Dragon Ride Gearing

A Place to idle the day away talking about anything you fancy. Expect to find cycling and non cycling topics inside

Dragon Ride Gearing

Postby Graham O » Tue May 15, 2007 1:09 pm

Bit of advice / info required.

Does anyone know what the max gradient on the Dragon Ride is ?

I only have a 39-25 lowest gear at the moment, and am wondering whether I will get away with it.

I am guessing that I will need to get a bigger cassette. Don't want to spend much at the moment, so a compact is out of the question.
Graham O
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 670
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:52 am
Location: West Wickham

Postby huw williams » Tue May 15, 2007 2:29 pm

Nothing to worry about - the Devils elbow climb is gone this year and there's nothing else as steep on the ride.

It's a case of long (and I mean long) draggy climbs rather than ToSH type steep climbs

You'd get away with it but I'd suggest a 27 on the back if you're not going for a compact. Would make things lessy fraught second time up the Bwlch

H
User avatar
huw williams
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 12:17 pm
Location: Somewhere above Niagra Falls

Postby Graham O » Tue May 15, 2007 4:32 pm

Huw,

That doesn't sound too bad...

I went up Ditchling Beacon on the 39-25 a couple of weeks ago and that was reasonably hard, but was doable. I think that Ditchling is 1 in 10 in places.

I guess that bylch will be longer. Would you sat that it is steeper than Ditchling ?

Cheers,

Graham..
Graham O
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 670
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:52 am
Location: West Wickham

Postby huw williams » Tue May 15, 2007 4:49 pm

Its not as steep as Ditchling - but you only went up Ditchling once - Now, imagine if you'd had to ride five Ditchlings how your legs would have felt on the fifth one. The cummulative effects of climbing hill after hill on a 39/25 will be completely different to spinning faster on a compact or at least a 39/27

In short, after six hours of riding up hills in a big gear your legs are far more likely to be complaining than if you'd spun a lower gear faster

But each to his own - there are plenty of riders out there who'll be riding a 25 or even a 23!!! If that's what you're comfortable with stick to it - just remember, having a 27 doesn't mean you HAVE to use it - but it might just come in handy if you've got nothing much in your legs late on.
User avatar
huw williams
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 12:17 pm
Location: Somewhere above Niagra Falls

Postby Graham O » Tue May 15, 2007 5:07 pm

Nuff Said...12-27 Ordered
Graham O
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 670
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:52 am
Location: West Wickham

Postby Sylv » Tue May 15, 2007 5:35 pm

Huw what about going up the Ventoux on a 34*17 mtb?
User avatar
Sylv
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 5742
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:40 pm
Location: londinium, lugdunum

Postby huw williams » Tue May 15, 2007 5:36 pm

Yeah but you only weigh 30 kilos :-)
User avatar
huw williams
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 12:17 pm
Location: Somewhere above Niagra Falls

Postby Sylv » Tue May 15, 2007 5:45 pm

That'll be my only gear anyway so I won't get the choice ... (apart from doing it fixed or freewheeled as I have a reversile hub) :D
User avatar
Sylv
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 5742
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:40 pm
Location: londinium, lugdunum

Postby Ian A4size » Tue May 15, 2007 6:06 pm

thats about the same as 39*19, not for me- i used a 39*26 and sweated an awful lot :wink:
Ian A4size
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 1525
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 8:12 pm
Location: Redhill

Postby mrP(Boonen)VT » Wed May 16, 2007 8:41 am

I do all my riding round the flatlands of the South with 39*23, and Ditchling is not a problem, albeit a bit slow.

BUt visiting the Alps, went 1st time with 39*26 - then next time 39*28, and finally fitted a triple :wink: The difference is amazing by keeping a higher cadence, speed is a bit slower, but the effort required based on heart rate alone is much less.
Guru P
User avatar
mrP(Boonen)VT
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 4430
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:10 pm
Location: kitchen chair

Postby -Adam- » Wed May 16, 2007 12:26 pm

I was wondering about gears for the alps... should i take it as a given that a 39x25 is going to hurt then? Was thinking about getting a 39x27, but didn't really want to spend £40 for the sake of one extra sprocket!
User avatar
-Adam-
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 3515
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:38 pm
Location: Kingston/Epsom, well, everywhere really!

Postby mrP(Boonen)VT » Wed May 16, 2007 12:27 pm

Do Shimano charge THAT much :lol: :lol:
Guru P
User avatar
mrP(Boonen)VT
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 4430
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:10 pm
Location: kitchen chair

Postby -Adam- » Wed May 16, 2007 12:29 pm

Still probably half the price of Campag :wink:
User avatar
-Adam-
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 3515
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:38 pm
Location: Kingston/Epsom, well, everywhere really!

Postby mrP(Boonen)VT » Wed May 16, 2007 12:31 pm

[quote]39x25 is going to hurt then?


You would get round and be able get up the climbs but you would suffer like ******.

It is a good idea to have a get out of jail sprocket when you get really tired, and are faced with a steady grind of 20k at 5%.
Guru P
User avatar
mrP(Boonen)VT
lives on this board 24/7!!!
 
Posts: 4430
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 9:10 pm
Location: kitchen chair

Postby SimonJOsborne » Wed May 16, 2007 12:36 pm

Is a get out of jail sprocket favourable to a compact?
SimonJOsborne
...
 
Posts: 175
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:55 pm
Location: Shirley

Next

Return to General

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron