Thank-you so much!!! This video is excellent. I'm looking for a new road bike. I live on a 12% hill near Holmfirth & am keen to get a bike that's good for hill climbing. Feel like I know a lot more now about chain rings and the different options. A massive thank-you!!
I'm an old man....weak but stubborn. Love riding hills. My program is to ad another tooth to my cog each year as I get older...ha. now my expedition touring bike (think great divide or baja divide) has an old 9x3 cranks. Small ring is 22. And my cassette is 11-42. Gear inches is about 14. ha Even I can get up anything but on the down hill its 44/11 which doesn't get me much above 25 mph before I spin out. I'm happy to coast at that point. :)
A little late finding your video but thought I would share my 11spd Shimano gearing setup. Absolute Black 46-30 chainrings. 12-34 custom cassette using cogs from an 11-32 donor cassette and a 12t first position cog, as follows: 12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-27-30-34. Where I live has quite a number of hills. Given the fact I don't want to walk up even the steepest and given my fitness level and size, this works well for me. I also don't need or want to go fast downhill. 46-12 for me spins out right around 35 mph (RPM????). 37 mph is probably my max speed ever and I've never pedaled over 30 mph on a flat. I really like the close gearing on tall end it allows me to find that sweet spot cadence when going faster and while I don't really use the lowest gears much, I like having them if I need them. Bottom line.... don't just take what you are given and suffer, tailor the gearing to whatever works best for you. Thanks, great content! 👍
I love my 3x8. The chainrings are 28/38/48 and the cassette is 11-40. I’m whatever’s bigger than a Clydesdale so I like having all that low gear for getting up hills.
After years of wandering , and last 2 days of serious calculation concluded same. A person who can remember gear ratios can easily have benefit of having 3 by set up
I have an an older Ice Trike with a motor with the trike, the motor/battery and hard panniers the trike weighs about 65 lbs. I'm going from a 11-32t cassette to a Shimano Alivio 11-36t cassette and adding a 36t chainring to my 52/44. I am having trouble climbing steep hills but I'm sure this will help. I only try to use the motor assist when I am in traffic.
This is the best explanation of gearing that I have ever seen for climbing. Does SRAM shimano setup make any difference? I am heading to Stelvio in June & trying to work out my best set up for my Colnago V1-r. I weight 78kg I’m 6’4” & slim & aged 59 with good fitness Any help appreciated 🙏
If you don’t care about spinning out, a cassette with a 12 is all you need with a 50 or 13 with a 52 or 53. To keep speed on flats, an 11 tooth or even 10 tooth cassette with a 50 or 48 works well. The issue with having top speed and climbing gears comes down to the range you really need. I live in the mountains were I see many 10-20% or more climbs. Having that 1:1, or 50/34, 12-34 works well for an old 😢geezer like me. I wish I had that sub 1:1 ratio many days though.
Love triples, have stocked up on them as the industry seems to be killing them off. My commute bike has flat steel chainrings including a bling Surly stainless steel 32t, they run so stiff and smoothly, shift with Dia Compe friction shifters mounted on Gevenelle brake levers. Road bike has 50/39/26 chainset with 11/32 cassette.
I'm using a ration of 38t chairing and 11-46t cogs (1x12) in MTB, what should i do to increase my speed and better performance in race climbing and flat? Do i need to convert it to 2x12 set up or i will change my chainring?
Hi im a noob. I have hills where i live, i use a mtb with a 36 chainring and 11- 42 casette. 36 42 feels slow but really helps in those steep climbs. Thanks for this vid, learned a lot. 👍🏼
Here’s a direct question: on a 1x11 setup: 42t chainring and 11-42t cassette versus 36t chainring v 11-36t at the back. Apart from larger jumps are there any significant differences and considerations? I think 36/36 looks better and I’m not bothered about top speed. This is purely about climbing steep gradients. Thanks, L
You need to add crank arm length into the equation, as that will affect leverage exponentially as the grade gets steeper. Shorter cranks may be more efficient on the flats but once the grade increases and you start fighting gravity, shorter cranks become increasingly harder to turn, while longer cranks will result in turning bigger circles, but you get more leverage on the downstroke. The bottom line is that using shorter cranks involves more frequent shifting into easier gears as grade increases.
Great video...very helpful even for a novice like me...i mostly do climbing in alps and have 50 34 chain rings and 11 33 cassetes...have thought abt getting bit more lee way by either having smaller chain ring or bigger cassete..the video has given me some ideas...btw no mention of chain size or if any considerations abt derailur when making these changes...are the derailurs compactible?
Unfortunately the answer is sometimes. I had to get a longer rear derailleur when I went from 11-28 to 11-32. When I went from 11-32 to 11-34 I didn't because it was already long enough.
It’s been over a year since I did this video. I thought I talked about rear derailleurs. Yes depending on the size of the cassette and corresponding rear derailleurs you will have to make a change so then the chain has to be changed.
I'm getting a 44-28 Samox crankset to go with my 12-36 9 speed cassette. This is on a touring bike with a fairly upright position. My other bike is a track bike with 8500 miles on it. The 46-30 square taper crankset is a good setup, but the cranks are a bit too long at 175mm and feels oddly loopy. Probably will drop a couple hundred grams in the bargain. A 12-36 cassette avoids the large 13 to 15 tooth jump the 11-36 cassette has.
Depends on the climb. What climb? What’s the length and grade? What’s your fitness level? Way too many variables to answer your question Daniel And why does it have to be labeled a Tour de France climb? There are climbs all over the world 😂
I'm thinking of changing my Crank on my Trek Dual Sport 4 2021 which has a 11-52 tooth 11 speed system. Currently it has a 1x system that is 42 tooth chainring. And I would love to in the future upgrade to a 2x system. I'm thinking of a 53-39. I don't live around a hilly area. I do one day would like to go to the hills and push myself to see what i can do. What would you do?
17T is a big jump for road front derailleurs. 16T is the designed maximum. Also I have seen chain drop as you describe and it’s often the inner chainring is installed backwards. You should really shift one or two gears up the cassette like your 12T or 13T before going from 52-39 being crossed up like that leave room for issues
What a great explanation of gearing. What would the top speed be in a 46-11 gears at say 90rpm? Out of interest, what's the smallest chain rings Shimano make in Ultegra before having to move over to the GRX range?
46-11 will get you 29.6 mph at 90 cadence. 46/36 Ultegra 11 speed Crankset 48/31 GRX Crankset The 46/30 Crankset I mentioned in this video is from Absolute Black chainring conversion
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad thanks for getting back to me so quickly. That's great, thanks. Something for me to consider. I'm a heavy rider. A compact is fine for 90% of my rides. Its the odd ride with 20%+ gradients I struggle with on long rides.
10:26 i've seen people with the 105 r7000 keep the front 50/34 but swapping the cassette to a mountain bike CS-M8000 11/40, that gives you an even lower 0.85 ratio, only other thing you need to change is a longer chain.
Hi George, I'm in the process of starting up a bike repair shop out of my garage. I'm getting close to retiring and want to keep active with the local biking community and riding!! Can you recommend a reliable repair reference and guide book for someone like myself who is just starting out. Thanks in advance.
I don’t really have a suggestion for a repair reference. I rely on the manufacturers dealer portals to get tech specs or call in for guidance. For off the wall stuff I even check RUclips videos of trusted mechanics. Good luck!
I am on a 52/40 set, also have a 50/40 set for testing purposes. The 52/40 allows for more cross chaining on the flats and the 40 tooth ring allows for less spinning when you have shorter legs ( my case) the 34 is simply to small for me. Interestingly my favourite setup is my cheap bike with a single 40t Stone ring and 14-28 freewheel so go figure 😂.
