Gearing

[citoyen]

Hmmm, sounds like it’s possibly not a nice enough feature to justify splurging £120 on a new battery... maybe I’ll just leave it until the battery needs replacing anyway.

[simonp]

I’d like Synchro Shift on my bike but it would require a battery upgrade. Do you reckon it would be worthwhile?

It's nice but the shift between rings is still pretty clunky plus I usually find myself manually shifting the rear derailleur to something else straight after the synchro shift.

In other words, it's nice that it forces you to shift the front derailleur at the right time but it's still a long way from seamless sequential shifting.

If you don't like the default gear it shifts to when switching rings you can change it.

Accelerating a full tilt and changing up through the gears has just worked seamlessly for me.

[FifeingEejit]

I’d like Synchro Shift on my bike but it would require a battery upgrade. Do you reckon it would be worthwhile?

It's nice but the shift between rings is still pretty clunky plus I usually find myself manually shifting the rear derailleur to something else straight after the synchro shift.

In other words, it's nice that it forces you to shift the front derailleur at the right time but it's still a long way from seamless sequential shifting.

If you inevitably have to change gear, and the pattern is always the same you can get the PC hooked up and adjust to suit.

I used Synchro for a bit, but never really got on with not knowing when it was going to change on the front, though had I persevered maybe I'd have got the hang of it.

This thread has now got me thinking about gearing... what sort of size and steepness are the rollers? I have a selection of 11-30T cassettes, and do sometimes find myself between gears on the flat.
Like am I going to run out of legs on the way up one and then wish I had the 30T on the way back up??

[bludger]

I did the Kent Invicta Grimpeur on Sunday and was very, very glad for my 34-32 combo for the top of York's Hill! Might have been able to grind it in 34-30 but 34-28 would have required getting off and pushing.

that's fine, however nothing to do with pbp..

Whoops wrong gearing thread

I'd definitely stick with the same combo for PBP anyway, for those bits when you're going doolally from fatigue and you start hearing funny noises.

[grams]

If you inevitably have to change gear, and the pattern is always the same you can get the PC hooked up and adjust to suit.

I haven't figured out if it's actually wrong or just me being fidgetty. I need to do some experimentation.

I used Synchro for a bit, but never really got on with not knowing when it was going to change on the front, though had I persevered maybe I'd have got the hang of it.

I have the mountain bike Junction A (SC-MT800) which beeps on the last normal shift before the front derailleur shifts. This seems like an essential feature, but I don't think the road junction A even can beep.

[simonp]

Get the wireless nodule and pair it with your Garmin. The garmin beeps when next shift is front and also at the end of the entire gear range. You can also then configure and update firmware over Bluetooth - I’ve been doing this with my phone.  I’ve adjusted the shifting to work better for sequential changes (I hope) with the new gearing. Not tried it yet.

[simonp]

Went on a flat ride with the new gearing - much easier to keep to a comfortable cadence at cruising pace. Needed to adjust the synchro-shift though as there is too big a jump from small to big ring with the default changeover. I moved it by one sprocket.

Went on a 200k ride on Saturday with plenty hills. Below 30rpm on a big climb at 150km when tired wasn't so good. I think the narrow gearing will be perfect for PBP but for my 300k qualifier and probably the 400 - Brevet Cymru - I will be back on the wide range cassette.

[yellabelly]

Is anyone else using 1x? I plan to with a 42 elliptical at the front paired with possibly 11-30 back. This work well on my 600 although I think I may need 40 tooth for some of the hills on PBP.

[zigzag]

Is anyone else using 1x? I plan to with a 42 elliptical at the front paired with possibly 11-30 back. This work well on my 600 although I think I may need 40 tooth for some of the hills on PBP.

i rode pbp 2011 on 1x (before it was a "thing"), used 42t chainring and 11-34 cassette, worked fine, finished in 60h11m.

[PeterM]

Is anyone else using 1x?

I'll be using a single-ring setup as I have on pretty much every event for the last 3 years: 36-tooth elliptical chainring, 11-42 11-speed block. (I spin, obviously.)

[grams]

Me, earlier:

I did LEL on 40x11-36 (11 speed) and found the gear range fine. I’ll likely do the same for PBP.

The bike has had an 11-42 on it for most qualifiers, so it's more likely to be that.

[Phil W]

I ran 39 X 11-28 last time as my front shifter broke 400 metres into the ride. I did reclamp the cable as we neared Dreux to give me my 52t front ring till the finish. It was fine but now I run bar end shifters I'm expecting a full choice from my triple this year.

[cygnet]

I ran 39 X 11-28 last time as my front shifter broke 400 metres into the ride. I did reclamp the cable as we neared Dreux to give me my 52t front ring till the finish. It was fine but now I run bar end shifters I'm expecting a full choice from my triple this year.

I had nearly the opposite - 53 x 11-28 

[wilkyboy]

Is anyone else using 1x?

Yes.  1x1   

[rob]

Is anyone else using 1x?

Yes.  1x1   

The whole way ?

Madness.

[simonp]

Is anyone else using 1x?

Yes.  1x1   

The whole way ?

Madness.

I concur.