I think i've made a mistake with the gears

[Accy cyclist]

I bought a new bike 5 weeks ago after debating which one to buy for ages. I like the bike apart from the gearing. I wanted a triple chainset(as i've often stated before), but the bloke in the shop talked me into buying something else. It only has two rings on the front and as i look at it, it says BCD 110 50-34 on the ring. The trouble is it can't climb like my old triples can. I attempted a seriously steep hill yesterday

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ochO3Ue5DIA
. I've managed it granted with a lot of effort, before, but yesterday i gave up. In fact finding a low gear to get back on and attempt it again was impossible! I walked the rest of the hill feeling a right idiot as some other cyclists passed me.
I'm thinking of either cutting my losses and selling the bike or asking the shop to fit a triple chainset. I've never overused the "granny ring" in the past. but it's always been nice to know it's there in times of need. Now i feel that i have no backup!
Any suggestions or advice? Cut my losses and sell, or persevere with it?

 

[raleighnut]

Stick a triple on.

 

[steveindenmark]

First off I would not go back to the same bike shop. They really saw you coming and took advantage of you.

Im the same as you, I like to have a granny ring to fall back on. I would go to another bike shop to see if a granny ring can be fitted. If it can, then do it. If you sell it now you will not get your money back. If you persevere with it, you will never be satisfied with it.

Just out of curiosity, what bike is it?

 

[Accy cyclist]

What numbers on the cassette?

C3 C2 C1 JC JB is all i can see. I don't know if this helps?

 

[derrick]

Go back to shop and explain the situation, If it's a half descent shop they will sort it out. No one saw you coming. Just a guy trying to be helpful.

 

[Accy cyclist]

First off I would not go back to the same bike shop. They really saw you coming and took advantage of you.

Im the same as you, I like to have a granny ring to fall back on. I would go to another bike shop to see if a granny ring can be fitted. If it can, then do it. If you sell it now you will not get your money back. If you persevere with it, you will never be satisfied with it.

Just out of curiosity, what bike is it?

I bought it from Pendle Bikes Padiham Lancashire. It's not a mass produced bike so i can't send a link to show more detail, It's a kind of a cyclo cross audax bike with cantilever brakes. I must admit, i did buy it on a impulse.

 

[oldroadman]

Before giving up and going triple, take a look at changing cassette sprockets. Shimano go down to 34 I think, Campag to 29. So if you are on Shimano, 34x34 is surely as low as you need to go? One thing to check, chain length, and the wise range may mean a different rear mech. But with a triple that would both be needed anyway due to the large differences. 34/50 = 16 teeth, 12/34 = 22 teeth, total range 38, and probably a long arm rear mech (or MTB one). Just a thought, if lower gears are needed, why not tidy the range up by using a 14 sprocket instead of a 12, it just makes things all a bit more manageable. Like others, I think the retailer has "persuaded" you a bit, and should sort things out for you. Tell 'em the old road man who might know a few things said so (I'm sure they'll be impressed - not!).
Now it's stopped raining so I'm off out to get a wet bum!

 

[Gravity Aided]

I would think something like that would have a triple, but not much to prevent modification.

 

[Accy cyclist]

[QUOTE 3881272, member: 9609"]how many teeth are on the big sprocket on your cassette ?[/QUOTE]

25

 

[ColinJ]

C3 C2 C1 JC JB is all i can see. I don't know if this helps?

Better to count the teeth on the sprockets!

I am a fan of triples in these hilly parts. I struggled with the 53/39 on my CAAD5 road bike for years before doing what I should have done in the first place and replacing it with a 48/38/28 triple. I wore the chainrings out and replaced them recently with an even more hill-friendly 48/36/28 which is lovely. I can get up most short steep climbs in the 36/23 or 36/26, but for the really nasty hills such as Whalley Nab I have 28/23, 28/26 and 28/29 at my disposal.

Funnily enough, Whalley Nab is one of the few tough climbs round here that I have not ridden up yet. I organise a lot of forum rides from Whalley and was thinking of adding that climb as an optional extra towards the end of the ride! (We start and finish from Spring Wood above Whalley so it wouldn't involve much of a detour.)

I also fancy doing Birdy Brow on nearby Longridge Fell which is another toughie not yet tackled.

 

[ColinJ]

You could keep the chainset and go for a bigger cassette instead. I have just put an 11-36 MTB cassette on my CX bike, but had to change the rear mech. to accommodate it.

 

[Banjo]

Dont sell the bike you can almost definitely achieve same ratios with a compact double which is what you have.

Look closely at your rear gear cassette and the largest ring on it.either count the teeth or look for a number stamped on the cog.the larger that cog is the lower (easier) thegear.

Ask bike shop to change the cassette for a larger one.

A 32 tooth cog will give you similar to most triples a 34 will enable you to climb everest.

You will need a new chain and possibly a new derailleur.tell the shop you want a good discount on these as basically the bike was mis sold to you .

Sell the old bits on ebay as barely used or ask shop to take them as a trade in deal.

 

[downfader]

Depending on the gradient I have ridden up some pretty steep hills down here (not for the same distance mind!) on a double 50/34 with 12-28 on the rear sprocket. Each number denotes the number of teeth on the cog

Depending on your bike you could fit a triple or change the rear sprocket to go up a few teeth, but it being a new bike I think you should probably go back and discuss what you intended to do with the bike and ask if they can exchange. Seems a waste of money/effort to change parts that soon on a new bike.

 

[andytheflyer]

That's the very reason I switched to a MTB - I've got a number of great rides in the Yorkshire Dales that I just can't do on my road bike. I used to be able to do Buttertubs on 40x25 but now its 22x34.....tempus fugit

As age has increased, I find I need progressively lower gears - I've recently been to the Dales and fitted a 12-36 cassette with a long rear mech to my Defy triple (50/38/30) before I went - it all works fine and I can just get up a road with a single arrow (!) so 1 in 5 to 1 in 7), but no chance on a 1 in 4 (25%) like Keld to Tan Hill. So glad to see @User14044 has a 22 up front - as I've just ordered a 26T granny ring to give me a bit more climbing ability!

Have a look at Sheldon Brown for his gear calculator and have a play with that with the rings and cassette you currently have. Then you can try out some changes - but with the compact double up front you'll be limited - and going more than about 28T on the back will probably mean a new RD mech (I changed from a road mech to an MTB XT Shadow mech). Triple up front is the answer keeping to about a 50T and a 40T, but with a much smaller granny ring for the really hard bits.

Despite lots of miles, I am frightened by how much harder hills seem to be getting these days.....

 

[Accy cyclist]

So if i bought one of these would it be compatible with the rear cassette?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...TVtwfzzlcVfgdAp8XCvOAaAjzX8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds