Gear ratios for touring

DualFrontDiscs

Hi,

The bike I'm going touring on has a triple with 53/42/30 and a 13-26 cassette.

Most of my touring previously was done on a Super Galaxy, which effectively had mountain bike gearing.

How much difference would a 13-29 cassette make?

I tend to spin rather than grind, so......

Any thoughts?

DFD

blorg

Depends on what sort of hills you are going to encounter, your fitness level and how heavily you load the bike. 13-29 is a Campagnolo cassette so presuming that is what you have on the bike? It wouldn't work with Shimano. The simple answer is that it will give you a 11.5% easier gear. I tour myself on 50/39/30 with a 12-27 on the back and that has got me up several cols in the Pyrenees without difficulty.

DualFrontDiscs

blorg wrote: »

Depends on what sort of hills you are going to encounter, your fitness level and how heavily you load the bike. 13-29 is a Campagnolo cassette so presuming that is what you have on the bike? It wouldn't work with Shimano. The simple answer is that it will give you a 11.5% easier gear. I tour myself on 50/39/30 with a 12-27 on the back and that has got me up several cols in the Pyrenees without difficulty.

Thanks for that. Yes it's Campagnolo. Bike will be carrying spare clothes, that's all. The grand tour is all four compass points of Ireland over the course of a week. Fitness level is questionable. Cycled a 160km day trip earlier in the summer, but it's just been small commuting since then, albeit on the trike.

DFD.

blorg

Depends on your route but if it is not that hilly you will probably be fine with the 26. On the other hand it is always better to have a gear and not need it than need it and not have it.

redmenace1

Blorg were you fully laden or light touring when you were in Pyrenees?
Would you mind elaborating on the racks/panniers set-up please?

blorg

I posted a thread about it here. I went up most the cols unladen or very lightly laden but the Soulor and Aubisque I was pretty fully laden as I was carrying my girlfriend's bags as well as my own. I tend to pack as lightly as possible, certainly under 10kg although you can double that with the second set of bags. Remember you can always pedal slower!

redmenace1

Nice bike Blorg - I have the same!! I did the Pyrenees coast to coast w/out panniers, its class.

Did you have any bother with your pannier/rack set-up?
Would you mind telling what type of rack you used. I went into my lbs & they were a bit whingy about putting rack on the bike but I reckon for the type of touring I have in mind it should be fine, especially if you had no mither in France.

thanks in advance

blorg

The rack is a Topeak Ultra Lite which I got specifically as it was light (400g) so wouldn't weigh the bike down too much when unladen. Never had any problems carrying as much stuff as I like on it, I have the same rack on my commuter.

Mystified as to why your bike shop would not put a rack on, it is after all a touring bike (Van Nicholas Amazon- right?) It is designed to take a rack and do loaded touring.

I am planning on doing the Raid Pyrénéen in the next month, may bring the Amazon but probably will go with my Litespeed road bike and carry the bare minimum in a large saddlebag.

redmenace1

[Mystified as to why your bike shop would not put a rack on, it is after all a touring bike (Van Nicholas Amazon- right?) It is designed to take a rack and do loaded touring.

Sorry re-read that, mine is the Zephyr not the Amazon. It doesn't have the lugs!:o