tyres) wheels. For every revolution of the front crank the rear wheel moves you forward 16 inches...snip..he has a mtb with slicks on and seems to just be able to slow down go into a low gear and pedals up the hills..
You bike has a 30t front say a 27t rear. Your wheel moves forward 29 inches.
A compact won't make any difference.
Best you can do is fit a cassette with a 27t or 28t tooth largest cog.
You could also fit a mountain bike Derailleur and then fit a 32t rear cassette.
Even then you won't be close to a mountain bikes lowest gearing.
Your middle cog is a 39t. I am thinking of changeing my 39t chainring to a 38t. I think it would be a better spread of gears for me. 38T is as low as you can go on the middle ring ( I think)
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Re: compact crank
Postby foo on patrol » Sat May 07, 2011 8:13 pm
The triple will give you plenty of combo's for all occasions! (good luck)
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Re: compact crank
Postby ireland57 » Sat May 07, 2011 8:32 pm
As mentioned in an earlier post you can also change the cassette (or the bike shop can) and add an 11-27 or 11-28 tooth rear cassette. It depends on what you have now obviously.
Something else worth considering......hitting the bottom of the hills at someone else's climbing pace (trying to keep up with a stronger rider) wrecks the latter parts of the climb better than anything else I know.
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Re: compact crank
Postby brit_in_oz » Sun May 08, 2011 12:33 am
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Re: compact crank
Postby mitzikatzi » Sun May 08, 2011 9:44 am
" is the only option" That is not 100% true. The triple already has a small chainring of 30 the the OP's larges chainring is already a 50.brit_in_oz wrote:SRAm Apex with a 50/34 with 11-32 T cassette is the only option if you want any improvement on gearing, and a weight saving over a triple but dont expect massive benefits, its still not going to be that much easier. This is the only realistic option as far as I am aware
Nothing stopping you adding a 11/32 or 34 cassette to the triplechainring however it would require a mountain bike rear derailleur and some thought to cage length.
I am not sure that the OP was concerned with a minimal weight saving but the way I read it was after lower gears.
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Re: compact crank
Postby bosvit » Sun May 08, 2011 10:12 am
Might be a good idea to post the size of your cassette eg 27-11 etc (being teeth on smallest and largest sprocket on your rear wheel)
In regards to long hill climbs like posted earlier it sounds like you are spinning yourself out too early. Can you post the technique you use? Eg which gear and how fast you are peddling. Some of the 'more in the know' forumites could well help you with your hill climbs
Cheers
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Re: compact crank
Postby dobby » Sun May 08, 2011 1:11 pm
I did a bunch ride this morning, we did 100kms at an average of 30kmh (it was pretty tough) - I was watching my heart rate monitor when we were riding up some longer hills and I found my heart rate goes DOWN as my cadence goes DOWN when riding longer hills (when comparing say a 90+ cadence to an 80 cadence) - so you might find as you get a bit stronger, riding in one gear or two higher (meaning a smaller cog on the rear than what you are in now) than normal might actually help you up some hills, and avoid spinning too hard - it is worth a try anyways
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Re: compact crank
Postby elizabethw » Sun May 08, 2011 6:58 pm
Thanks everyone for the advice I certainly will take in on board and have a chat to my bike shop.
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Re: compact crank
Postby waynohh » Mon May 09, 2011 9:35 am
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Re: compact crank
Postby sogood » Mon May 09, 2011 9:57 am
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
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Re: compact crank
Postby ldrcycles » Mon May 09, 2011 10:03 am
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Re: compact crank
Postby hannos » Mon May 09, 2011 10:38 am
Specialized Dolcesogood wrote:OP still hasn't informed on the existing cassette.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBC ... nuItemId=0
CASSETTE
CASSETTE
Shimano 105, 10-speed, 12-27t
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Re: compact crank
Postby simonn » Mon May 09, 2011 10:55 am
You can't really go significantly lower than 30/27 anyway (without surgery to your bike - FWIW I have 30/26 as the lowest on my commuter) and I doubt it would make as much difference as just more riding, more experience etc.
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Re: compact crank
Postby elizabethw » Mon May 09, 2011 11:06 am
The plan is now just cycle as much as I can and not avoid hills.. So I have picked out a good ride for me from my place that has some nice long hills and sharp ones as well about 45ks for the whole ride.. Just keep improving. I will stick with the bike as is, its just building stamina and endurance.
However, i will drop to the low gear on the front and sit about half way at the back when I start the hills. I have been dropping both to the lowest before the hill and trying to get up that way which I now feel isn't right for me. its all about finding what works for me and sticking to it.
thanks so much for the feedback. really appreciated.
I haven't been game to try and stand up on the bike.. I used to with the hybrid that I had but not since I have had the road bike..
Cheers
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Re: compact crank
Postby Ken Ho » Tue May 10, 2011 10:24 pm
Squats and leg extensions to give you more power !!
I'm away working, but have a 16kg kettle-bell. I have noted a big improvement on the hills with some serious kettle-bell swing workouts. THey strebgthen lower back and core as well.
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Re: compact crank
Postby pawnii » Thu May 12, 2011 6:50 pm
Stay under 80% of your max and you'll enjoy hill climbing more. You'll become a stronger happier climber also and in time your 80% will get faster
Good luck i'm sure you will be passing me climbing the back of Falls Creek soon.
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Re: compact crank
Postby elizabethw » Thu May 19, 2011 6:32 am
I was able to get further up the hills this time than I have before and conquered one I hadn't managed before..
thanks for all the advice.
Cheers
Elizabeth
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Re: compact crank
Postby foo on patrol » Thu May 19, 2011 6:44 pm
There is no substitute for klms and time on the bike.
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