50-34 crankset 12-28 Cassette

[Cjw1997]

Hi everyone
Im relativley new to cycling and just purchased my first road bike. It comes with a shimano tiagra 50-34 12-28 set up. The bike is going to be used to commute to work which involves a 15-20% short climb. Will the set up that is already on the bike be suitable to climb this hill? Has anyone else got the same set up and how do you find climbing hills? Is it adequate for the steeper climbs or is a different cassette required.
thanks in advance

 

[Sharky]

You should be fine. A 1 in 5 climb will always hurt, but if you are in your twenties, you should have the strength to haul yourself up. Walking a few yards is no shame either, something that I occasionally do, but you will soon master it.

 

[Grant Fondo]

No sweat! 34-28 will be fine.

 

[NotAsGoodAsMyBike]

I have that set up on my bike. Never needed to walk up a hill (even when at my least-fit when medical issues prevented regular cycling and my weight increased to c17 stone). That said, I doubt I was attempting 20% hills. No shame in walking for a bit though.

Ian

 

[cyberknight]

It depends on how fit you are
You could always go for something bigger if you struggle assuming the rear derailleur is long cage ?, my 1st road bike had an 11-32 on it and i could ride up a cliff on it !

 

[vickster]

It depends on how fit you are
You could always go for something bigger if you struggle assuming the rear derailleur is long cage ?, my 1st road bike had an 11-32 on it and i could ride up a cliff on it !

And how heavy to some extent

 

[Globalti]

You can fit an 11-30 cassette and might even get away with an 11-32.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

If you can't get up the hill on 34*28 keep riding it till you can.

That's how cycling works.

 

[ChrisEyles]

34/28 will be fine and is a relatively low gear for a road bike, though it might take a few weeks of cycling up the hill for it to become "comfortable".

FWIW I ride a 1960s ten speed with a 42/28 bottom gear, and while it's hard work I can get up a 1:5 gradient with too much hassle, if I've been riding a fair bit recently. If I'm not bike fit, it can be pretty painful!

My tourer has a bottom gear of 24/30, and that will climb anything carrying bike packing gear. Having the option of so low a gear does mean I tend to be a lot slower on this bike up the hills, as my natural tendency is to be lazy - the ten speed just doesn't give me this option.

 

[MontyVeda]

If you can't get up the hill on 34*28 keep riding it till you can.

That's how cycling works.

This.

My old Cumbrian commute was 5 hilly miles. At first it took me 25 mins and I dropped down to the little 22t ring on most hills... after a few months it took little over 15 mins and the 22t ring was obsolete.

 

[ianrauk]

With any combo you're going to struggle on a 20%er

 

[HLaB]

You'll be fine with that gearing, it might not seem that way at first (depending on your cycling fitness etc) but it'll climb mountains. Good luck

 

[SpokeyDokey]

20% is very steep. Not sure how short 'short' is in your original post. If short is 10 metres () you'll be fine but, as a relative newcomer to cycling, even if it's only a couple of hundred metres you'll struggle, it will hurt, you might end up going so slow you could topple off and you could injure your eg knees, back etc with the effort of peddling. Not worth it imo.

Put a cassette with a 34 on the back and you will be in a much happier place although if the climb is genuinely 20% it will always prove to be a pig.

 

[Dogtrousers]

20%? How long does the 20% bit last?

Suck it and see. I know I couldn't get up a 20% climb on that ratio, but there are plenty of posters above (much fitter than me obvs) who don't regard it as a problem. Depends on you.

You can always walk that bit. Or maybe redesign your route.

If I were you I'd be doing sums and looking up derailleur capacities to see if I could fit different cassette with a bigger largest sprocket (whispers ... 34T) But I'm not you.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If you can't get up the hill on 34*28 keep riding it till you can.

That's how cycling works.

If you can't get up the hill on 24/28 keep fitting and re-fitting lower gears until you can.

That's how cycling works for me.