How are you so fit?

[Deleted member 121159]

Most 'endurance' road bikes come with a 50/34 chainset and an 11-34 or 11-32 cassette. I run GRX so it's 46/30 and 11-34. I also experimented with 11-40 at the back with a cheapo 'Sunshine' cassette, and loved the easy gears. OK, to get to the point, how are you riding up steep hills (10-20% gradient) with only 34x34 or 34x32? I just can't wrap my head around it. Am I just terribly unfit?

 

[Willd]

Slowly , my lowest gear is 34x25 and a 14% hill today was hard work

 

[DCLane]

Practice.

I've moved to 52/36 and a 36 x 28 bottom gear but it's about getting a rhythm going.

 

[GuyBoden]

Front triple 22-32-42, rear Cassette 12-42.

Since I changed my gears, I've started to enjoy very slowly cycling up hills without getting too stressed, yes, it takes a long time to get up the hill, but I'm in no hurry, I'm just an old bloke who prefers enjoying the view.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I agree the stock gearing on most road bikes is a bit high for the majority of riders.

My old ten speed has a 42/28 bottom gear, and I can get up pretty much anything on it when I'm in good shape, if I've not done enough riding recently it is pretty painful though!

My touring bike has a 22/30 bottom gear which I love, though I do tend to wimp out and twiddle very slowly up hills as a result.

The 34/34 bottom gear common on a lot of bikes now is in pretty much slap bang in between these two extremes - for me it's fine most of the time, but there will be occasions (on longer rides, or if I'm just not on top form) where I'd wish for a couple of extra gears at the bottom end.

What boggles my mind much more is the top end of the gear ratios - who can honestly say they spin out a 52/11? I'd be perfectly happy with a 42/11 top gear, and even that wouldn't see much use.

 

[Reynard]

What's a hill?

 

[Ridgeway]

I only change to the small front ring above 10% gradients these days 🤣

 

[CXRAndy]

Most 'endurance' road bikes come with a 50/34 chainset and an 11-34 or 11-32 cassette. I run GRX so it's 46/30 and 11-34. I also experimented with 11-40 at the back with a cheapo 'Sunshine' cassette, and loved the easy gears. OK, to get to the point, how are you riding up steep hills (10-20% gradient) with only 34x34 or 34x32? I just can't wrap my head around it. Am I just terribly unfit?

I don't, I use a 26t chainring and upto 40t Cass. It's all about cadence, keeping the gear spinning. Only lightweight riders can use bigger gearing due to far superior Watts/kg of weight. Gear for easy spinning

 

[CXRAndy]

I only change to the small front ring above 10% gradients these days 🤣

You have a 800W motor😁

 

[StuAff]

50/34, 11-32 on the Litespeed & now Tripster, 50/39/30 & 11-32 on the Trek, 50/34 & 12-27 on the Viner. With hills to the north, west and south (IOW other side of the Solent), my options for long rides are either all trips to Brighton- further east, you guessed it, more hills- or learn how to climb. I went for option two.

 

[CXRAndy]

I've spun up a 48/11 setup at 154rpm on a 4% decline hit 53mph

 

[Deleted member 1258]

As a young rider I rode 52/42 with 14 - 24 on the back and could get up anything, now I'm on 48/34 and 12-28 and some hills are hard work.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

I agree the stock gearing on most road bikes is a bit high for the majority of riders.

My old ten speed has a 42/28 bottom gear, and I can get up pretty much anything on it when I'm in good shape, if I've not done enough riding recently it is pretty painful though!

My touring bike has a 22/30 bottom gear which I love, though I do tend to wimp out and twiddle very slowly up hills as a result.

The 34/34 bottom gear common on a lot of bikes now is in pretty much slap bang in between these two extremes - for me it's fine most of the time, but there will be occasions (on longer rides, or if I'm just not on top form) where I'd wish for a couple of extra gears at the bottom end.

What boggles my mind much more is the top end of the gear ratios - who can honestly say they spin out a 52/11? I'd be perfectly happy with a 42/11 top gear, and even that wouldn't see much use.

Yep, I rarely even use my 46/11. I like country lanes, they are too narrow and windy for any speed.

Honestly, my ideal gears would be something like 44/26 with 12-36. It annoys me that for some reason this does not exist as a stock option (even though I think it'd suit quite a lot of people). I blame people like DCLane and Ridgeway who must have an electric motor built into their legs.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Because I’m Hercules reincarnated

 

[Smokin Joe]

Steepest hill I've climbed was 25% and that was on 36/25. I was in my mid fifties at the time, I couldn't do it now no matter how low a gear I used.