What is going on here.

[taximan]

I am 68 years of age and I was getting so frustrated not being able to climb some of the bigger hills in the North Yorkshire Moors where I do almost all my cycling. I changed the triple chainwheel from 48-38-28 to 44-34-24 to give me a lower set of gears, and I have to say that it has helped immensely, I am now climbing hills that I couldn't even think about last year. I fully expected that my overall average speed would be less but to my amazement it has actually increased by about 2mph. Are we all riding around on bikes with higher gear ratios than we need or is something else going on.

 

[paul04]

I have been riding my bike for a year now, and when I 1st started I could not get up half the hills around where I live
One of the hills is a 1 in 6.
I've not touch the gear ratio, but just kept on putting the miles in, trying different tactics on the hills,
1st going in the granny ring with gearing at 39/26

over time my legs have got stronger and overall fitness has improved
now I can get up every hill near me, even the 1 in 6 hill in the outer gear (52/26)

 

[numbnuts]

I'm younger than you at 62 and I'm not a great climber at all due to emphysema but I refuse to get off and walk, my set up now is 48,36,22 and 11-34 some of the hills I climb is at only 3.8 mph, but I'm getting there

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Taximan, everywhere near Whitby is a hill

Are you spinning more than grinding on the new ratio's and the cadence increase upping your average?

 

[Globalti]

You're getting fitter. Simples.