Changing to lower gearing switching to S40

[rdl03]

I see a number of posts where it appears that folks are using about the same gearing on their Cruzbike as they did on their uprights.
I have a friend with years of recumbent (non-Cruzbike) experience. He's trying to convince me that I need gearing close to 19-20 gear inches for steep climbs, which would require 26 front / 36 back gearing. My current setup has a low gear of 30 front / 32 rear
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Bike rides with 10,000' and more climbing aren't that unusual, and there are local pitches that reach 20%.
My current lowest gear, slightly lower than my uprights, is 30 / 32, and I have a crank I could install that would give me 26 / 32.

For those of you riding hills (and mountains) - did you find that you needed lower gears on the S40? If so, how much lower than your upright?

thanks!

 

[Lorenzo]

I am waiting on the delivery of my S40 so sorry, no first hand experience. But the reading I have done suggests that the majority of S40 riders seem to get by with something a little better than 1:1. Like you I am in the Pacific Northwest and I am planning to go with easiest gear of 34-36, which is quite similar to your 30-32. While I normally ride 34-30 or 34-32 on my uprights, I did use 34-36 this summer on the Alto de l'Angliru which is famous for its multiple extended sections over 20% (it is a horrible place). The steepest stretch is 23.5%. Lots of fit people manage on 34-32, but lots end up walking also. If easier gears are required on recumbents, that gives an indication of just how easy might be needed. And I fall into the very fit category. I am deep into my 50's but my power numbers are still good, I ride every day, and I can still survive training rides with the cat 1 and 2 locals.

As for 20% gradients on a Cruzbike, I haven't seen anything that suggests that it is even possible. Front wheelslip seems to make anything steeper than 15% a no go for most. Comments suggest that another problem is that even when you can maintain traction, you just can't go that slow on a Cruzbike and keep it from weaving or toppling over. What I cannot tell from various posts on the subject is just how strong riders are. Maybe if one was super strong and could keep the steering stabilized, maybe 20% is possible if, and it's a big IF, you could somehow maintain traction. Side note: for the traction obsessed, in my experience, Vittoria's top tires have traction that surpasses all others.

My intuition tells me that in the end analysis, if you are faced with slopes anywhere near 15% and beyond, then you want the easiest gears that you can get on the machine.

 

[cpml123]

I see a number of posts where it appears that folks are using about the same gearing on their Cruzbike as they did on their uprights.
I have a friend with years of recumbent (non-Cruzbike) experience. He's trying to convince me that I need gearing close to 19-20 gear inches for steep climbs, which would require 26 front / 36 back gearing. My current setup has a low gear of 30 front / 32 rear
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Bike rides with 10,000' and more climbing aren't that unusual, and there are local pitches that reach 20%.
My current lowest gear, slightly lower than my uprights, is 30 / 32, and I have a crank I could install that would give me 26 / 32.

For those of you riding hills (and mountains) - did you find that you needed lower gears on the S40? If so, how much lower than your upright?

thanks!

I am guessing you have a triple? My lowest is 34/40 in my S40. I can't go any lower or I will just fall over.

 

[Beano]

I see a number of posts where it appears that folks are using about the same gearing on their Cruzbike as they did on their uprights.
I have a friend with years of recumbent (non-Cruzbike) experience. He's trying to convince me that I need gearing close to 19-20 gear inches for steep climbs, which would require 26 front / 36 back gearing. My current setup has a low gear of 30 front / 32 rear
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Bike rides with 10,000' and more climbing aren't that unusual, and there are local pitches that reach 20%.
My current lowest gear, slightly lower than my uprights, is 30 / 32, and I have a crank I could install that would give me 26 / 32.

For those of you riding hills (and mountains) - did you find that you needed lower gears on the S40? If so, how much lower than your upright?

thanks!

yes i did.

My V20 I have 50/34 * 11-32
My S40 that i have set up for fast audaxing 50/34 * 11-40
My S40 that I have set up for touring/no hill too steep. 40/23 - 11-40. With the 23/40 that will get me up 13-14% grads whilst still doing 85-90rpm and around my threshold/lower Vo2 power.

 

[rdl03]

I am guessing you have a triple? My lowest is 34/40 in my S40. I can't go any lower or I will just fall over.

Actually, I have a "cobbled together" 46 - 30 (using the 2 inner rings of a Sugino triple). It's clear to me that that's not low enough.
I have a 46-36-26 triple that I haven't mounted yet on the bike, and a derailleur that will go to 36 teeth. Will see how 26 front / 32 rear works, and figure out if I need to go even lower than that.

 

[chicorider]

I see a number of posts where it appears that folks are using about the same gearing on their Cruzbike as they did on their uprights.
I have a friend with years of recumbent (non-Cruzbike) experience. He's trying to convince me that I need gearing close to 19-20 gear inches for steep climbs, which would require 26 front / 36 back gearing. My current setup has a low gear of 30 front / 32 rear
I live in the Pacific Northwest. Bike rides with 10,000' and more climbing aren't that unusual, and there are local pitches that reach 20%.
My current lowest gear, slightly lower than my uprights, is 30 / 32, and I have a crank I could install that would give me 26 / 32.

For those of you riding hills (and mountains) - did you find that you needed lower gears on the S40? If so, how much lower than your upright?

thanks!

There are several variables here that will make one rider's preferred gear selection less than ideal for another rider. First is probably fitness, closely followed by a rider's mental attitude toward climbing (some just don't like climbing, so their gear selection might lean toward flatter riding). As a flyweight, climbing has always been my thing, and I believe that my last DF road bike (eight years ago) had a 39/27 climbing gear on a 10-speed drivetrain. I bumped along just fine for years on my V20 and S30 with a 36/28 climbing gear on an 11-speed drivetrain, until I hit a route with sustained 15%+ stretches. Wheel slip wasn't an issue, but I needed one...more...gear. Now I'm up to a 36/30 climbing gear (as well as a 52t chainring, up from a 50t), and appreciate the difference, while knowing that I don't need a 32t climber, yet (choosing a cassette cluster is a balancing act for me: I need low enough gears for the climbing that I do, but also like tight gear ratios for flatland riding).