@@messi9991 I don’t grind them, I have an advantage on climbs due to having shorter legs so it allows me to use bigger rings like a 40 instead of a small 34 (compact). Also because I live on the flats the 40 tooth ring is amazing when our crazy winds come at us, having a 34 and over spinning going nowhere is nuts. Issue is some road bike frames can not use a 40 tooth ring as it is to close to the frame.
@@danfuerthgillis4483 Your leg length has no bearing on gearing...the gear is the same, regardless of how long the legs of the person pushing that gear are. And ok, so you don't ride climbs. Period.
@@messi9991 I have ridden the Serra De Estrela in Portugal from the Alvoco de Varzeas village ( where my family still lives there) to the village of Vide where you go up the new road directly to the tower up there at 2000 meters. The new road was built many years ago and the condition is better than if you go through Manteigas or Covilha for example as those are the older roads. It was with a group of people in 2011, I was there for 6 months visiting relatives in the main city and the villages. Only problem was the bikes were local cycling club stuff not the lightest. We did a tour of the mountains and stopped to eat at some restaurants on the way up. We had 2 support cars for basics, about 100 people went up. It's 45 minutes car ride from the village of Vide to the top of the mountain, on a bike a few hours to go up and come down. It's close so you can go solo but you will have to be your own mechanic. We had some people with 1980's road bikes with the pump under the top bar old school. Will be headed there for Vacation soon and will do the same ride up the mountain again, no winds, less air pressure, 25 celcius with zero humidity for most of the early part of the summer, it's perfect to go up and see the scenery, looking down at the valleys thousands of feet bellow you. Still planning to move back there, just don't want to do it when I am too old to enjoy everything I left behind. Living in Ontario is just not the same, everything here is pay, pay, pay it's all about the mighty dollar. We started at 6 am and made it back down by 8pm still full daylight out. So it was fun doing it slowly and talking to people on the way up, some took longer so we waited at the top. Going down everyone was much closer as we just freewheeled down. I will say this, cycling here in Ontario in flat land with massive air pressure, humid and winds is brutal, insane really compared to the ride up that mountain. The bike I used there had compact cranks 50/34 setup. But I still think the best thing was the parasailing off the Culcurinho mountain very close by the village for $50 euros each ride ( with instructor tandem).
I've replaced the 105-cassette 11/34 with a XT-11/40 because in my region there are plenty of roads with 27% (check my thumbnail). When I'm tired I just don't make those roads anymore. Or I simply don't want to sweat on my way to the office (22%).
I have an 11-40 cassette on standby to put on my gravel bike with GRX. I started with an 11-34 and so far so good with my 48/31 crankset. We have plenty of 10-15% on side roads and 20%+ on "sider" roads lol! I get by with my 53/39 - 11-32 cassette. But dirt is a little different lol
Thank You! Tell which parts made good sense to you. And tell me one thing you learned. Id like to do another video about this because it seems well received. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
I might have mentioned in this video. However, Shimano road max front derailleur would be 16T and for GRX 17T 50/30 would be 20T out of Shimano’s limits. Additionally, finding the same BCD for a 50T and 30T compatible for your Crankset.
My road bike has a compact crank with an 11 speed (11-42) cassette. At age 74 it gets me up most hills in the mountains where I live up to around 12% gradients reasonably ok. I also have a MTB with a 3 speed crank (42/32/26) which I use on climbs (not off road) in excess of 12%. Most of those climbs are in teh range 15-30%, and even with teh MTB gearing I still have to walk once we hit around 20%
i have used 48-30 with a 11-40, all parts bought on the cheap, only the front derailleur is from shimano, can climb any walls and my top speed is around 65~70 km\h with 35mm tires on a good day
Well, that's the reason I don't want to give up on my Ultegra 6703 (30 / 39 / 52) And 11-28 cassette. But not sure why you have to convert to speed at given RPM, it is enough to keep track of the gear ratios front/back...
Triple chainring cranksets are awesome! It’s a shame the new generation of mechanics are like deer in the headlights when a bike comes into the shop. The average person and especially a new rider has no clue what gear ratios are and what they mean. But they do know cadence (fast or slow) even if they don’t know exactly (it can be displayed on their cycling computer) and speed… most people know “any slower than X mph I’m walking because I can’t maintain my balance” gear ratios are just too complicated for most people. Furthermore, you don’t have to keep track of gear rations front and back - you just have to find the gear that’s not too hard and not too easy and keep the chain from cross chaining - cycling is an art not a science. The science and math is done when you are choosing the correct components to build but once you build the bike riding it is an art Thanks for watching please consider subscribing.
I have a friend with a 2019 Checkpoint ALR4 shimano 50x34 11-34 10spd Tiagra. It's really hard to understand what options he has for lower gears for the mount washington climb in NH (7.x miles average 12percent, with 18-22percent ramps). 1 to 1 isn't the worst, but he's not a climbing beast. heh Any suggestions?
First of all thanks for watching!! Second I am green with envy that he’s doing Mt Washington hill climb! What is the BCD on the 10 speed Tiagra? If the BCD works with the 46/30 chainrings I mentioned in the video then you or he can order them from me Please consider subscribing
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I believe it is 110. It's Tiagra 4700. It seems absolute black does have a 46x30 for it, but there's this note: Tiagra 4700* (*requires modification -contact us). It's an interesting option. I'll tell my friend about it. Thanks! I'm afraid I can't increase your subscriber count because I've already been subscribed for a while now. :)
hi I need advise. I love doing climbs in fact I am prepping to go for next years taiwan KOM. I want to go 54/40 chain ring with a 11-34 cassette is that advisable?
I haven't done that climb, yet. I don't think a 40-34 is wise. Yes, the average gradient is low at 3.72%, but we are talking about an 86.5 km climb with more than 3500 m of elevation and a finish line at 3275 m above sea level. The last 10 km are brutal with an average of 7% but only because there is a flat 1.5 km section. There is a 300 m section at 27% (2800 m above sea level) and the last 1.5 km is 9% over 3000 m altitude. You need to keep a reasonable high cadence to be able to survive such a long climb with the steepest part at such high elevation. Of course, you may be an endurance grinder who do not care about your knees XD. Besides, if you are planning to do more climbs in Taiwan, let me tell you that there are plenty of crazy steep roads here. 15, 20 and more % are very common here. Just FYI, my lowest gear is a 30-40. I don't use the 40 cog a lot, but it is useful for the 20%, specially after a long day ride in the hot and humid climate of Taiwan. I like to keep a high cadence and do most of the climb on the saddle, which also affects my gear choice.
I currently ride a 36/22 crank and a 11-36 cassette. I have to replace it now and I really like that setup but unfortunately none of my local shops have any 36/22 cranks. I see a lot of cranks that are either 52/36 or 50/34. I’m not sure what to get. I ride mostly flat ground but occasionally I’ll do some steep hills. What setup would be closest to what I’m use to (36/22 and 11-36)?
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad lol maybe wrong terminology. 😅 I mean the chainrings. Are 36/22. Not sure if I’m supposed to say chainrings or crankset? 🤷🏼♂️ Anyways it’s a Race Face. I ride a mountain bike.
@@BIGgamez78 the terminology was fine. I just hadn’t heard of a 36/22 for road so now that you tell me it’s for MTB it makes sense. I rarely work on MTB so I don’t have a recommendation for you
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad looks like all the cranksets I’ve been looking at online are most likely for road bikes. lol that’s why I was seeing all these big 50 plus chainrings. When I started Mountain Biking 20 years ago the standard was 3x drivetrain (44/32/22 then it was 2x drivetrain (36/22). I haven’t been into biking as much in the last 8 years or so and just getting back into it and now it appears 1x is the standard. I don’t know if I’ll like that. I might finally try to get into road bikes… I’ve been watching some of your videos and it’s peeked my interest.
Thanks George. Can you advise by approximately how much the front derailleur would need to be lowered if converting from 50/34 to 46/30? My FD is attached via a bolt-on hanger plate that has a slot for vertical adjustment range. If I run out of adjustment range, is there any work-around ( - or what is the max gap I could get away with)? My components are Ultegra 8050, 11 speed. Thanks!
An additional thought is that the GRX 48/31 might be an option for me: providing it's possible to set up the Ultegra FD for it - thinking of the different chain line (47mm vs 44.5mm)?
Man to be honest a triple chainring and large cassette would be ideal. All this 1X stuff has killed triples. But a triple chainring will have more bottom and more top and the ratio would be closer so the shifts wouldn’t be so drastic.
Hi! What would be the best gearing set up for climbing hills with 15% grade possibly 20%. As of now i have the standard 53/39 chainrings and 11/28 cassette which i use for crit race. I will be doing the lobster ride this week and i know i’m gonna need my gearing set up. I have already changed out my chainrings to 50/34 but i have no idea what cassette to go with this compact rings. But i want to go fast on the downhill but also be able to climb easy on 15% hill grade. Thanks!
Ah yes I know the Lobster Ride. I've done it many times before not to mention repeats on Baldy lifts 😊 Well here's the thing the 50/34 is 3 teeth smaller big ring now (53T) so you will lose about 1 mph per hour per tooth on top speed at 90 cadence. Conversely, the 34 little ring will help get you up Baldy lifts since it is 5 teeth smaller than what you had with your 39 ring. If your Rear Derailleur can accept an 11-32 or 11-34 cassette then you will find it easier to climb the 15% grades. But I would think if you are a fairly fit cyclist 11-28 should be fine. Good luck and let me know how it turns out for you.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad thanks for your reply. i have dura ace 7900 group came with my bike. So i’m not really sure what’s the largest cassette it can take. If you do, please fill me in. Thank you!
@@popitn2ndDura-Ace RD were really small in those days. You would have to get a 105 long cage to accommodate anything really big in the 10 speed system. You’ll be fine with an 11-28 if that’s in there now that’s the biggest cassette that will work well
by sheer chance I found the bike of my dreams as of recently, the *Canyon Roadlite 6* . It's a fitness road bike with a 1X drivetrain (1x12): it has a 46T chainring and a 10-51 cassette. It's my dream bike 'cos I have a 50-34T 11-34T Decathlon road bike with flat bars, and a MTB with a 40-30-22T 11-34T drivetrain (3x9) and I always wanted a 1X bike with the nimbleness of a road bike and the easy gears of my MTB. The easiest answer seemed to be a gravel bike, but they don't make the cut. Many of them are 1X, but not very flexible nor fast for flat terrain and descents. Plus they usually have quite similar ratios compared to road bikes. If I got it correctly the Roadlite 6 is faster than my road bike (48Tx11T) with its 46Tx10T hardest gear, and the Roadlite 46Tx51T should be as easy as my MTB middle chainring 30Tx34T, right? With that 30-34T of my MTB I can climb almost everything (not as easy for me in a hilly region like mine with my 34-34T road bike). So my question is... with my calculations a 30-34T would be equivalent to 46-51T of the Roadlite 6, and I'd have a spare tooth in the Roadlite, which would be easier to climb right? 30-34 compared to 46-51 would be 16 more teeth in the chainring (harder) but 17 more teeth than the easiest sprocket, so 46-51 would easier than 30-34, am I getting it right? Just curious....
Your comment is way too long and verbose. I don't have the time to read such a long comment with all the hundreds upon hundreds of comments I get on this channel. I can't even find the question. Please be concise when posting on people's RUclips channel
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad sorry George, I wrote a thesis tbh. My question is what would be the easier gear, the 30-34T (middle chainring, largest sprocket) of my MTB or the 46-51T of a Canyon Roadlite?
Great, great video. Having a 32 or 34 is a nice option on a long day. However, there is one thing I don't understand. If I'm not on a bike with some bottom bracket flex the following arises. Very few long climbs seem optimally taken in one low gear, and like as you mentioned the larger the cassette - the wider the gap when you drop down, so you have to re-cadence - efficiency losses are inevitable - ie one has to compensate to get back to smooth. My main bike, I have is a 52/36 11-28, road bike. My hardest climb where I live is roughly 1000 m elevation over 15km, so 6% avg , so I'm alternating 28seated-22standing -28-22-28.etc.. all the way to the top or else if I just sit on it all the way, I'm getting more sore. So I guess if I got the GRX 46/30 adventure, could go back to an 11-25 , but when I have a 46 big, soooo very tempting to cross chain it.
11-28 - isn’t your last two cogs 25 and 28? 1000 m of climbing of course you would be standing and sitting and shifting between 25 and 28. That’s no less than 45 minute or as much as an hour climb. No one would nor should they stay seated on a climb or anywhere for that long! Stand and sit and stand and sit that’s the proper way to climb
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad Not sure where you get your opinion on the “proper” way to climb but if you watch most pros they will stay seated as much as possible because it’s biomechanically more efficient. They will pop out of the saddle for very sharp hairpins or just to relieve the pressure on the bum but 98% of the time seated unless they are throwing in an attack. For reference I just did an event with a 12km climb at an average of 7% and the only time I was out of the saddle was on some steep ramps of 15 to 18 %. I am 63 and not super fit. It’s also quite a personal thing. Peace ✌️
Hi, So if I have compact 50-34 and cassette 11-28 and I climbing using 34-28 will be almost the same when I changr to standard 53-39 - cassette 11-34 and I will climbing using 39-34 ? Regards
Hi, when you're using 34-28, ratio is 1.21 ( dividing 34 with 28 ) and when 34-25 ( your second bigger sprocket ) 1.36 with a difference in ratio of 0.15 . Using 39-34, ratio is 1.14. Difference from your current 34-28 is .07 . So 39-34 is equivalent of a compination of 34-30. It is half to the relief you're feeling when changing from 34-25 to 34-28. Hope I helped.
Or more simply the 39x34 would be a slightly lower gear for better climbing than you 34x28. On the top end your 53x11 will be a higher gear than your 50x11 In other words you’ll have better climbing range and higher top end with 53/39 Crankset and 11/34 cassette
That’s an excellent suggestion. Unfortunately, I don’t have many items in stock to display for this video. I don’t ride the gearing I talk about in this presentation. I ride regular race gears even though I climb a lot of steep hills. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
@@MadManX668hmm… but it wouldn’t make sense because I’m a strong cyclist that doesn’t use the gearing I’m explaining in this video. I’m not sure how it would help at all. It’s like “here’s what I ride when I climb steep hills but you will need much easier gears because you won’t be strong enough to climb steep hills in these gears” what would be the point of that?
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad No need. There are cyclists like me who never knew this, it wasn't until the pandemic that bikes were hard to find and I ended buying over the mail just to unbox a bike like I had never seen before. Had a big cassette and little chainrings in the front and going up hill felt like I was pedaling forever and not getting anywhere. That's when I started to Google for answers and your video is precise and to the point.
@@1a2b3c4. ha ha no graphics 😂 I am a business shop owner and cyclist the last thing I have is computer graphics experience for RUclips. I’ll see what I can do to find someone else who has done a video I can use for you and others though 😊
I change the 11-30 to 11-28 and i see i ride faster on uphills with same effort . Now i order 39 for the front to test it . Hope the pace with improve a lot .
You will go faster uphills with an 11-28 cassette vs an 11-30 . So many people buy gears that are too easy and they are just spinning and not going anywhere. Let us know how the 39 chainring works out for you. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I go faster everywhere until now. With 39, the cassete becomes more usable. I also like the change between 52/39 , its smoother. FOr sure you have to change your pedalling technique. At 28% grade i have to go upright when fatigue comes . Now i have to test it on long rides with ~2k evelation .
