Gears for hills

[redhen]

Thanks so much to everyone who has replied, the information has been really useful. It looks like I will go for the Liv which I’m happy about as it was the one I preferred.
In reply to MichaelW2 the bike models are:

https://www.liv-cycling.com/gb/rove-3

and

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...bikes/dual-sport/dual-sport-2-womens/p/32890/

 

[sasquath]

Not sure if you have the same meaning for 'spin ' as most do. It generally means high cadence, low torque.

Even if it's a 28, 46x28 at 5mph gives a cadence of just 39rpm.

By any definition, that's grinding rather than spinning. Which is absolutely fine, if that's how you like to do your hills.

It's a very high gear.

View attachment 610025

Me noob assumed spining is not standing of the saddle .
Idk but when I tried high cadence riding(90rpm) I ended up finding my max heart rate(180bpm) under speed/load conditions that normally see ~150bpm with 70 rpm cadence. Riddle me this.
I'm not negating high cadence methology, just can't get it to work for me.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Me noob assumed spining is not standing of the saddle .
Idk but when I tried high cadence riding(90rpm) I ended up finding my max heart rate(180bpm) under speed/load conditions that normally see ~150bpm with 70 rpm cadence. Riddle me this.
I'm not negating high cadence methology, just can't get it to work for me.

Ah, so what you mean by "spinning" is what I would use "seated" to describe.

Out of the saddle I would describe as "honking", your technique as "grinding"

Of course, others may use entirely different words!

I'm, like you, a bit of a grinder. Others I cycle with tend to be at higher cadence.

But your 46x28 for a10% hill is exceptional, I think.

Maybe a new thread is needed on adjectives for hill climbing techniques?

Or maybe just more apps - as well as Grindr, we should also have Spinr and Honkr!

 

[neil_merseyside]

On the other side of the hill Trek will allow to break 40Mph speed limits with 48/11 gearing. I spin out at 39Mph on 46/11

I'm as unfit as it gets after 5 years of sitting on my ass. As you get, what about real humans?
Steepest hill I could find is very short 15%.
46 front 36 rear was enough without standing up, on longer run I would probably drop to 30/28. I'd need oxygen and defib

Key to hills is pacing yourself, attack it too ambitious and you end up walking, no matter the gearing.
My local 1 mile long 10% hill i can spin up on 46/23(or 28 can't remember) at steady 5 mph.
First attempt at 6 mph resulted in unplanned break in the middle of it, same gear, different approach.

And I'm 92kg at 6'3" so technically 6-8 kg overweight.

It is totally unrealistic and demoralising giving any numbers as everyone is just so different.
I really can't cope/hate/dislike/whatever riding up what I call hills on my Spa now it's on 34/34 gearing (it was so much nicer at 34/42) and as I'm 80kg and 6'3" I'm not even overweight like you either - so perhaps I'm just under-powered, or lazy, or maybe just different, anyone else might just be daunted reading this and are just struggling as beginners or like me (insert what you think), so your 'humble brag' (and so very, very humble compared to Wiggins/Hoy/Froome etc ignoring any TUE's) or indeed most 'club riders' I know, but that doesn't help being demeaned does it?
I ride 10,000km @ 20kph a year (my humble brag?) so it's not like I'm starting out, it's just I realise we are all different and should encourage people and not make anyone feel inadequate by using figures that don't actually relate to anyone other than the person recording them.

 

[Alex321]

It is totally unrealistic and demoralising giving any numbers as everyone is just so different.
I really can't cope/hate/dislike/whatever riding up what I call hills on my Spa now it's on 34/34 gearing (it was so much nicer at 34/42) and as I'm 80kg and 6'3" I'm not even overweight like you either - so perhaps I'm just under-powered, or lazy, or maybe just different, anyone else might just be daunted reading this and are just struggling as beginners or like me (insert what you think), so your 'humble brag' (and so very, very humble compared to Wiggins/Hoy/Froome etc ignoring any TUE's) or indeed most 'club riders' I know, but that doesn't help being demeaned does it?
I ride 10,000km @ 20kph a year (my humble brag?) so it's not like I'm starting out, it's just I realise we are all different and should encourage people and not make anyone feel inadequate by using figures that don't actually relate to anyone other than the person recording them.

