which cassette's

Trig1

Hi lads
Just looking for a bit of advice on this...
Raced keeper challenge last year and loved it- was doing really well in bike section- not as good as shotgunmcos but i was in a small group of 5 coming probably 5-10th place- going really well until we came to the dreaded / hill (very very steep and goes on forever) stayed with the other 4 lads for a good while but when my gears ran out they all switched into a granny gear and rode on while I fell off the bike and had to push it up the rest of the hill- rookie mistake- think i had a 12-23 cassette on the bike (was told it was a racing cassette anyway).. so anyway looking for advice this year on whether to try get a granny cog for the front of bike or a lighter cassette for the back of the bike... thoughts??

dited

Do you have a compact or standard double up front? Either way, sticking an 11-28 or even 12-27 on for hilly races should sort you out. It's a lot cheaper and easier to swap cassettes rather than change out the chainrings, plus you can swap back to the 12-23 for flatter races.

tunney

Trig1 wrote: »

Hi lads
Just looking for a bit of advice on this...
Raced keeper challenge last year and loved it- was doing really well in bike section- not as good as shotgunmcos but i was in a small group of 5 coming probably 5-10th place- going really well until we came to the dreaded / hill (very very steep and goes on forever) stayed with the other 4 lads for a good while but when my gears ran out they all switched into a granny gear and rode on while I fell off the bike and had to push it up the rest of the hill- rookie mistake- think i had a 12-23 cassette on the bike (was told it was a racing cassette anyway).. so anyway looking for advice this year on whether to try get a granny cog for the front of bike or a lighter cassette for the back of the bike... thoughts??

a 12-25 would be my cassette of choice. I find it will do in almost all situations when combined with a standard 39-53. That being said when it gets really hilly (Think Devils Glen) or I'm really fat I would kill for a 27 but there are not races in Ireland that hilly.

pgibbo

I'm assuming you mean 12-25 Dave and not 12-15

BennyMul

to be honest, a 25 should be the max needed in this country, there are few walls steep enough that a 27 is needed.
also going to a 27 may not work on most rear deraileurs due to the arm length

A better option would be to move to a compact on the front a bit more expensive.
this would give you a 50,34\36 on the front.
I may have a 25 at home, if you want to borrow it and try it on that nice little drag.

Trig1

Thanks for all the advice lads- I'm not sure what I have in the front- think its a standard, there is only 1 major hill on the keeper challenge but it is a b*tch, might try a 12-25 and see will that do the job...might even borrow one of you bennymul if I cannot get a cheap one- it'll be the only race this year that I'll use one (thank god)

BennyMul

Trig,
Is yours shimano or campy?
9,10 speed and I will have a look over the weekend