@@Godspeed961 great news! 53/39 is only 14 teeth yes smoother than 50/34 compact 16 teeth or 52/36 mid compact 16 teeth or 48/31 GRX 17 teeth. Thanks for sharing please consider subscribing
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad *UPDATE* !! I continue to use 39 . Tested everywhere . The only downside : i Run 52/39 - 11/28 Ultegra R8000 . When you have 52 /11 and want to go 39/11 chain goes (for few turns) in the middle of front chainrings. It has bigger gap between 52 and 39 . The 52/36 shimano calls it MT type chainring and 39 is MW . To solve this i will try to find smaller bolts or see if the chainring fits the opposite side.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad i want to order a new casette,exactly like mine,but on site asked me to chose 11-32t or 11-34 t..how can i know what type i got on my bike 100% exactly?
These are my carrera vulcan bike detaills: Drivetrain:Suntour XCT 42/32/22t chianset, Shimano Altus mechs and 9-speed shifters i am not professional with these stuff,that why i asking professionals.thank you
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad but i dont know differences between them..for what is good 11-32t for ex?and for what is good 11:34t? what make the difference between this two?32t is better for climbing and 11:34t is better for speed?
I'm 54 and still riding 50/34 and 11/28 and do a lot of steep climbing. I used to ride 11/25 but had a tendency to cross chain on the flats. Is it just me or do people want things to be too easy these days?
There are hills in my area that you could claim serious bragging getting to the top on standard gearing! Now it’s like “ok yeah of course you made you are riding a 46/31 and an 11-34. Big whoop”
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I know right? I'll continue to climb on my current gearing for as long as my knees can handle it. That's the way I look at it. Our day is coming eventually. Might as well work for it for as long as we are physically able. ;)
It depends on your gearing. You need to be more specific on your 2X chainrings and 1X chaining and then your cassette cogs to accurately answer your question. Once you know your specs then load the numbers into a gear inch calculator.
BRITISH INCH SYSTEM -- I do not know why people do not use the so useful "British Inch system" to master gear ratios on their bike. It is so practical! The formula is simple: Diameter of wheel in inches X (Chainring / cog). Ex.: 27 inch X (50/25) = 54. Or 27 inch X (39/17) = 78. The system works like the British temperature system: When it is 100 degrees, it is too hot; when it is 32 it freezes. Normal home temperature is 70. This means that you should start to use 100+ only when the ground is descending; that a normal one-gear bike is around 70, and that 32 is about equivalent of walking uphill beside your bike (+/- 5 km/h). Here is a graph of my amateur bike, showing the ratios of a three-gear chainring (50-39-30) with a standard cassette of 10 gears: GEARS 50 39 30 11 127 99 76 13 117 91 70 15 108 84 65 17 100 78 60 19 93 73 56 20 82 64 49 21 74 57 44 22 67 52 40 24 61 47 37 25 56 44 34 Easy to memorize, helps in assessing when to change gear on the chainring or on the cassette to get to the sweet spot of max output. It also has the very interesting advantage that you can monitor your progress in strength when you see your basic gear combination moving naturally up with mileage. You may start the seasons with a 73 combination as a basic flat ground - no wind combination, but 1000 km later in the summer, you basic gear has become a 90. Sweet progress...! And this does not require speed to compute.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad-- It is widely used and am amazed that an expert like you did not come across it. Many You Tube sites explain it at length. Look it up!
big front and big cassette is the way to go. you get both max speed and max climbing power at the cost of less fine tuning. I don't give a damn about fine tuning a gear. tiny cogs 2t jumps is sufficient. i wouldn't recommend going below 50 on the front because it loses SOOOO much top speed on those (tiny negligible) downhills where the decline is too small to be supertucking (0 to -3%). And when I say speed, I'm only talking like 20 mph. only reason to go below 50 front is if you're disabled/elderly and can barely hold up your own weight or truly only want to cruise between 12-15 mph..
@@barrytantlinger1033 I use it quite a bit. I'm never going 31 I think something wrong is with that calculator because I'm seeing myself go 24ish or less. The calculator probably assumes you're spinning out your legs at 120 rpm which would explain the odd overestimation
@@jason200912 We all use our big rings all the time. That's one of the advantages of a 50 instead of 53 - it's easier to stay in the big ring for mere mortals. But a subcompact is even better; it lets you use more of your cassette with the big ring, while giving better climbing gears without resorting to a pie plate in the back, all while losing very little on the top end. And course the bike calculator is not wrong - they take rpm and wheel size into consideration. Finally, you shouldn't go around insulting seniors and disabled people.
Thank-you so much!!! This video is excellent. I'm looking for a new road bike. I live on a 12% hill near Holmfirth & am keen to get a bike that's good for hill climbing. Feel like I know a lot more now about chain rings and the different options. A massive thank-you!!
I'm an old man....weak but stubborn. Love riding hills. My program is to ad another tooth to my cog each year as I get older...ha. now my expedition touring bike (think great divide or baja divide) has an old 9x3 cranks. Small ring is 22. And my cassette is 11-42. Gear inches is about 14. ha Even I can get up anything but on the down hill its 44/11 which doesn't get me much above 25 mph before I spin out. I'm happy to coast at that point. :)
Great video! This should help me prep with my first sportive with a huge hill climb. Thanks!
Wonderful! Please tell us hope your event turned out. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
A little late finding your video but thought I would share my 11spd Shimano gearing setup. Absolute Black 46-30 chainrings. 12-34 custom cassette using cogs from an 11-32 donor cassette and a 12t first position cog, as follows: 12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-27-30-34. Where I live has quite a number of hills. Given the fact I don't want to walk up even the steepest and given my fitness level and size, this works well for me. I also don't need or want to go fast downhill. 46-12 for me spins out right around 35 mph (RPM????). 37 mph is probably my max speed ever and I've never pedaled over 30 mph on a flat. I really like the close gearing on tall end it allows me to find that sweet spot cadence when going faster and while I don't really use the lowest gears much, I like having them if I need them. Bottom line.... don't just take what you are given and suffer, tailor the gearing to whatever works best for you.
Thanks, great content! 👍
You’re Welcome and I’m glad you customized your gearing to suit your needs!
I love my 3x8. The chainrings are 28/38/48 and the cassette is 11-40. I’m whatever’s bigger than a Clydesdale so I like having all that low gear for getting up hills.
I honestly think a triple chainring is the best option ever! Sad to see them go away
After years of wandering , and last 2 days of serious calculation concluded same. A person who can remember gear ratios can easily have benefit of having 3 by set up
I have an an older Ice Trike with a motor with the trike, the motor/battery and hard panniers the trike weighs about 65 lbs. I'm going from a 11-32t cassette to a Shimano Alivio 11-36t cassette and adding a 36t chainring to my 52/44. I am having trouble climbing steep hills but I'm sure this will help. I only try to use the motor assist when I am in traffic.
Helped a lot! Thank you
You’re welcome I need to redo this video. It seems it was well received but I could explain things better I think.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I understood it perfectly and I appreciate all the time and effort that went into making it.
Great video, thank you for explaining all of this.
You’re Welcome please consider subscribing
This is the best explanation of gearing that I have ever seen for climbing. Does SRAM shimano setup make any difference? I am heading to Stelvio in June & trying to work out my best set up for my Colnago V1-r. I weight 78kg I’m 6’4” & slim & aged 59 with good fitness Any help appreciated 🙏
Great and very smart explanation! I myself like to put in a solid climb. Best way to get up those steep ascents is some gels and some extra watts!
Much more important is less body weight.
