Wanted: Help me climb!

Righto, after a weekend jaunt around the Surrey Hills I have come to the conclusion that my knees are not suited to the old school hardman ratio on my old roadie.

It's currently 52/42 and 11-23 8 Speed Dura Ace (7400 series) and I'd like to change it to 52/39 12-25, or maybe even lower.

If anyone out there has a suitable 39t chainring or DA hyperglide cassette in 12-25 with low milage on it that would be awesome.

Htfu

Gav

Just ask a metric fuck ton of questions in the any questions thread about how to make your bike lighter.

Training or gearing should be a 2ndary concern.

Hours spent questioning what lightweight products will make you a much better cyclist is a more sensible option.

I must confess to being a big girls blouse and preferring to ride a compact chainset, I think I do have an ultegra one at home spare.

Luckily you were on hand to make my load lighter last time eh James?

How can you be a hardman running a 52 tooth big ring?

Get rid of the whole group and go compact! 50 / 34, 12-25 ftw! You will be spinning up Whitedown in no time*.

*not speaking from my own experience of "the widowmaker".

Gav I have a FSA Omega compact chainset with external BB 50/36, arms are 172.5 in black with some heal rub on the arms

my ultegra set i think is 170mm arms - will need to check when i get home.

I'm not the hardman... and on reflection it's probably a 53. It's an ex pdm team bike so was presumably set up for someone who had both strength and endurance, two words not often used to describe me...unless we're talking about alcohol consumption.

If I was to get rid of the group I'd just get rid of the whole bike. I'd like to keep is as close to original as I can. TBH an off the shelf crabon with 105 would perform better so I'm not sure why I don't. A vain sense of the asthetic is the only real reason I have for keeping it.

James - thanks for the offer but it's just the chainring I need. I promise to ask lots of weight questions on the other thread as soon as I stop drinking beer, eating pies and taking an interest in old steel frames...

Have you ever even used 52:11?

52:12 (114 GI) should be more than high enough. 39:25 (41 GI) would be a nice low gear.

Personally I might even be tempted to look for something like a 13-26/27 cassette.

If your such a keen drinker. Swap your water for vodka. Its less dense.

[/weightweenietip]

And you were telling me off somewhere else for not being a big boy?

Shame on you!

Phillipe Gilbert says "attack relentlessly with big ring wheelies making bike one wheel lighter"

CB is a Hoser.

Have you ever even used 52:11?

52:12 (114 GI) should be more than high enough. 39:25 (41 GI) would be a nice low gear.

Personally I might even be tempted to look for something like a 13-26/27 cassette.

The gears you mention are the ones I'm looking for in the op (12-25+). I hardly ever use the 11 and when I do it's only when descending because it's there. I wouldn't miss, or even notice, if it went to 12 or 13.
As far as I know the 8 speed DA hyperglide stuff only went up to 25t and the newer 9 speed is not compatible so I can't really go lower. I'm happy to be corrected though - definitely not an expert.

So....anyone got a 12-25 cassette and 39t ring for me??

53/39 £80

Hmm. Good option but I'm not sure I like my chances of on selling an octolink chainset once I've swapped the chainrings over. I might just go shopping and grab TA 39t or similar.

Gizmond has an Octolink 105 BB that you could put with it? But yes, that's hassle.

I had Clefty's old Brian Rourke which had a complete DA 7400 groupset- apart from the cranks which were Campag Record as the 7400 series (apart from the last of the breed 7410's) had a tendency to crack.

The combination looked pretty nice I think, and works very well. Maybe an option?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USED-SHIMANO-DURA-ACE-39-T-CHAINRING-130PCD-/320657865522?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item4aa8b2bb32

These are probably better, more hardman points earnt;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dura-Ace-Chainrings-55T-and-39T-/280633156333?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item41570a22ed

But I want less hardman points, not more. I'd run a compact if I had my way but I want to keep it all 7400 series. The cranks are 7410 and I'd like to keep them as they are real purty.

Shimano cranks are 130 BCD are they not? If so, you should be able to run a 38 ring on them.

Can anyone see any problems with trying to run this on a shimano hub with a 7402 derailleur?

It looks compatible but opinions based on experience would be welcome, particulaly regarding the ratios. The front will be changed to 52/39.

Gav86 - i've never met you, so this could be way off target....
Drop the weight from your body frame, before you try and lighten up your bike frame......

This has nothing to do with weight, purely with gear ratios to get me up some hillier routes as stated in the op. If I cared about weight I would not be riding an old steel frame whilst eating pizza with a beer in both hands.

Oh and I'm 6' and 83kg so whilst not exactly a climber I'm not a fattie either.

fair enough.