46-36 & letape Acte I

seve65

I currently have a compact chainset, 46-36 chain rings, and 12-25 rear cassette. 172.5 mm arms.

I am doing l'etape I next year, never having cycle upwards for that long without downhill breaks.

So was planning to switch to a 46-34 and 12-27.

Do we think that will make a noticeable difference ?

Cheers in advance

niceonetom

I'd certainly recommend 34x27 or 34x28 as your last gear.

I'd also pay attention to gearing at the other end - the descent from the top of the Galibier to Bourg is very, very long (and about as much fun as it is possible to have on a bike) and there are parts of it that are much faster if you can work in a group. With 46x12 you'll be spun out and left behind. 50x11 is good.

seve65

thanks niceoneT

would the front derailleur change up ok from 34 to 50 without any adjustment ?

niceonetom

seve65 wrote: »

thanks niceoneT

would the front derailleur change up ok from 34 to 50 without any adjustment ?

Depends on what derailleur you have. I think a standard ultegra (what I have) has a 15t capacity and will shift fine from 34 to 50. You'll probably need to adjust the derailleur height and fiddle with it a bit. It obviously won't be as snappy as you'd be used to with a 36/46 set-up, but on a mountain stage like that you do little enough front shifting. Once at the bottom of the hill, once at the top, and that's it except, of course, for your final upshift on the last hairpin of l'Alpe so you can give it everything through the village and finish, arms aloft, in glory...

seve65

cheers again, its a Shimano Tiagra Fd 4504, not sure what capicity that has. If its the same as the 4500 (which it looks like) then it should be 16T

2 Wheels Good

Doing the same, I was thinking of doing a similar post in the new year, currently running Ultegra with a 53-39 and 23-11.
Not too keen on spending the money on a triple so trying to figure out next best option.
If I've a 15t gap looks like i may need to swap out both front chainrings to get usable gearing.
34-50 seems a good balance alright. Haven't looked at the gradients properly yet to figure what's needed.

niceonetom

2 Wheels Good wrote: »

Doing the same, I was thinking of doing a similar post in the new year, currently running Ultegra with a 53-39 and 23-11.
Not too keen on spending the money on a triple so trying to figure out next best option.
If I've a 15t gap looks like i may need to swap out both front chainrings to get usable gearing.
34-50 seems a good balance alright. Haven't looked at the gradients properly yet to figure what's needed.

34-50 is the most common ratio on "compact" chainsets. You, 2 wheels, are unlikey to be able to achieve it by just buying chainrings. Your chainset almost certainly has a 130bcd which makes 39 (or 38) as small as you can go. If you want smaller gears than that, you'll need to buy a new chainset with a 110bcd. It would work with your current shifters and derailleurs and be a much simpler conversion than a triple.

I don't know how strong a climber you are, or what your experience of very long climbs is, but unless you are exceptionally good, a compact chainset would be better in the Alps.

You might look at the gradients and think you'll be ok because not much of the course is over 10% but it's not the gradient that's the problem, it's the duration. When you've been climbing for a solid hour 10% can feel like 20%.

lafors

I'll be doing it too. Have a 34-50, 12-27 which I'm hoping should be enough for me. Would like an 11 for the descents as niceonetom suggests but I might just stick with the 12, I LOVE descending so spinning out may just stop me from killing myself

Not planning on changing anything else on the bike except the brakepads before it......likely story

btw have you lads booked any accommodation for it yet?

seve65

lafors wrote: »

I'll be doing it too. Have a 34-50, 12-27 which I'm hoping should be enough for me. Would like an 11 for the descents as niceonetom suggests but I might just stick with the 12, I LOVE descending so spinning out may just stop me from killing myself

Not planning on changing anything else on the bike except the brakepads before it......likely story

btw have you lads booked any accommodation for it yet?

As its my first time, and one of the guys on here recommended them I decided to splash out and go with trail seekers for the week.

I have 1 possible further issue in that I have cantis on my bike, which would probably make me the only bike there without caliper brakes. From what I can work out though I should... be able to get decent braking (if not better) performance out of the cantis. If I had to swap to calipers I would need long-reach which would cut the choice right down and I am not sure the holes in my frame are a suitable fit.

2 Wheels Good

niceonetom wrote: »

34-50 is the most common ratio on "compact" chainsets. You, 2 wheels, are unlikey to be able to achieve it by just buying chainrings. Your chainset almost certainly has a 130bcd which makes 39 (or 38) as small as you can go. If you want smaller gears than that, you'll need to buy a new chainset with a 110bcd. It would work with your current shifters and derailleurs and be a much simpler conversion than a triple.

I don't know how strong a climber you are, or what your experience of very long climbs is, but unless you are exceptionally good, a compact chainset would be better in the Alps.

You might look at the gradients and think you'll be ok because not much of the course is over 10% but it's not the gradient that's the problem, it's the duration. When you've been climbing for a solid hour 10% can feel like 20%.

Oh well, there goes that idea
I've done a few days in the southern alps, have cycled Mont Ventoux from 2 sides so have an idea what's ahead. Did it on a rental with a triple. Spent a lot of time on the small ring! Compact may be the best bet (Unless the next 6 months training goes extra well!)
Judging by the profile on Climbbybike.com Galibier is similar enough to Mont Ventoux.

2 Wheels Good

lafors wrote: »

I'll be doing it too. Have a 34-50, 12-27 which I'm hoping should be enough for me. Would like an 11 for the descents as niceonetom suggests but I might just stick with the 12, I LOVE descending so spinning out may just stop me from killing myself

Not planning on changing anything else on the bike except the brakepads before it......likely story

btw have you lads booked any accommodation for it yet?

Haven't booked anything yet, have been looking but nothing yet.
Have looked at the package deals but can't justify the $$$.
Thinking of driving via the UK and making a proper trip of it!
Anyone found anywhere reasonable? (Would it be worth opening a separate thread for the Etape?)

seve65

ready to cycle even slower ! :

niceonetom

seve65 wrote: »

ready to cycle at a more efficient cadence ! :

FYP

2 Wheels Good

niceonetom wrote: »

34-50 is the most common ratio on "compact" chainsets. You, 2 wheels, are unlikey to be able to achieve it by just buying chainrings. Your chainset almost certainly has a 130bcd which makes 39 (or 38) as small as you can go. If you want smaller gears than that, you'll need to buy a new chainset with a 110bcd. It would work with your current shifters and derailleurs and be a much simpler conversion than a triple.

I don't know how strong a climber you are, or what your experience of very long climbs is, but unless you are exceptionally good, a compact chainset would be better in the Alps.

You might look at the gradients and think you'll be ok because not much of the course is over 10% but it's not the gradient that's the problem, it's the duration. When you've been climbing for a solid hour 10% can feel like 20%.

Thinking of trying a 11-28 on the back for now and see how the legs are by the summer.
If I train hard enough 39-28 should be enough, although starting to get flashbacks from Ventoux now so maybe not

seve65

34 chainring duly installed instead of the 36, quite a difference in the quality of the teeth (old ring was new last may), no adjustments to the derailleur made. Amazing. Change up isnt the smoothest so I might tinker with it after I have had a few rides.

100Suns

2 Wheels Good wrote: »

If I train hard enough 39-28 should be enough, although starting to get flashbacks from Ventoux now so maybe not

Don't under-estimate Telegraph/Galibier. Telegraph softens you up for Galibier which is relentless. Don't look up for the last 4k of Glaibier or the first 3 bends of dHuez! IMO you can never have enough gears on these climbs. I'd strongly recommend a 34 or a 36. I swapped out the 39 for a 36 (an FSA chainring) for Marmotte last year and was glad I did. I had enough room on the Campag derailleur to keep the 53 Q ring which was nice on the descents.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.

2 Wheels Good

100Suns wrote: »

Don't under-estimate Telegraph/Galibier. Telegraph softens you up for Galibier which is relentless. Don't look up for the last 4k of Glaibier or the first 3 bends of dHuez! IMO you can never have enough gears on these climbs. I'd strongly recommend a 34 or a 36. I swapped out the 39 for a 36 (an FSA chainring) for Marmotte last year and was glad I did. I had enough room on the Campag derailleur to keep the 53 Q ring which was nice on the descents.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.

Cheers, might see if I can do the same (I'm on Ultegra)

Tree Scape

Anyone got a route map which shows elevations/gradients..?

niceonetom

@2 Wheels Good - I'd heartily second 100Suns' advice about the small ring. I'm pretty confident that, even with a huge cassette, you'd regret that 39 over there.

Tree Scape wrote: »

Anyone got a route map which shows elevations/gradients..?

That should be very googlable. If people haven't mapped out the actual etape route you can definitely find elevation profiles of the Marmotte - the etape is the same route except shorter, starting at the base of the Telegraph instead of in Bourg.

2 Wheels Good

Tree Scape wrote: »

Anyone got a route map which shows elevations/gradients..?

From Climbbybike.com
Think I have the right sides posted

Telegraph
[IMG]http://www.climbbybike.com/profile/Col-du-Télégraphe-St-Michel-de-Maurienne-profile.jpg[/IMG]

Galibier


Alpe d'Huez

Tree Scape

Holy Crap....serious gradients....:eek:

100Suns

Tree Scape wrote: »

Holy Crap....serious gradients....:eek:

It looks a lot worse on tarmac than it does on paper:D

seve65

Looks like the ride up the galibier is missing out some of that 10% gradient at the top (2535 to 2646m), see below peaking at 2556m.

100Suns

There is a winter pass through the peak. The last kilo or so zig zags up a sheer face which can be impassible for a good deal of the year. I would hope they are taking the Etape over the top??

seve65

I would hope so too (assuming I get that far !), but its hardly likely to be a misprint is it

seve65

maybe it is, the tdf site has it at that altitude too.
http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/COURSE/us/1900/etape_par_etape.html

100Suns

The Tour goes over the top. Enjoy;)

paddymacsporran

The total meters climbed is only the designated climbs. Basically double it and you'll be about right...

+1 for the 34/27, I did Ventoux in 34/25 and would have killed for a 27 during the etape in 2009......If I had the energy that is!!!

Morrisseeee

You can 'cycle' every km of it on Goooogle maps, it looks a fantastic route (I would love to be doing it), pity you'll be 'flat out', 'head down' concentrating on making that next km and not taking in the scenery !!
Here's a pic from the top, which might be snowed off, below you can see the (house) entrance to the tunnel. Good luck with it .

seve65

Very interesting article on nutrition for endurance cycling, although I was kinda hoping for some snappy food tips,
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-nutrition-advice-for-endurance-cyclists-31171
as I am beginning to worry about the task ahead having been out for 120k today up to Banteer and back from Glanmire, and feeling weak on some very small slopes after about 60k.

seve65

niceonetom wrote: »

I'd certainly recommend 34x27 or 34x28 as your last gear.

I'd also pay attention to gearing at the other end - the descent from the top of the Galibier to Bourg is very, very long (and about as much fun as it is possible to have on a bike) and there are parts of it that are much faster if you can work in a group. With 46x12 you'll be spun out and left behind. 50x11 is good.

I have got the 34 ring on the front now and thats fine, and will switch the 48 ring to 50, but no rush on that.

I am planning to get an 11-28 cassette (SLX HG80 11-12-13-14-16-18-21-24-28) for the back, which although outside Shimanos recommendations for a GS or SS rear derailleur which I have now (105-5604) it seems concensus is it should work ? I am battling some knee/hip niggles, so spent this week swimming not cycling, and want more spinning options when I hit the hills again. Another option is Shimano Ultegra CS-6500 12-27 ?