The Big Ring challenge !

Morrisseeee

You might be thinking 'what's the heck is he on about now' !? or just 'what's he on' :pac:

OK so here's the challenge: what's the longest route (flat or downhill will help obviously) you can do in the big ring, ie. your hardest gear, that's: big chainring and your smallest gear/sprocket on the back.

Maybe Strava folk can put their route up on the website, or set up a Strava challenge (if possible) etc.

For some it'll be just a few km's but for others.............well let's just see!! It'll be pretty difficult for me as my area is full of hills/drumlins that are not 50/11 friendly :eek:

tunney

Morrisseeee wrote: »

You might be thinking 'what's the heck is he on about now' !? or just 'what's he on' :pac:

OK so here's the challenge: what's the longest route (flat or downhill will help obviously) you can do in the big ring, ie. your hardest gear, that's: big chainring and your smallest gear/sprocket on the back.

Maybe Strava folk can put their route up on the website, or set up a Strava challenge (if possible) etc.

For some it'll be just a few km's but for others.............well let's just see!! It'll be pretty difficult for me as my area is full of hills/drumlins that are not 50/11 friendly :eek:

Big ring being what? 50? 53? 55?
Smallest being what? 11? 13?

Lusk Doyle

Morrisseeee wrote: »

You might be thinking 'what's the heck is he on about now' !? or just 'what's he on' :pac:

OK so here's the challenge: what's the longest route (flat or downhill will help obviously) you can do in the big ring, ie. your hardest gear, that's: big chainring and your smallest gear/sprocket on the back.

Maybe Strava folk can put their route up on the website, or set up a Strava challenge (if possible) etc.

For some it'll be just a few km's but for others.............well let's just see!! It'll be pretty difficult for me as my area is full of hills/drumlins that are not 50/11 friendly :eek:

You can't call 50 a big ring. It's against the rules. Man up dude!

lennymc

I had an incident recently where by i was stuck in the 53/11 coming back from monaghan to drogheda. No idea of the distance ( it wasnt the full trip) but i was barely turning the pedals on some of the inclines

Morrisseeee

You do know the 50/11 is a bigger gear than the 53/12

Anyways that's not the point, the point of the exercise is that it's YOUR big ring, ie. whatever your big ring happens to be, let's not get pedantic about it.

@lennymc : Yikes that sounds tough, and it's kinda what this thread is about, ie. it's not an easy thing to do, but for fun lets see how far you can get 'in the big ring'.

/sure who wants to 'spin' like Lance anyway

Lumen

A year or two back I crashed my bike on the way to work and had to remove the derailleur and shorten the chain to make it single speed.

I was aiming for about 53-16 but it slipped down a few cogs and gave me something like 53-12. Fffffffff that was hard on the way home, and the worst incline I have is about 2%.

Physios are going to love this one :pac:

Mycroft H

Morrisseeee wrote: »

/sure who wants to 'spin' like Lance anyway

My knees :P

CramCycle

53 - 11, hmmm, whats the longest downhill in Ireland?

lennymc

Morrisseeee wrote: »

@lennymc : Yikes that sounds tough, and it's kinda what this thread is about, ie. it's not an easy thing to do, but for fun lets see how far you can get 'in the big ring'.

yeah, it was actually horrible.

Morrisseeee

Ooooops did I not mention that I'm a physio, I knee I forgot something, doh

Maybe for anyone with a 53 chainring, I'll accept a 12 sprocket

smacl

Had an absolutely fantastic tailwind coming around black head in Clare over the Easter, and held my highest gear (53/13) between just after Ballyvaughan to just before Doolin. Only 20k or so of truly belting along but I was well chuffed. I used all the low gears to get out there that morning, but the return trip made it so worthwhile.

07Lapierre

Used a 53/11 from Fariview to Artane a few years back...averaged 45-50kph most of the way..UPHILL...( i was drafting a Dublin Bus at the time! )

Lusk Doyle

Morrisseeee wrote: »

You do know the 50/11 is a bigger gear than the 53/12

I've a 53/11

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Anyways that's not the point, the point of the exercise is that it's YOUR big ring, ie. whatever your big ring happens to be, let's not get pedantic about it.

Meow!

killalanerr

i used the big ring once !

funnights74

I am hatching a plan to complete the RoK in the big ring next year, hopefully the fitness will be up to it, and the knees can take the punishment, most of the course is fine but the long drag up molls gap should be a tester.
Just did the Rebel Cycle 85 Km in mostly the big chain so Kerry will be a step up from that.

Roger Hassenforder

funnights74 wrote: »

I am hatching a plan to complete the RoK in the big ring next year, hopefully the fitness will be up to it, and the knees can take the punishment, most of the course is fine but the long drag up molls gap should be a tester.
Just did the Rebel Cycle 85 Km in mostly the big chain so Kerry will be a step up from that.

Did u manage the last few m of healys with the big dog?
Kudos!

funnights74

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Did u manage the last few m of healys with the big dog?
Kudos!

Not the last 200 meters, i was in the granny gear for that lol

boege

Warning: Proud father story coming up.

Myself and the son did the 160 Rebel tour recently. He is 21, races A3 and weighs about 57kg.

Just as I was approaching Castletownbere I get a call from him to say that he took a wrong turn and was in Glengarriff. Told him that he had two choices - head back out or call it a day. He decides to head out. I stop at Allihies and get a call from him to say that he is near Castletownbere- I tell him he is making good time and well done.

I stop at the next food stop anticipating he might catch up, but no sign. I head off and stop at the bottom of the Healy Pass. I thought it would be nice to wait for him and head up together. So I give him a call and he tells me he is already over the pass.

I meet him after at the end and ask him how he is feeling after his 195km Rebel. He tells me Ok but adds that he felt good on the Healy pass 2nd time and managed to get down to the 14 sprocket on the rear while in the big ring.:eek:

Decided not to tell him I was in he granny ring from the botton and walked away shaking my head. Youth....

Roger Hassenforder

funnights74 wrote: »

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Did u manage the last few m of healys with the big dog?
Kudos!

Not the last 200 meters, i was in the granny gear for that lol

And glad to have it!
Let that serve as a warning to all these 11/23 Johnnies