A perennial gearing question

[531 pro]

This might be a little off topic, but i'm taking my retro road bike up alp duez this summer and i'm getting a bit confused about gearing?! Some people seem to say you need a compact chainset and virtually 1:1 gearing, while others say it is perfectly manageable on 39:27. I'm guessing a few of you will be like me and coming back to cycling from a youth of racing, and may well have done some of these alpine climbs. How did you find them and what gearing did you use? I'd be interested to hear...

 

[nammonk]

It isn't particularly steep, just a bit relentless if you're used to British climbs. And then it might be hot as well. I've only done it once, when I was a youthful 23 --- the day Andy Hampsten won. I used 42/23 and found that perfectly adequate... I'm sure I'd need something easier now, but I very much doubt you'd need anything approaching 1:1.

Obviously no harm in having a bail out gear --- you don't need to use it --- but if you've got a 39 front and at least mid-20s on the back, you should be OK and I wouldn't go shelling out on a compact chainset.

Just my 2c worth... I really enjoyed the Alpine climbs, and would love to do them again. Hope you get good weather for it.

nick

 

[bm0p700f]

I agree don't bother buying a new chainset but when yours weres out get a compact one. I have one on mine I struggle to see how I would use 53/39 the gearing on my 34/50 with a 11-25 cassette is plenty tall enough.

 

[monty dog]

The worst bit of the L'Alpe is the 'ramp' out of Bourg, after that it levels out and you get slight increases on the apex of each bend - depends on whether you're fit enough to grind it out for an hour or so plus the prevailing weather conditions can have a big impact.
Don't know what your base level fitness is, but a reasonably fit cyclist should be able to cope with 39x27 or 39x28.