V20 for "everyday" riding?

[vosadrian]

What is everyone's definition of steep/supersteep here? I live in a very hilly area in Sydney. Most my rides have >1000m elevation per 100km. I have many climbs of 5-10% around me. I would call anything above 5% steep. I think I could stay with a DF version of myself up to 2-3%. Above that I would lose. On a 10 minute 5% climb I suspect I would lose over a minute.

On rolling hills with <1 minute hills, that all changes. I have a few rolling hill loops I do, and I am much quicker on the V20.... but it is a tough interval workout on both! On the V20 I coast down the hills (no point pedalling above about 50kph) where on the DF, I still power the down hills (at lower power) and still go slower down the hills. On the sections of <1%, I am going about 5kph faster on the V20 compared to DF.

 

[3bs]

Someday i will look up the grades. Last week i was in idaho. Climb was 7 miles, varying grades, but steady climb. I passed all the uprights. Another day climb was less than a mile grade 2-3x steeper. No wheelslip. I did it but it sucked, and i was in second gear most of the way, which is 34/34

Rolling hills are the best, because my top gear is 53/11 so i can actively pedal 35 mph at 90 rpm.

 

[vosadrian]

I ride both DF and V20, so I am comparing myself to myself!! Just using segment times on Strava. I am a stronger than average rider, so I still pass many DFs on hills with my V20, but there are many very strong DF riders in my area, so I get overtaken by them... on both DF and V20! If making a dedicated effort I can stay with the strong DF riders on a climb when on my DF (can typically get into the top 5% of Strava climb segments on 10 minute climbs, and better on shorter climbs), but that would be above threshold and I would be done after that (and barely conscious!).

On my V20, my shortest gear is 36-32. I would like shorter for some >10% climbs I do. Longest is 52-11 which seems about right for me with the 155mm cranks. I can pedal comfortably at 35mph for a long time. On my DF my shortest is 36-28, and that is fine on the DF. I am happy with that even on 15-20% sections as I can standup and grind which I can't do on the V20. Same 52-11 top end on the DF.

Are you running double ring 53/34? Does that work OK? I think my next cassette, I will change to a 11-40 rear. I think my R8000 long cage RD can be tweaked to do it. Not sure if I will like the spacing of the other gears. Would prefer what I have now with just a bail out gear to swap the 32 to 40. Happy with the top 10 gears.

 

[cruzKurt]

.... I can pedal comfortably at 35mph for a long time. ....

You are my hero, I have a new goal, 35 mph! Awesome

 

[Alex Lemann]

I have no experience with the V20, so my opinion probably isn't worth that much. That being said, you need to think about which matters to you more: speed or versatility. I don't think anyone would deny that the V20 is faster or that the S40 is more versatile. I have 42mm 650b tires (with fenders) on my S40 and the under seat rack. I commute on it. I do fast rides on it. I've ridden crushed gravel rail trails and crappy urban roads. I've done credit card tours. It handles everything with aplomb. I have no doubt that the V20 would be faster, but for the type of riding I do (mostly urban commuting and rail trails), the extra speed wouldn't be worth that much if it meant I couldn't use wide tires or a pannier. To me it's a pretty clear choice. The S40 is an unparalleled all around bike that can do almost anything while the V20 is a high performance speed freak.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I have no experience with the V20, so my opinion probably isn't worth that much. That being said, you need to think about which matters to you more: speed or versatility. I don't think anyone would deny that the V20 is faster or that the S40 is more versatile. I have 42mm 650b tires (with fenders) on my S40 and the under seat rack. I commute on it. I do fast rides on it. I've ridden crushed gravel rail trails and crappy urban roads. I've done credit card tours. It handles everything with aplomb. I have no doubt that the V20 would be faster, but for the type of riding I do (mostly urban commuting and rail trails), the extra speed wouldn't be worth that much if it meant I couldn't use wide tires or a pannier. To me it's a pretty clear choice. The S40 is an unparalleled all around bike that can do almost anything while the V20 is a high performance speed freak.

You can turn the V20 into a light tourer. The Scarab bag works underneath even though I haven't used mine for that on my V20 yet. I added a 6L Rixen Kaul seat bag behind my head with the use of 2 hose clamps. You can also drill extra holes in the CF seat to either attach more waterbottle cages or rig up something for more storage under the seat at a minimal aero penalty. This doesn't solve the wheel issue, but if you stick to roads then it would be okay.

 

[vosadrian]

You are my hero, I have a new goal, 35 mph! Awesome

I have a long shallow down hill near me. Anyone can do it with the right gearing.