Gearing for hills

[Alun]

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/gear-news/david-millar-turns-to-hybrid-mtb-drivetrain/6733.html

To everyone who struggles up steep hills, I am reassured by this!

 

[Paulus]

If you had Millars largest 36 tooth sprocket, and a granny ring you would almost be able to cycle up a vertical wall. He was still using 52x42 chainrings though, and some of the climbs were brutal.

 

[mcshroom]

Comes up with a bottom gear of about 30-31". Lower than a lot of sportive riders, but he really couldn't get off and push in front of the cameras could he

 

[Angelfishsolo]

This concept has always made perfect sense to me. You surly get the best of both worlds if the front chainset is road specific and the rear MTB.

 

[cyberknight]

Makes perfect sense to me for mountain stages , although on flatter stages i think you need a closer ratio cassette to be able to respond to attacks whilst keeping in your preferred cadence band?

I know that mechanics can overcome the problems associated with the big difference between chain rings that causes chains to drop on compacts.

 

[iAmiAdam]

There's the hills that feature in UK sportives, then there's the volcano that they climbed in the Giro, twice in one day.

I'd want a much smaller bail out gear than that for a volcano tbh.

 

[fossyant]

Thing is you see them spinning up, mile after mile. The Italian climbs are steep and long, so you need to be able to spin.