Different Gearing Needed for Climbing Hills any Suggestions?

[twhbent]

Just completed my first RAGBRAI 2017 (Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). What a blast it was. This was said to be the 3rd easiest route of the 45 years of riding. I had to walk up 2 different climbs as I ran out of gears and could not spin.Planning for next years RAGBRAI along with the TOUR DE WYOMING.

I will need a different gearing setup for my Vendetta (V1.5 ?).
I'm not a Maria,Jim,Jason or Larry but would like a setup that would allow for better climbing.

I live in central Illinois with little climbing in my area.

My current gearing setup:
Q-Rings 52/36 with a 11-36 cassette.

How might I improve/change the gearing for better climbing?

I do have a round 50/34 compact that I could swithch out but was wondering if a 50/34 Q-Ring would be a better choice or a QXL inner ring(of smaller size) to replace the 36 tooth ring.

What do the experts/hill climbers suggest and what are you using to climb the steeper/longer grades?

Thank you for any/all responses.

 

[Lief]

What length cranks do you have?
If you have shorter legs you might be over-flexing (more than 90° bend in your knees) and losing power that way too.

 

[ratz]

50/34 by 11-36 is about a good as you can get with out going exotic. Check out Rick's threads about wolf tooth components.

Out of curiosity how heavy is the bike + rider; 36x36 is 1to1 and that should have been enough to get you up the hills. So training might be the missing item.

 

[Mathew Fy]

From eyeballing a chart, going from 36 to 34 chainring will change your slowest speed (at 60 rpm) from about 4.75 to 4.5 miles/hr. Very unlikely to make much difference. You can either improve the strength-to-weight ratio or be like me - walk up now and then.

 

[Charles.Plager]

I've got a 48/38/22 triple on my Sofrider (with a 32 in the back). I use my lowest gear a lot.

Training-smaining. I've got big hills and I'm not afraid to use those low gears. I can ride under 3 mph on all of my bikes (including my tandem Cruzbike).

 

[Jeremy S]

36x36 is 1to1

Not sure there's anything special about a 1:1 gear ratio, when in context you are using short cranks to turn a big wheel (far from 1:1).

 

[ratz]

Not sure there's anything special about a 1:1 gear ratio, when in context you are using short cranks to turn a big wheel (far from 1:1).

That's just the magic point MTB gearing goes past 1to1 and road doesn't; just a marker nothing magical.

 

[RojoRacing]

Don't go 34t q-ring because it's so small they can't get the needed oval-ness to match the same ratio of the larger rings. Ratz is right in that 36-36 should be enough to climb all but the steepest 15% stuff I'm always riding so maybe a little more training or even a different way of attacking those climbs can get you up and over.

If a mechanical advantage is still what you want then depending on your exact components you could possibly install one of these and get a 42t on the rear as long as you can balance the bike as such a low climbing speed. https://www.oneupcomponents.com/collections/sprockets/products/42-tooth-sprocket

 

[super slim]

I've got a 48/38/22 triple on my Sofrider (with a 32 in the back). I use my lowest gear a lot.

Training-smaining. I've got big hills and I'm not afraid to use those low gears. I can ride under 3 mph on all of my bikes (including my tandem Cruzbike).

I am the same with a 53/39/25 Q ring triple and a 11 to 32 *10 on my two Silvios (V1.0 and S30), and I can also climb at 5 kph (3 mph) due to my under powered and over weight engine, and lots of practice!

 

[telephd]

My hilly riding setup is 34/40 up from 34/36. Ive got a wolf tooth 40T single cog added to my cassette. With the long cage SRAM X9 (and previous X7) I have no shifting issues. Purchased a longer B screw and adjusted accordingly. My stall/heavy wobble speed is around 3mph too.

 

[twhbent]

What length cranks do you have?
If you have shorter legs you might be over-flexing (more than 90° bend in your knees) and losing power that way too.

Hello Lief,

The crank length is 165mm.

50/34 by 11-36 is about a good as you can get with out going exotic. Check out Rick's threads about wolf tooth components.

Out of curiosity how heavy is the bike + rider; 36x36 is 1to1 and that should have been enough to get you up the hills. So training might be the missing item.

Ratz, the bike with bag and access is 32lbs and 237lbs with me on it, ouch poor bike.

Don't go 34t q-ring because it's so small they can't get the needed oval-ness to match the same ratio of the larger rings. Ratz is right in that 36-36 should be enough to climb all but the steepest 15% stuff I'm always riding so maybe a little more training or even a different way of attacking those climbs can get you up and over.

If a mechanical advantage is still what you want then depending on your exact components you could possibly install one of these and get a 42t on the rear as long as you can balance the bike as such a low climbing speed. https://www.oneupcomponents.com/collections/sprockets/products/42-tooth-sprocket

Jason, thanks for the heads up with the single 42t gear/sprocket. Appears to be the same concept as what Rick is using.

My hilly riding setup is 34/40 up from 34/36. Ive got a wolf tooth 40T single cog added to my cassette. With the long cage SRAM X9 (and previous X7) I have no shifting issues. Purchased a longer B screw and adjusted accordingly. My stall/heavy wobble speed is around 3mph too.

telephd, my plans are to switch out the cranks to the 50/34 and do a bit of experimenting and then do as Rick and yourself have done and add a 40t or 42t to my cassette. I too have the Sram X9 long cage so appears that I'm compatible according to the charts. Won't need this setup until next year but want to go ahead and get it right now and then remove and replace as needed.

Thanks all for your help.

 

[3WHELZ]

This a tormenting question that I am also attempting to unravel. I do not want to take the same path as I did with my 1.0, Campy triple. The long incline hills in VA can be challenging for an aging engine that would prefer not to walk to the summit.

My wheelchair, a Windcheetah SuperSport, will continue to collect dust (I hope) for another couple decades.

 

[RojoRacing]

Won't need this setup until next year but want to go ahead and get it right now and then remove and replace as needed.

Well there's your problem right there. If you want to climb hills you need to climb hills. I'm only good in the mountains because I do so regularly. Go ahead and work on you gearing but also look at climbing more often do you can practice a how to attack them.

 

[Brad R]

Well there's your problem right there. If you want to climb hills you need to climb hills. I'm only good in the mountains because I do so regularly. Go ahead and work on you gearing but also look at climbing more often do you can practice a how to attack them.

There are a lot of parts of Illinois where the only climbing is the overpass going over the freeway or the railroad tracks. OP might have to travel to find any hills to climb.

 

[ratz]

There are a lot of parts of Illinois where the only climbing is the overpass going over the freeway or the railroad tracks. OP might have to travel to find any hills to climb.

I'm still trying to figure out where these hills of iowa are looks flat to me

 

[tiltmaniac]

I recall the crazy strong persistent headwinds. Hill enough for me any day...

 

[ratz]

I recall the crazy strong persistent headwinds. Hill enough for me any day...

Your all welcome to come visit and ride; we got the bed and warm showers and the bikes.... Never mind the never ending 10-20mph westerly winds...

 

[RojoRacing]

Need to practice on more climbs like this so those freeway overpasses seem easy. No I highly doubt I could climb that on the V20.

 

[twhbent]

I'm still trying to figure out where these hills of iowa are looks flat to me

I here ya with you being from Minnesota but some of the climbs weren't a cake walk for me and I wasn't alone.

https://ridewithgps.com/events/29500-ragbrai-2017#routes/18651079/preview
The climb at about the 20.4 mile got me. Had to get off and give my bike a rest.

https://ridewithgps.com/events/29500-ragbrai-2017#routes/18651344/preview
Another about the 33.6 mile made me give my bike another rest.

Never experienced this is central Illinois.

Well there's your problem right there. If you want to climb hills you need to climb hills. I'm only good in the mountains because I do so regularly. Go ahead and work on you gearing but also look at climbing more often do you can practice a how to attack them.

I hear ya Jason on the more hills part. Finding them is a bit of a problem in my area without traveling a few hundred miles. Oh well will keep trying and try to improve.

Thanks all.

 

[RojoRacing]

I hear ya Jason on the more hills part. Finding them is a bit of a problem in my area without traveling a few hundred miles. Oh well will keep trying and try to improve.

I'm surprised @trplay hasn't show up and suggested zwift for you hill training In all seriousness though if you are in a place with crappy winters and do consider zwift then combining it with a smart trainer will get you all the mountains you will ever need.