Then you throw in the question of crank arm length, and the discussion shifts again. I'm using 160mm cranks. Put my same 52/36, 11-30 gearing onto 150mm or 170mm cranks, and the pedaling dynamics and demands will be different for each.

In short, absolutely look around at what other people are using, but be ready for the road (and your knees) to tell you what gearing is right for you.

A closing observation: my V20 and V20c have had the least wheel slip, while my S40, when I owned it, had the most, with the S30, which I still have, coming right in between the two, which I guess makes sense. I'll leave it to one of the engineer types to explain why seat recline might affect wheel slip. The difference in front-end grip between the V and the S40 isn't huge, but I did find it noticeable and consistent. When grades pitched up in front of the S40, I tended to gear down and spin about one cog easier than I would on the V, to lower the amount of force being applied to the pedals. On the V, my legs and lungs tend to be the limiter well before wheel slip. But here again, everything is personal to the rider. At 130lbs (59kg), I don't have a lot of weight to put on that front wheel. A heavier rider on the same bike might have a different experience.

Where a new CB rider starts with gearing choice probably won't be where he or she stays.

 

[Beano]

I'd say ideally one should be looking at gearing which will get you up climbs whilst being able to climb with a good cadence whilst within threshold.

The ramp I refer to in my above post is just under 1km long where the gradient varies from 8% up to 14%. My average power was 298w and my average cadence was 99rpm. The 298w is just above threshold.

Climbing on a recumbent is different than climbing on a DF, in that you cannot use your upper body. Sure you can use your upper body on a Cruzbike but this ime is more for short punchy climbs or rollers. Where the climb is more than 5 minutes than you are looking at a sustained effort. If your gearing is too high then ime you'll find yourself pushing too much power for the given lowest gear at a comfortable cadence. What you'll then find ime is grinding the lowest gear at about 60-65 rpm which has been shown to increase fatigue. Which is counter-productive, as well as being just miserable on the bike, griding away as you crawl up the hill.

 

[Winded Lowrider]

I would add that all hills are not the same. Here in the mountainous Pacific Northwest hills are long, steep, and variable. Some roads were built too steep even for cars without switchbacks to flatten out the grade. I find that an easy 8 percent rises to 13 then 17 then back to 8 percent. This can go on for miles around here. An upright DF rider can respond better to these changes in pitch by getting out of the saddle and applying a bit more power to get over the hump...a recumbent rider has to grin and bear it.

I ride a V20 with stock gearing and I find that it is barely adequate for the task on our hilly terrain. I plan to add that "one...more... gear" that Chicorider refers to. It's comforting to know you have it if you need it. I experience not a lot of wheel slip, but I get the wobblies at really low speeds ( >2.5mph) and lose that crucial momentum...

Having said that, I rode the Mt Baker Hill Climb event on my Vendetta and managed to get to the top. Ascending 4,462 feet from Chair 9 in Glacier to Artist Point (5,140 feet elevation) in 22 miles. 8-15 percent grade. I was not fast. Nearly every Df rider passed me. I was in decent shape. I am a former USCF racer who used to love climbing hills. I would pick races specifically with hills in them...On the Vendetta hills feel like a necessary evil.

So appropriate gearing for you and your local terrain is very important on a cruzbike. I would add that the MBB is a slightly faster hill climbing format over other recumbents I own.

 

[cpml123]

I would add that all hills are not the same. Here in the mountainous Pacific Northwest hills are long, steep, and variable. Some roads were built too steep even for cars without switchbacks to flatten out the grade. I find that an easy 8 percent rises to 13 then 17 then back to 8 percent. This can go on for miles around here. An upright DF rider can respond better to these changes in pitch by getting out of the saddle and applying a bit more power to get over the hump...a recumbent rider has to grin and bear it.

I ride a V20 with stock gearing and I find that it is barely adequate for the task on our hilly terrain. I plan to add that "one...more... gear" that Chicorider refers to. It's comforting to know you have it if you need it. I experience not a lot of wheel slip, but I get the wobblies at really low speeds ( >2.5mph) and lose that crucial momentum...

Having said that, I rode the Mt Baker Hill Climb event on my Vendetta and managed to get to the top. Ascending 4,462 feet from Chair 9 in Glacier to Artist Point (5,140 feet elevation) in 22 miles. 8-15 percent grade. I was not fast. Nearly every Df rider passed me. I was in decent shape. I am a former USCF racer who used to love climbing hills. I would pick races specifically with hills in them...On the Vendetta hills feel like a necessary evil.

So appropriate gearing for you and your local terrain is very important on a cruzbike. I would add that the MBB is a slightly faster hill climbing format over other recumbents I own.

I drove up Mt. Baker and thought the road condition wasn't ideal, especially with cracks and patches on the pavement and little to no shoulder. Tour de Blast is a better alternative, if not raining.

 

[Winded Lowrider]

Mt Baker highway is chipseal ( bumpy), but the course was closed to traffic so that made it safer. I would do it again if I could find a ride partner willing to give it a go...My son is more of a sprinter than a hill climber and my best friend likes to ride gravel better...

 

[Charles.Plager]

On my Sofrider and conversions, I am able to ride below 3mph spinning up big hills. My bikes are geared down to under 17".

Does everybody need this? Can everybody ride every Cruzbike this slow? Probably not.

Is it what you need? I don't kinow.