@@marcdaniels9079 yes and conditioning! I have seen some guys on the heavy side out climb thinner people tho
If you don’t care about spinning out, a cassette with a 12 is all you need with a 50 or 13 with a 52 or 53. To keep speed on flats, an 11 tooth or even 10 tooth cassette with a 50 or 48 works well. The issue with having top speed and climbing gears comes down to the range you really need. I live in the mountains were I see many 10-20% or more climbs. Having that 1:1, or 50/34, 12-34 works well for an old 😢geezer like me. I wish I had that sub 1:1 ratio many days though.
Thank You for watching!
Stick a 42 cassette on for a great climbing gear
Love triples, have stocked up on them as the industry seems to be killing them off. My commute bike has flat steel chainrings including a bling Surly stainless steel 32t, they run so stiff and smoothly, shift with Dia Compe friction shifters mounted on Gevenelle brake levers. Road bike has 50/39/26 chainset with 11/32 cassette.
I'm using a ration of 38t chairing and 11-46t cogs (1x12) in MTB, what should i do to increase my speed and better performance in race climbing and flat? Do i need to convert it to 2x12 set up or i will change my chainring?
Hi im a noob. I have hills where i live, i use a mtb with a 36 chainring and 11- 42 casette. 36 42 feels slow but really helps in those steep climbs.
Thanks for this vid, learned a lot. 👍🏼
Yes 36x42 would feel slow because it is less than 1:1 Ratio.
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@@SeeYouUpTheRoad hii
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad what about 1x 10 drivetrain ) 32 t chainring and 10 s 11-46 back ?
Here’s a direct question: on a 1x11 setup: 42t chainring and 11-42t cassette versus 36t chainring v 11-36t at the back. Apart from larger jumps are there any significant differences and considerations? I think 36/36 looks better and I’m not bothered about top speed. This is purely about climbing steep gradients. Thanks, L
Yes I like the look of 36/36. These monster cassette are an eyesore. If you’re not worried about top end speed then go with the 36T chainring
You need to add crank arm length into the equation, as that will affect leverage exponentially as the grade gets steeper. Shorter cranks may be more efficient on the flats but once the grade increases and you start fighting gravity, shorter cranks become increasingly harder to turn, while longer cranks will result in turning bigger circles, but you get more leverage on the downstroke. The bottom line is that using shorter cranks involves more frequent shifting into easier gears as grade increases.
Unfortunately the gear inch calculator I use doesn’t include crank arm length.
Great video...very helpful even for a novice like me...i mostly do climbing in alps and have 50 34 chain rings and 11 33 cassetes...have thought abt getting bit more lee way by either having smaller chain ring or bigger cassete..the video has given me some ideas...btw no mention of chain size or if any considerations abt derailur when making these changes...are the derailurs compactible?
Unfortunately the answer is sometimes. I had to get a longer rear derailleur when I went from 11-28 to 11-32. When I went from 11-32 to 11-34 I didn't because it was already long enough.
It’s been over a year since I did this video. I thought I talked about rear derailleurs. Yes depending on the size of the cassette and corresponding rear derailleurs you will have to make a change so then the chain has to be changed.
Don’t believe Shimano - their recommendations are super conservative
When I raced in the 80's we rode 52/42 chainrings and 6-speed cogs that was only 11-17😳. My knees must have hated me back then.
Yep 52/42 with 11-21 cassette is what I had. That’s why when we watch old races we see such slow cadences on the mountains.
Thanks for watching!
I'm getting a 44-28 Samox crankset to go with my 12-36 9 speed cassette. This is on a touring bike with a fairly upright position. My other bike is a track bike with 8500 miles on it. The 46-30 square taper crankset is a good setup, but the cranks are a bit too long at 175mm and feels oddly loopy. Probably will drop a couple hundred grams in the bargain. A 12-36 cassette avoids the large 13 to 15 tooth jump the 11-36 cassette has.
Looking at a tour de France climb what would be the ultimate gearing front and back? I don’t need cranking speed on the downhill.
Depends on the climb. What climb? What’s the length and grade? What’s your fitness level? Way too many variables to answer your question Daniel
And why does it have to be labeled a Tour de France climb? There are climbs all over the world 😂
I'm thinking of changing my Crank on my Trek Dual Sport 4 2021 which has a 11-52 tooth 11 speed system. Currently it has a 1x system that is 42 tooth chainring. And I would love to in the future upgrade to a 2x system. I'm thinking of a 53-39. I don't live around a hilly area. I do one day would like to go to the hills and push myself to see what i can do. What would you do?
I'm a roadie. 1X systems are stupid. I ride a 53/39 crankset 11-28 cassette. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
Great video, just subscribed to your channel
Thank You for watching and subscribing
17T is a big jump for road front derailleurs. 16T is the designed maximum. Also I have seen chain drop as you describe and it’s often the inner chainring is installed backwards. You should really shift one or two gears up the cassette like your 12T or 13T before going from 52-39 being crossed up like that leave room for issues
Awesome information, can you share the equation? Subbed by the way!
What a great explanation of gearing. What would the top speed be in a 46-11 gears at say 90rpm? Out of interest, what's the smallest chain rings Shimano make in Ultegra before having to move over to the GRX range?
46-11 will get you 29.6 mph at 90 cadence.
46/36 Ultegra 11 speed Crankset
48/31 GRX Crankset
The 46/30 Crankset I mentioned in this video is from Absolute Black chainring conversion
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad thanks for getting back to me so quickly. That's great, thanks. Something for me to consider. I'm a heavy rider. A compact is fine for 90% of my rides. Its the odd ride with 20%+ gradients I struggle with on long rides.
@@Simbostyle ha ha everyone struggles on 20% grades! 😂
@@Simbostyle like and share this video with your friends
Bedankt
Thank You for your super thanks!!
10:26 i've seen people with the 105 r7000 keep the front 50/34 but swapping the cassette to a mountain bike CS-M8000 11/40, that gives you an even lower 0.85 ratio, only other thing you need to change is a longer chain.
There are many people doing gearing setups outside of Shimano recommendations none of which I will ever cover in this channel for liability reasons.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad
What liability ? Do you think people will sue you for a YT video ? Come on 😅
Hi George, I'm in the process of starting up a bike repair shop out of my garage. I'm getting close to retiring and want to keep active with the local biking community and riding!! Can you recommend a reliable repair reference and guide book for someone like myself who is just starting out. Thanks in advance.
I don’t really have a suggestion for a repair reference. I rely on the manufacturers dealer portals to get tech specs or call in for guidance. For off the wall stuff I even check RUclips videos of trusted mechanics. Good luck!
I am on a 52/40 set, also have a 50/40 set for testing purposes. The 52/40 allows for more cross chaining on the flats and the 40 tooth ring allows for less spinning when you have shorter legs ( my case) the 34 is simply to small for me. Interestingly my favourite setup is my cheap bike with a single 40t Stone ring and 14-28 freewheel so go figure 😂.
You don't ride climbs, do you? You grind them.
@@messi9991 I don’t grind them, I have an advantage on climbs due to having shorter legs so it allows me to use bigger rings like a 40 instead of a small 34 (compact). Also because I live on the flats the 40 tooth ring is amazing when our crazy winds come at us, having a 34 and over spinning going nowhere is nuts. Issue is some road bike frames can not use a 40 tooth ring as it is to close to the frame.
@@danfuerthgillis4483 Your leg length has no bearing on gearing...the gear is the same, regardless of how long the legs of the person pushing that gear are. And ok, so you don't ride climbs. Period.