The first line was enough.

The rest was just being nasty for the sake of it.

 

[neil_merseyside]

The first line was enough.

The rest was just being nasty for the sake of it.

But he started it 😄

 

[cougie uk]

Do you really need the suspension fork ? You'll save a lot of weight with a rigid fork instead.

 

[CXRAndy]

Me noob assumed spining is not standing of the saddle .
Idk but when I tried high cadence riding(90rpm) I ended up finding my max heart rate(180bpm) under speed/load conditions that normally see ~150bpm with 70 rpm cadence. Riddle me this.
I'm not negating high cadence methology, just can't get it to work for me.

Your cardiovascular system isn't yet optimised. More low intensity, high cadence, building up endurance. I spent a whole winter indoor training to increase my cadence. I have done 2.5hrs spinning at low Watts at over 90rpm, going up to 120rpm for 5-10min blocks. Don't get me wrong, I'm less than average joe when it comes to climbing hills. At my lightest, Ive weighed 92KG and easily can be 100Kg, so getting the correct gearing to climb long hills(mountains) is vital.

I've seen stronger, younger, lighter men literally get off on mountain climbs because they've turned up with their race bike shod with 53/39 11-28 gearing. I remember one chap who had that setup and couldn't get up the Glandon after a long day in the saddle, got in the support van, absolutely knackered legs.

In desperation he spent £1k at the local bike shop for a 50/34 crankset and 11-32 cassette. The next day he sailed up the Galibier

 

[Alex321]

Me noob assumed spining is not standing of the saddle .
Idk but when I tried high cadence riding(90rpm) I ended up finding my max heart rate(180bpm) under speed/load conditions that normally see ~150bpm with 70 rpm cadence. Riddle me this.
I'm not negating high cadence methology, just can't get it to work for me.

Everybody has a different "sweet spot" when it comes to cadence, but you can train it to be higher.

When I got back into cycling about 18 months ago, anything above about 65 felt awfully high, but the more I rode, the higher I found I could reasonably do, and now 70 is definitely grinding. I usually now average somewhere around 80-85 over a full ride, with peaks over 95.

But you need to find what is comfortable for you, and only increase it gradually, if at all. You certainly don't need to be averaging 90rpm, but in general, the highest cadence you can comfortably maintain will be the easiest way to ride at decent speed for a reasonable distance.

39 would be exceptionally low for most people though, and will be much harder work on a hill than a lower gear with a somewhat higher cadence (if you have any lower gears). Anything much below 70 now, and personally, I want to be getting out of the saddle.

 

[sasquath]

To all offended by my "brag":
My point was to highlight fact that gearing is as important as pacing yourself.
@CXRAndy thanks for your insight.

 

[T4tomo]

Going back to the OP as opposed to the willy waving and not particularly helpful "I'm a bloke and can climb a hill in this gear....." which is irrelevant to the OP

Do you really need the suspension fork ? You'll save a lot of weight with a rigid fork instead.

.....this was my thought too. Are you going off road a lot? If not then I'd look at a hybrid with a rigid fork, it will save you 3kg or so and make it much easier up hills and still be fine for gravel paths, canal towpath etc as it has quite wise tyres but not draggy knobbly ones, and then keep your existing hybrid with a suspension fork for any really rough stuff.

something like the Alight disc in the Liv range?
e.g.
https://www.liv-cycling.com/gb/alight-2-disc

 

[redhen]

Thanks again everyone, I originally looked at the Alight 3 DD but it seems to be a similar weight and the quality of parts seems to be better on the Rove, the forks are lockable on the Rove.

 

[T4tomo]

Thanks again everyone, I originally looked at the Alight 3 DD but it seems to be a similar weight and the quality of parts seems to be better on the Rove, the forks are lockable on the Rove.

Id have a look in a shop if possible. The Alight will be significantly lighter as cheap end suspension forks weigh a lot. lockable is good as it saves bouncing against your pedalling on the road, but you still have to lug the weight up the inclines.