Planning a few rides in CO. Looking for some tips.

Probably the biggest question is gearing for Pikes Peak. Right now I am set with a 46-36 and 11-28 cyclocross set up. Been considering trying to squeeze an 11-32 in just for this trip. It may or may not work.

My question is, should I bother?

Thanks

The most important factor is your fitness level. I rode Ride the Rockies last month - saw guys pushing standard cranks with tiny cassettes...

I think you'll be rubbing pulleys if you try to jam a 11-32 cassette in there if the bike wasn't set up with a rear derailleur meant for that big a cassette.

That being said, everything is easier with lower gears, so if you can make it work, I'd say do it. Pike's is a pretty long climb with some steep sections even though the average grade is 6.5%

I've been considering adding a 32. Altitude riding is a completely different animal. Go slow to start and conserve where you can. Have fun.

Better to have a extra gear and not need it I say. Sounds like a sufferfest regardless, enjoy your stay.

I run a compact crank (50-34) and bike had a 11-28 cassette on it. I put a 11-32 on it for the long/steeper climbs (+10%). That got me to almost 1:1 for lowest gear. I had to swap my rear derailleur from short to long to accommodate the bigger cassette. Check your chain length for the bigger gear. You will have some long steep sections +12% and will be standing alot with a 36-28, depending your fitness.

We get our fair share of steep, technical climbs here in Virginia especially when getting off of paved roads. There are several hundred miles of gravel roads in my area, none of which are flat. A couple of ideas to consider based on some (sometimes painful) personal experience:

1) If you're running a 10 speed Shimano bike, you can fit a 9 speed mountain rear derailleur and run up to an 11-36t M771 10 speed cassette. I'm running an 11-34t right now on my gravel bike and it is great to have the range.

2) 11-32t is possible with some medium cage rear derailleurs. SRAM will handle it no problem -- my girlfriend runs this all the time with great success. On a Shimano road medium cage rear derailleur, it's hit or miss and you may have to install a longer B-tension screw to avoid your pulley hitting your cassette.

3) Consider getting a 34t front small chainring. Swapping it roughly as as easy as swapping a cassette, and the tools to do it are cheaper.

4) On climbs like what you describe, I find that the "sum of incrementals" matters quite a bit. Things like tire rolling resistance, how stiff are your shoes, the weight of your wheels, how good is your chain lube, etc. all add up to make the ride more or less painful. It's not going to revolutionize your riding unless you're coming from something 10+ years old, but it's nice to know your equipment isn't working against you. And especially if you're going to be riding for a while, a through tune-up and clean of your bike may be worth an extra few watts.

Good luck and take photos at the top!

quote:

Originally posted by 2012BOSS302:
You will have some long steep sections +12% and will be standing alot with a 36-28, depending your fitness.

That is my concern, getting out of the saddle too much at altitude, I think I will run empty fast.

I am going to try the fit of a 32, if it doesn't fit it is either a new RD or I just reap it and take my time. I am not in a race, just want to make it in a reasonable amount of time.

quote:

Originally posted by was0311:
That is my concern, getting out of the saddle too much at altitude, I think I will run empty fast.

Yea, once you get past 9K' is a whole new ball game.

How about squeezing an M2 oxygen tank for some extra help? It's the same size as a water bottle

On a more serious note, how are your brakes for the ride down?

The cyclist was an ass. But, the driver was an asshole.

I'd probably leave that cassette alone, but change the crankset to compact. Downsized rings would be the ticket to help keep you in the saddle.

My usual "training ride" has about 150 feet in ten miles (no, that's not a typo... it's really that flat.)

Last month I rode a half-century with around 2800 feet of climbing. Even without the Colorado-esque altitudes, I was beat (spent WAY too much time out of the saddle and ran through the glycogen reserves pretty quickly... comedy of errors all around.)
Within twelve hours of finishing, I was changing out to a 12-34 (from 11-28) rear cassette and a 32 small chainring in front.

The right equipment won't substitute for acclimatization and training, but it sure makes that training more do-able.

Never ridden in the mountains, but I've driven Pikes Peak twice. I offer this suggestion: be sure your brakes are up to snuff. If your rims are worn you might want to replace them so they handle heat better if using rim brakes.

In Utah, with 7-10,000 ft roads pretty common, I am using a 52/34 and 11-36 on my training bike.

I might not use that gearing in a race, but my powermeters show that it really doesn't make that much difference when going up steep, long hills. You can grind it or spin it, and it is nice to be able to spin sometimes.

I had to "customize" my setup to get a 36 to work on a road bike, but my only point is use the lowest you can get. Almost all the Shimano road setups will handle at least a 32.

How many Croms is it to climb Pikes Peak?

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
The cyclist was an ass. But, the driver was an asshole.

Just what do you think you're doing?

One more word from anyone in this thread about that locked thread, I will lock this one, too. Is that what you're trying to do?

Cut it out

I went to the top of Pike's Peak in June and didn't even get tired. No idea what the gear ratio is on the Cog Railway.

I don't think that sounds like fun on a bike, but admire your fitness level.

You didn't say what brand/model groupset you have, but if it's newish Shimano 10 or 11 speed, you will need the medium cage rear derailleur to use an 11/32 cassette, which would be a good choice. If you do have one of the newer Shimano groups, you can also easily swap chainrings to any combination on the same spider. 52/36 mid-compact is a nice alternative to a regular compact (50/34), but with a 34/32 anyone in reasonable shape can climb just about anything.

quote:

Originally posted by caneau:
How about squeezing an M2 oxygen tank for some extra help? It's the same size as a water bottle

On a more serious note, how are your brakes for the ride down?

Ha. O2 had crossed my mind.

Brakes are good, got Discs, no plans to fly down a mountain.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
I'd probably leave that cassette alone, but change the crankset to compact. Downsized rings would be the ticket to help keep you in the saddle.

That was my original plan, can only go to a 34 without changing cranksets.

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:
You didn't say what brand/model groupset you have, but if it's newish Shimano 10 or 11 speed, you will need the medium cage rear derailleur to use an 11/32 cassette, which would be a good choice. If you do have one of the newer Shimano groups, you can also easily swap chainrings to any combination on the same spider. 52/36 mid-compact is a nice alternative to a regular compact (50/34), but with a 34/32 anyone in reasonable shape can climb just about anything.

11 speed short cage. That is where "may or may not work" part in the original post came from.

quote:

Originally posted by was0311:
11 speed short cage. That is where "may or may not work" part in the original post came from.

Here is the RD I put on when installing the 11-32. The short cage is listed for 28.

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano...00CABLFBK?th=1&psc=1