@@messi9991 I have ridden the Serra De Estrela in Portugal from the Alvoco de Varzeas village ( where my family still lives there) to the village of Vide where you go up the new road directly to the tower up there at 2000 meters. The new road was built many years ago and the condition is better than if you go through Manteigas or Covilha for example as those are the older roads. It was with a group of people in 2011, I was there for 6 months visiting relatives in the main city and the villages. Only problem was the bikes were local cycling club stuff not the lightest. We did a tour of the mountains and stopped to eat at some restaurants on the way up. We had 2 support cars for basics, about 100 people went up. It's 45 minutes car ride from the village of Vide to the top of the mountain, on a bike a few hours to go up and come down.
It's close so you can go solo but you will have to be your own mechanic. We had some people with 1980's road bikes with the pump under the top bar old school. Will be headed there for Vacation soon and will do the same ride up the mountain again, no winds, less air pressure, 25 celcius with zero humidity for most of the early part of the summer, it's perfect to go up and see the scenery, looking down at the valleys thousands of feet bellow you. Still planning to move back there, just don't want to do it when I am too old to enjoy everything I left behind. Living in Ontario is just not the same, everything here is pay, pay, pay it's all about the mighty dollar. We started at 6 am and made it back down by 8pm still full daylight out. So it was fun doing it slowly and talking to people on the way up, some took longer so we waited at the top. Going down everyone was much closer as we just freewheeled down. I will say this, cycling here in Ontario in flat land with massive air pressure, humid and winds is brutal, insane really compared to the ride up that mountain. The bike I used there had compact cranks 50/34 setup. But I still think the best thing was the parasailing off the Culcurinho mountain very close by the village for $50 euros each ride ( with instructor tandem).
Cool stuff❤
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I've replaced the 105-cassette 11/34 with a XT-11/40 because in my region there are plenty of roads with 27% (check my thumbnail). When I'm tired I just don't make those roads anymore. Or I simply don't want to sweat on my way to the office (22%).
I have an 11-40 cassette on standby to put on my gravel bike with GRX. I started with an 11-34 and so far so good with my 48/31 crankset. We have plenty of 10-15% on side roads and 20%+ on "sider" roads lol! I get by with my 53/39 - 11-32 cassette. But dirt is a little different lol
very well explained
Thank You! Tell which parts made good sense to you. And tell me one thing you learned.
Id like to do another video about this because it seems well received. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
Hi, can I just change the small chainring from a compact crank to 30(from 34)? So this will be 50-30 with 12-34 cassette? Thank you so much! 😁
I might have mentioned in this video. However, Shimano road max front derailleur would be 16T and for GRX 17T 50/30 would be 20T out of Shimano’s limits. Additionally, finding the same BCD for a 50T and 30T compatible for your Crankset.
My road bike has a compact crank with an 11 speed (11-42) cassette. At age 74 it gets me up most hills in the mountains where I live up to around 12% gradients reasonably ok. I also have a MTB with a 3 speed crank (42/32/26) which I use on climbs (not off road) in excess of 12%. Most of those climbs are in teh range 15-30%, and even with teh MTB gearing I still have to walk once we hit around 20%
Yep but at 74 you’re still riding a bike so there’s that !!
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i have used 48-30 with a 11-40, all parts bought on the cheap, only the front derailleur is from shimano, can climb any walls and my top speed is around 65~70 km\h with 35mm tires on a good day
yep with a 30 chainring and a 40T cog you can climb the walls in your home :-)
Well, that's the reason I don't want to give up on my Ultegra 6703 (30 / 39 / 52) And 11-28 cassette. But not sure why you have to convert to speed at given RPM, it is enough to keep track of the gear ratios front/back...
Triple chainring cranksets are awesome! It’s a shame the new generation of mechanics are like deer in the headlights when a bike comes into the shop. The average person and especially a new rider has no clue what gear ratios are and what they mean. But they do know cadence (fast or slow) even if they don’t know exactly (it can be displayed on their cycling computer) and speed… most people know “any slower than X mph I’m walking because I can’t maintain my balance” gear ratios are just too complicated for most people.
Furthermore, you don’t have to keep track of gear rations front and back - you just have to find the gear that’s not too hard and not too easy and keep the chain from cross chaining - cycling is an art not a science. The science and math is done when you are choosing the correct components to build but once you build the bike riding it is an art
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I have a friend with a 2019 Checkpoint ALR4 shimano 50x34 11-34 10spd Tiagra. It's really hard to understand what options he has for lower gears for the mount washington climb in NH (7.x miles average 12percent, with 18-22percent ramps). 1 to 1 isn't the worst, but he's not a climbing beast. heh Any suggestions?
First of all thanks for watching!!
Second I am green with envy that he’s doing Mt Washington hill climb!
What is the BCD on the 10 speed Tiagra? If the BCD works with the 46/30 chainrings I mentioned in the video then you or he can order them from me
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@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I believe it is 110. It's Tiagra 4700. It seems absolute black does have a 46x30 for it, but there's this note: Tiagra 4700* (*requires modification -contact us). It's an interesting option. I'll tell my friend about it. Thanks!
I'm afraid I can't increase your subscriber count because I've already been subscribed for a while now. :)
@@donbarnard82 thank you for being subscribed!
I hope you are getting value out of the channel.
Hmm… modification
Thanks for watching.
hi I need advise. I love doing climbs in fact I am prepping to go for next years taiwan KOM. I want to go 54/40 chain ring with a 11-34 cassette is that advisable?
Sure why not? What is the average grade for climb? What are the steep pinches?
I haven't done that climb, yet. I don't think a 40-34 is wise. Yes, the average gradient is low at 3.72%, but we are talking about an 86.5 km climb with more than 3500 m of elevation and a finish line at 3275 m above sea level. The last 10 km are brutal with an average of 7% but only because there is a flat 1.5 km section. There is a 300 m section at 27% (2800 m above sea level) and the last 1.5 km is 9% over 3000 m altitude.
You need to keep a reasonable high cadence to be able to survive such a long climb with the steepest part at such high elevation. Of course, you may be an endurance grinder who do not care about your knees XD.
Besides, if you are planning to do more climbs in Taiwan, let me tell you that there are plenty of crazy steep roads here. 15, 20 and more % are very common here. Just FYI, my lowest gear is a 30-40. I don't use the 40 cog a lot, but it is useful for the 20%, specially after a long day ride in the hot and humid climate of Taiwan. I like to keep a high cadence and do most of the climb on the saddle, which also affects my gear choice.
I currently ride a 36/22 crank and a 11-36 cassette. I have to replace it now and I really like that setup but unfortunately none of my local shops have any 36/22 cranks. I see a lot of cranks that are either 52/36 or 50/34.
I’m not sure what to get. I ride mostly flat ground but occasionally I’ll do some steep hills. What setup would be closest to what I’m use to (36/22 and 11-36)?
Wow! 36/22? I didn’t even know they made cranksets rust small. I honestly don’t know what to recommend. 36/22? Who makes that?
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad lol maybe wrong terminology. 😅
I mean the chainrings. Are 36/22. Not sure if I’m supposed to say chainrings or crankset? 🤷🏼♂️
Anyways it’s a Race Face. I ride a mountain bike.
@@BIGgamez78 the terminology was fine. I just hadn’t heard of a 36/22 for road so now that you tell me it’s for MTB it makes sense. I rarely work on MTB so I don’t have a recommendation for you
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad looks like all the cranksets I’ve been looking at online are most likely for road bikes. lol that’s why I was seeing all these big 50 plus chainrings. When I started Mountain Biking 20 years ago the standard was 3x drivetrain (44/32/22 then it was 2x drivetrain (36/22). I haven’t been into biking as much in the last 8 years or so and just getting back into it and now it appears 1x is the standard. I don’t know if I’ll like that.
I might finally try to get into road bikes… I’ve been watching some of your videos and it’s peeked my interest.
