Using 36-28 on RAID Pyrenean

outfox

Would using 36-28 on the Raid Pyrenean (or any other mountainous Euro trek) bring a world of pain? Is it doable?

Muller_1

I spent a week cycling in the Pyrenees last year and change from 52-36 chain rings to 50-34 and glad I did!

ford2600

outfox wrote: »

Would using 36-28 on the Raid Pyrenean (or any other mountainous Euro trek) bring a world of pain? Is it doable?

I don't think the guy to whom it wouldn't be a world of pain would be opening a thread about it...

With a support company looking after and hauling your gear or a solo/team expedition ?

If doing it in 100 hrs, you'll probably be tackiling this or similar half way through a hard day in 30C

Edit: If doing west to east, segment below will come about 100km into a 135km day including ColD'Aubisque, Col D'Solour & Col D'Marie Blanque before it

https://www.strava.com/segments/5170240?filter=overall

I'm not much of a climber but was glad of 34/30 on sections, including the 11% average last 1km. I was after a pretty brutal few days in Spain/France and come day 3/4 you'll probably be pretty fatigued to

Look up @Velopeleton if doing solo, he knows Pyrenees like you know your back garden and has mapped a safer quite route; some of the official sections are quite dangerous I believe.

If doing solo, you can travel quite light. If you posted your gear to final destination you could probably manage with a 5kg cargo. Set up here is about 10kg with everything I had for about 8 days including the flight home! If I was smarter I could have dropped the weight to about 8kg in truth
https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/548819/358422.jpg

fat bloke

Depends on your fitness of course. But I would say you'd be better off with a broader range of low gears. There's nothing worse than clicking into your default lowest gear at the foot of a climb and having no other gear choice for the next three hours.

It's always nice to have a spread of low gears so you can get vary your cadence and mix it up a bit, take a break in a granny gear for a bit, spin it like crazy if you feel, and click up a few to get out of the saddle for a bit and stretch out the legs and back.

outfox

Thanks for the replies. It's a supported trip, so we'll be travelling light. Trying to decide at the moment which bike to bring. Was intending to bring a light carbon bike with semi-compact and 28-11. I'm starting to have second thoughts now, having read some RAID blogs. I have 2 other bikes with more climb-oriented gearing, but they are not as light. Me head is wrecked. Is low gearing better than bike weight for this sort of thing?

ford2600

outfox wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. It's a supported trip, so we'll be travelling light. Trying to decide at the moment which bike to bring. Was intending to bring a light carbon bike with semi-compact and 28-11. I'm starting to have second thoughts now, having read some RAID blogs. I have 2 other bikes with more climb-oriented gearing, but they are not as light. Me head is wrecked. Is low gearing better than bike weight for this sort of thing?

https://www.rosebikes.com/article/shimano-105-rd-5800-rear-derailleur/aid:738812
https://www.rosebikes.com/article/shimano-105-cs-5800-11-speed-hg-ev-cassette/aid:738896

Sign up for newsletter and your done for 70. 36/32 is a low gear

fat bloke

outfox wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. It's a supported trip, so we'll be travelling light. Trying to decide at the moment which bike to bring. Was intending to bring a light carbon bike with semi-compact and 28-11. I'm starting to have second thoughts now, having read some RAID blogs. I have 2 other bikes with more climb-oriented gearing, but they are not as light. Me head is wrecked. Is low gearing better than bike weight for this sort of thing?

I'm kind of in the same boat. Heading to the alps for a family holiday and intend getting my gearing changed.

Depends on how heavy your light bike is but, yes lighter better bike is the way to go for sure.

I reckon I'll pick up a 2nd hand tiagra or 105 crankset and a new cassette. You could always sell the chainset after coming home again

NeedMoreGears

It all depends on how strong you are I suppose. I've used 34/28, 34/30 and 34/32 on these types of trips. 34/32 was great on some of the long tough climbs (e.g. alpe d'huez) - especially after a few days in the saddle. I found I could climb faster with the 32 on the back due to my puny leg strength. Could you get a 32 on the back with your 36 upfront? An 11-32 tiagra is reasonably priced if memory serves.

outfox

I might be able to get a cassette with a 29 or 30 cog on the back without changing the RD. I'm not sure tho. It's a short cage DuraAce RD, and I'm not sure what's the largest cog it will accommodate.
I have a winter bike with a 34-32 combo, and am in the process of building up a bike with a 36-30 combo, but both are at least 1 kg heavier than the first bike.

uphillonly

I had a 36-28 (semi-compact) on my then new bike. First hairpin up Alpe d'Huez and cadence was much too low for me. I like to spin rather than grind up hills (85-95rpm). Switched the cassette to a 11-32.

This is a lower gear ratio than if I'd changed the chainring to a 34 and had 34-28.

Having done the Raid Pyrenean (great ride, enjoy), I'd recommend the 32 cassette so you can spin away on all those gorgeous long climbs. Lower gearing would be more beneficial than a marginally lighter bike when you are climbing for an hour or two. Many of the Pro peleton run low gearing and even 32 cassettes occassionaly for the Grand Tours as they like to keep a high cadence, so it's not just a question of leg strength.

One thing to note, depending on your rear derailleur you may need to change from short cage to medium cage if you increase the cassette from 28 to 32. It was recommend for Shimano Ultegra Di2. I didn't & it worked fine for a couple of months & then the derailleur sheared off. It might have been due to this or a small knock. I replaced it with medium cage.

diarmaidol

Gears ... Better to be looking at them than for them going up a mountain.

Hmmzis

A 36/32 combo should be grand even on a short cage derailer. If the Tourmalet won't break your knees (after you've done the Aubisque in the morning) then Port d'Aspet with its 16% ramps will. Oh, and you still have the seemingly endless Col du Pailheres the day after. It was great fun though, even if the weather wasn't exactly 30°C and sunshine.

Would love to go back but with a different format, certainly with no monster 180km days or even 150km ones. Something in the 90 - 120km range would be perfect with about 5h on the bike and some wind down time in the evenings.

outfox

Good advice there. Looks like a semi-compact with 28 at the rear is definitely out then. If I can get a 30 on the back with the semi-compact, I'll go with that. The rest of the crew are running compacts with a 28 on the back, so we should all be about the same if I have a 36-30 set up.

OleRodrigo

I've entered the ' le1000duSud ', 18 000m elevation, 1000km / 70 hours, in August and will be taking a compact with a 13/ 27 campag cassette. Bike will be about 8.5 kilos with 3 kilos of bits and bobs. Am planning to lose about 6 kilos in weight.

ford2600

OleRodrigo wrote: »

I've entered the ' le1000duSud ', 18 000m elevation, 1000km / 70 hours, in August and will be taking a compact with a 13/ 27 campag cassette. Bike will be about 8.5 kilos with 3 kilos of bits and bobs. Am planning to lose about 6 kilos in weight.

WARNING LABEL: FIXIE RIDER IN THE HOUSE
😀
Enjoy looks like a brilliant event

outfox

Ya lunatic, OleRodrigo!
Looks class tho.