Thanks George. Can you advise by approximately how much the front derailleur would need to be lowered if converting from 50/34 to 46/30? My FD is attached via a bolt-on hanger plate that has a slot for vertical adjustment range. If I run out of adjustment range, is there any work-around ( - or what is the max gap I could get away with)? My components are Ultegra 8050, 11 speed. Thanks!
An additional thought is that the GRX 48/31 might be an option for me: providing it's possible to set up the Ultegra FD for it - thinking of the different chain line (47mm vs 44.5mm)?
Apologies but I have no clue. Check with the frame manufacturer to see if they give you a spec for chainring size.
What is the best set up for touring through varied terrain?
Man to be honest a triple chainring and large cassette would be ideal. All this 1X stuff has killed triples. But a triple chainring will have more bottom and more top and the ratio would be closer so the shifts wouldn’t be so drastic.
I think the nice thing about subcompacts (48 or 46), is that they let you use more easily the middle of your cassette.
That’s true! Thanks for watching Barry
If you want to build leg muscle I think the bigger the better.
@@Joe-wk9ow ha ha 🤣🤣🤣
@@Joe-wk9ow
Nope! You will ruin your knees and generate no hypertrophy
Hi! What would be the best gearing set up for climbing hills with 15% grade possibly 20%. As of now i have the standard 53/39 chainrings and 11/28 cassette which i use for crit race. I will be doing the lobster ride this week and i know i’m gonna need my gearing set up. I have already changed out my chainrings to 50/34 but i have no idea what cassette to go with this compact rings. But i want to go fast on the downhill but also be able to climb easy on 15% hill grade. Thanks!
Ah yes I know the Lobster Ride. I've done it many times before not to mention repeats on Baldy lifts 😊 Well here's the thing the 50/34 is 3 teeth smaller big ring now (53T) so you will lose about 1 mph per hour per tooth on top speed at 90 cadence. Conversely, the 34 little ring will help get you up Baldy lifts since it is 5 teeth smaller than what you had with your 39 ring. If your Rear Derailleur can accept an 11-32 or 11-34 cassette then you will find it easier to climb the 15% grades. But I would think if you are a fairly fit cyclist 11-28 should be fine. Good luck and let me know how it turns out for you.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad thanks for your reply. i have dura ace 7900 group came with my bike. So i’m not really sure what’s the largest cassette it can take. If you do, please fill me in. Thank you!
@@popitn2ndDura-Ace RD were really small in those days. You would have to get a 105 long cage to accommodate anything really big in the 10 speed system. You’ll be fine with an 11-28 if that’s in there now that’s the biggest cassette that will work well
great video, please can i convert my regular bicycle to a E-bike? if yes" what do i need to do?
Chances are almost always no you can’t convert. But there are some really crazy looking conversions out there. I wouldn’t do it but you do you
I'm a 10x50 with a 28t chainring and its ok at best but it's a 180mm enduro so if you on a big bike if do a 10x52 and a 24t and it be a goat
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by sheer chance I found the bike of my dreams as of recently, the *Canyon Roadlite 6* . It's a fitness road bike with a 1X drivetrain (1x12): it has a 46T chainring and a 10-51 cassette. It's my dream bike 'cos I have a 50-34T 11-34T Decathlon road bike with flat bars, and a MTB with a 40-30-22T 11-34T drivetrain (3x9) and I always wanted a 1X bike with the nimbleness of a road bike and the easy gears of my MTB. The easiest answer seemed to be a gravel bike, but they don't make the cut. Many of them are 1X, but not very flexible nor fast for flat terrain and descents. Plus they usually have quite similar ratios compared to road bikes. If I got it correctly the Roadlite 6 is faster than my road bike (48Tx11T) with its 46Tx10T hardest gear, and the Roadlite 46Tx51T should be as easy as my MTB middle chainring 30Tx34T, right? With that 30-34T of my MTB I can climb almost everything (not as easy for me in a hilly region like mine with my 34-34T road bike). So my question is... with my calculations a 30-34T would be equivalent to 46-51T of the Roadlite 6, and I'd have a spare tooth in the Roadlite, which would be easier to climb right? 30-34 compared to 46-51 would be 16 more teeth in the chainring (harder) but 17 more teeth than the easiest sprocket, so 46-51 would easier than 30-34, am I getting it right? Just curious....
Your comment is way too long and verbose. I don't have the time to read such a long comment with all the hundreds upon hundreds of comments I get on this channel. I can't even find the question. Please be concise when posting on people's RUclips channel
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad sorry George, I wrote a thesis tbh. My question is what would be the easier gear, the 30-34T (middle chainring, largest sprocket) of my MTB or the 46-51T of a Canyon Roadlite?
Great, great video. Having a 32 or 34 is a nice option on a long day. However, there is one thing I don't understand. If I'm not on a bike with some bottom bracket flex the following arises. Very few long climbs seem optimally taken in one low gear, and like as you mentioned the larger the cassette - the wider the gap when you drop down, so you have to re-cadence - efficiency losses are inevitable - ie one has to compensate to get back to smooth.
My main bike, I have is a 52/36 11-28, road bike. My hardest climb where I live is roughly 1000 m elevation over 15km, so 6% avg , so I'm alternating 28seated-22standing -28-22-28.etc.. all the way to the top or else if I just sit on it all the way, I'm getting more sore. So I guess if I got the GRX 46/30 adventure, could go back to an 11-25 , but when I have a 46 big, soooo very tempting to cross chain it.
11-28 - isn’t your last two cogs 25 and 28? 1000 m of climbing of course you would be standing and sitting and shifting between 25 and 28.
That’s no less than 45 minute or as much as an hour climb. No one would nor should they stay seated on a climb or anywhere for that long! Stand and sit and stand and sit that’s the proper way to climb
Useful actual example.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad
Not sure where you get your opinion on the “proper” way to climb but if you watch most pros they will stay seated as much as possible because it’s biomechanically more efficient. They will pop out of the saddle for very sharp hairpins or just to relieve the pressure on the bum but 98% of the time seated unless they are throwing in an attack.
For reference I just did an event with a 12km climb at an average of 7% and the only time I was out of the saddle was on some steep ramps of 15 to 18 %. I am 63 and not super fit. It’s also quite a personal thing. Peace ✌️
Hi, So if I have compact 50-34 and cassette 11-28 and I climbing using 34-28 will be almost the same when I changr to standard 53-39 - cassette 11-34 and I will climbing using 39-34 ? Regards
Hi, when you're using 34-28, ratio is 1.21 ( dividing 34 with 28 ) and when 34-25 ( your second bigger sprocket ) 1.36 with a difference in ratio of 0.15 . Using 39-34, ratio is 1.14. Difference from your current 34-28 is .07 . So 39-34 is equivalent of a compination of 34-30. It is half to the relief you're feeling when changing from 34-25 to 34-28. Hope I helped.
Yes! Thank you :)@@parisfpgt2
Or more simply the 39x34 would be a slightly lower gear for better climbing than you 34x28.
On the top end your 53x11 will be a higher gear than your 50x11
In other words you’ll have better climbing range and higher top end with 53/39 Crankset and 11/34 cassette
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad Thank you for the answer. Regards
@@biliharp9839 You’re Welcome and thanks for watching
Thanks for the video !
I didnt understand it all but was informative. Would be cool if you used real bike parts
That’s an excellent suggestion. Unfortunately, I don’t have many items in stock to display for this video. I don’t ride the gearing I talk about in this presentation. I ride regular race gears even though I climb a lot of steep hills.
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@@SeeYouUpTheRoad so show and explain that
@@MadManX668hmm… but it wouldn’t make sense because I’m a strong cyclist that doesn’t use the gearing I’m explaining in this video. I’m not sure how it would help at all. It’s like “here’s what I ride when I climb steep hills but you will need much easier gears because you won’t be strong enough to climb steep hills in these gears” what would be the point of that?
EXCELLENT VIDEO
Thank You tell me what you liked about it. I’ve been thinking of redoing it -
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad
No need. There are cyclists like me who never knew this, it wasn't until the pandemic that bikes were hard to find and I ended buying over the mail just to unbox a bike like I had never seen before. Had a big cassette and little chainrings in the front and going up hill felt like I was pedaling forever and not getting anywhere. That's when I started to Google for answers and your video is precise and to the point.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad
If you redo it. Use computer graphics for the gears or just do a close up video on the gears.
@@1a2b3c4. ha ha no graphics 😂 I am a business shop owner and cyclist the last thing I have is computer graphics experience for RUclips. I’ll see what I can do to find someone else who has done a video I can use for you and others though 😊
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad
I was laughing while writing it.... 🤣
I knew you would say... What 🤔
🤣😂🤣
MTB crank is also ok, 44-32-(22) is 14% and 6 % slower / easier than 50-34 compact,
and is usually cheapest
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I change the 11-30 to 11-28 and i see i ride faster on uphills with same effort . Now i order 39 for the front to test it . Hope the pace with improve a lot .
You will go faster uphills with an 11-28 cassette vs an 11-30 . So many people buy gears that are too easy and they are just spinning and not going anywhere.
Let us know how the 39 chainring works out for you. Thanks for watching please consider subscribing
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I go faster everywhere until now. With 39, the cassete becomes more usable. I also like the change between 52/39 , its smoother. FOr sure you have to change your pedalling technique. At 28% grade i have to go upright when fatigue comes . Now i have to test it on long rides with ~2k evelation .
@@Godspeed961 great news! 53/39 is only 14 teeth yes smoother than 50/34 compact 16 teeth or 52/36 mid compact 16 teeth or 48/31 GRX 17 teeth.
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@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I already done that Sir.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad *UPDATE* !! I continue to use 39 . Tested everywhere . The only downside : i Run 52/39 - 11/28 Ultegra R8000 . When you have 52 /11 and want to go 39/11 chain goes (for few turns) in the middle of front chainrings. It has bigger gap between 52 and 39 . The 52/36 shimano calls it MT type chainring and 39 is MW . To solve this i will try to find smaller bolts or see if the chainring fits the opposite side.
Hello.what is differences between a shimano 9 speed casette 11-32 or a shimano casette 11-34?
This question seems self explanatory is there something I’m missing?
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad i want to order a new casette,exactly like mine,but on site asked me to chose 11-32t or 11-34 t..how can i know what type i got on my bike 100% exactly?
These are my carrera vulcan bike detaills:
Drivetrain:Suntour XCT 42/32/22t chianset, Shimano Altus mechs and 9-speed shifters
i am not professional with these stuff,that why i asking professionals.thank you
you don’t have to get the same exact cassette - get whichever one you prefer
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad but i dont know differences between them..for what is good 11-32t for ex?and for what is good 11:34t? what make the difference between this two?32t is better for climbing and 11:34t is better for speed?
48/32t is compatible to 11/32t?
Depends on the system in question. GRX 11 speed 48/31 and 11-34 be design although I will experiment with 11-40 soon
I'm 54 and still riding 50/34 and 11/28 and do a lot of steep climbing. I used to ride 11/25 but had a tendency to cross chain on the flats. Is it just me or do people want things to be too easy these days?
I’m 58 and ride 53/39 with 11-28 or 11-32 if it’s going to be a day of 20% kickers - yes you are correct people want things way too easy these days!
There are hills in my area that you could claim serious bragging getting to the top on standard gearing! Now it’s like “ok yeah of course you made you are riding a 46/31 and an 11-34. Big whoop”
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I know right? I'll continue to climb on my current gearing for as long as my knees can handle it. That's the way I look at it. Our day is coming eventually. Might as well work for it for as long as we are physically able. ;)
Indeed! What part of the country/world are you from? Thanks for watching. Please consider subscribing.
Seattle area. Yep, subscribed! :)
How much do you lose from 2x to 1x top speed?
It depends on your gearing. You need to be more specific on your 2X chainrings and 1X chaining and then your cassette cogs to accurately answer your question. Once you know your specs then load the numbers into a gear inch calculator.
Front 32t
Kassette
Sun Race 11-51t 12-Speed
VS
Front 36X26T cassette 11-42T
@@celpabedn generally speaking about 1 mph for each chainring tooth. So with the same 11T in the rear you’re loosing 1mph from a 32 to a 36 chaining
what the essence of having a 11-51T cassette and a 36T chainring
Huh?
BRITISH INCH SYSTEM -- I do not know why people do not use the so useful "British Inch system" to master gear ratios on their bike. It is so practical! The formula is simple: Diameter of wheel in inches X (Chainring / cog). Ex.: 27 inch X (50/25) = 54. Or 27 inch X (39/17) = 78. The system works like the British temperature system: When it is 100 degrees, it is too hot; when it is 32 it freezes. Normal home temperature is 70. This means that you should start to use 100+ only when the ground is descending; that a normal one-gear bike is around 70, and that 32 is about equivalent of walking uphill beside your bike (+/- 5 km/h). Here is a graph of my amateur bike, showing the ratios of a three-gear chainring (50-39-30) with a standard cassette of 10 gears:
GEARS 50 39 30
11 127 99 76
13 117 91 70
15 108 84 65
17 100 78 60
19 93 73 56
20 82 64 49
21 74 57 44
22 67 52 40
24 61 47 37
25 56 44 34
Easy to memorize, helps in assessing when to change gear on the chainring or on the cassette to get to the sweet spot of max output. It also has the very interesting advantage that you can monitor your progress in strength when you see your basic gear combination moving naturally up with mileage. You may start the seasons with a 73 combination as a basic flat ground - no wind combination, but 1000 km later in the summer, you basic gear has become a 90. Sweet progress...! And this does not require speed to compute.
Sorry but you completely lost me with your so simple system and your easy to memorize table. I’m sure it makes sense in your head.
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad-- It is widely used and am amazed that an expert like you did not come across it. Many You Tube sites explain it at length. Look it up!
32-32 and 34-34 are both 1 to 1 ratio. No math was needed. 😉
He he
I don't understand anything give me a Pvt tutorial
Sure you can pay for one on one consultation. I also put a new video out yesterday check it out
big front and big cassette is the way to go. you get both max speed and max climbing power at the cost of less fine tuning.
I don't give a damn about fine tuning a gear. tiny cogs 2t jumps is sufficient.
i wouldn't recommend going below 50 on the front because it loses SOOOO much top speed on those (tiny negligible) downhills where the decline is too small to be supertucking (0 to -3%). And when I say speed, I'm only talking like 20 mph.
only reason to go below 50 front is if you're disabled/elderly and can barely hold up your own weight or truly only want to cruise between 12-15 mph..
? A 48-11 combo gets you to 31 mph @ 90 rpm. A 46-11 is 30mph. Unless you're racing, almost no one needs a 50 crank.
@@barrytantlinger1033 I use it quite a bit. I'm never going 31 I think something wrong is with that calculator because I'm seeing myself go 24ish or less. The calculator probably assumes you're spinning out your legs at 120 rpm which would explain the odd overestimation
@@jason200912 We all use our big rings all the time. That's one of the advantages of a 50 instead of 53 - it's easier to stay in the big ring for mere mortals. But a subcompact is even better; it lets you use more of your cassette with the big ring, while giving better climbing gears without resorting to a pie plate in the back, all while losing very little on the top end.
And course the bike calculator is not wrong - they take rpm and wheel size into consideration.
Finally, you shouldn't go around insulting seniors and disabled people.
My grandmother has the same hairdo.
I understand....,🫡
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