Getting up hills without a compact... other solutions?

triple?

Getting a longer derailleur hanger that supports a 32 tooth rear cog could be another option. Talk to your LBS, they may have a second hand option, or even a second hand triple or compact setup that they can fit. Otherwise, the 27 is your best option. If the 19% gradients are not too long, then you could always use them as a means to build strength. I used to ride a 17% hill in 39/23, which was about 300 meters long. A big grind, but good for building strength.

AmpedCycle said:

....w/out breaking the bank

Ride more to build fitness. Climb out of the saddle. Pray.

19% is very steep and would be quite difficult for most riders unless the climbs are very short, even with a compact crankset.

Triple would be your best option to get the lowest gears, but would be expensive since you would need new FD, RD and Crankset/BB. Compact would probably be your cheapest. You can use a 27 with your short cage RD. There are ways to accomodate a larger rear cog with a short cage rear derailleur, but they involve running a short chain which can cause problems when on the large chainring if you are not careful.

Search Amazon for "ultegra chainring".

John M said:

Ride more to build fitness. Climb out of the saddle. Pray.

19% is very steep and would be quite difficult for most riders unless the climbs are very short, even with a compact crankset.

Triple would be your best option to get the lowest gears, but would be expensive since you would need new FD, RD and Crankset/BB. Compact would probably be your cheapest. You can use a 27 with your short cage RD. There are ways to accomodate a larger rear cog with a short cage rear derailleur, but they involve running a short chain which can cause problems when on the large chainring if you are not careful.

I am running a Ritchey WCS 110 V Compact 50/34 on an Octalink BB with a 12/27 cogset and a short-cage rear derailleur. Simple, easy swap. No monkeying with chain. Simply lower and adjust the front derailleur. Only 570g. To gain a bit more advantage, you could go with Harris Cyclery's CS902 11/28 cogset ($66US), or even their CS 922 "Century Special" 13/30 ($90US) or CS913 "Century 12" 12/30 ($80US), all of which they claim will work with short-cage derailleurs.

Here's the link for Harris Cyclery's cogsets:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#9cassettes
Prices range from

Here's the link to the Ritchey Compact at Performance Bike:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=20106
$149.99US on sale. Look for a 20% coupon to further reduce price. And/or join TeamPerformance and get an extra 10% off on your next purchase. (No, I don't work for Performance Bike; I'm just a real happy customer.)

OldGoat said:

I am running a Ritchey WCS 110 V Compact 50/34 on an Octalink BB with a 12/27 cogset and a short-cage rear derailleur. Simple, easy swap. No monkeying with chain. Simply lower and adjust the front derailleur. Only 570g. To gain a bit more advantage, you could go with Harris Cyclery's CS902 11/28 cogset ($66US), or even their CS 922 "Century Special" 13/30 ($90US) or CS913 "Century 12" 12/30 ($80US), all of which they claim will work with short-cage derailleurs.

Here's the link for Harris Cyclery's cogsets:
sheldonbrown.comk7.htmlOpen ↗
Prices range from

Here's the link to the Ritchey Compact at Performance Bike:
performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
$149.99US on sale. Look for a 20% coupon to further reduce price. And/or join TeamPerformance and get an extra 10% off on your next purchase. (No, I don't work for Performance Bike; I'm just a real happy customer.)

My error: Product code for the Harris "Century 12" is CS914, not CS913.
Also, I forgot to mention that all of the above cassettes use Shimano cogs.

long cages are for triples. You can fit a 27 no problem.

Why not A) get a rear cassette and B) a new small front chainring? The combination of the two would surely get you over the top, so to speak.

Nashbar's got the cassettes for less, and you'll wear it out anyway.

1) eBay.
2) Ride up in a zig-zag path.
3) Take a walk and push up your push bike.

AmpedCycle said:

Hi,
I'm trying to get up some nasty 19% hills since I moved to a new area but can't afford a compact crankset. Right now I have a normal double (ultegra) with a "short" rear derailleur and a 25 cassette. A guy at a shop told me that I can't run a larger cassette (like a 27) since I have the short derailleur... so what I want to know is if there is an ecomical way to get some good climbing gears w/out breaking the bank. Thanks for the help!

The bike shop guy wasn't really right. An Ultegra short arm rear derailleur will wrap up enough chain to handle a 12/27 cassette just fine. The bad news is don't expect to feel a whole lot of difference between the feel of a 27 and a 25 tooth cog.

Another option would be to install a mountain bike cassette and rear derailleur. That would allow you to go up to a 32 or 34 tooth big cog but I don't know how that would cost out vs. a compact crankset.

Honestly, I'm thinking that the compact crankset is probably the "right" answer for you.

I've seen up to 28 run on a short cage.

Thanks for all the responses! I'm thinking that the best thing for me to do is go compact... what I'm going to do is finangle the funds somehow, and then ebay my old ultegra double setup. I didn't have the money, at first, but I came up with it through some tricks I didn't think I'd be able to pull. Thanks again for all the replies. BTW, I'm going with a Shimano compact setup. From what I've read, that's the best compact setup going, right now.

AmpedCycle said:

A guy at a shop told me that I can't run a larger cassette (like a 27) since I have the short derailleur...

First off ... get a new 'guy'. 25 max? Pure boosheet. You're gonna be in your 39 at the time, so a 39-27 won't pull your RD into the cassette because you'll have plenty of chain slack. I routinely slap on a 28 tooth cog on the back of a 12-25 cluster when climbing mountains. I could probably go 30 if I chose to.

AmpedCycle said:

Thanks for all the responses! I'm thinking that the best thing for me to do is go compact... what I'm going to do is finangle the funds somehow, and then ebay my old ultegra double setup. I didn't have the money, at first, but I came up with it through some tricks I didn't think I'd be able to pull. Thanks again for all the replies. BTW, I'm going with a Shimano compact setup. From what I've read, that's the best compact setup going, right now.

Do the math: 34X25 is 1.36:1 ratio, 38x28 is 1.36:1 ratio, it's the same thing.
Get a cheap used cassette 28-13 and just try it before doing compact (remember, you need a chain adjustment and a new front deraileur with compact).

capwater said:

First off ... get a new 'guy'. 25 max? Pure boosheet. You're gonna be in your 39 at the time, so a 39-27 won't pull your RD into the cassette because you'll have plenty of chain slack. I routinely slap on a 28 tooth cog on the back of a 12-25 cluster when climbing mountains. I could probably go 30 if I chose to.

Yup. True with a caveat: you don't want to run big/big......but then, why would you?

alienator said:

Yup. True with a caveat: you don't want to run big/big......but then, why would you?

It's assumed we all realize cross chaining is bad, but good to remind everyone.
When I need a 28 in the back I've been out of the 53 for a good bit already!

AmpedCycle said:

Thanks for all the responses! I'm thinking that the best thing for me to do is go compact... what I'm going to do is finangle the funds somehow, and then ebay my old ultegra double setup. I didn't have the money, at first, but I came up with it through some tricks I didn't think I'd be able to pull. Thanks again for all the replies. BTW, I'm going with a Shimano compact setup. From what I've read, that's the best compact setup going, right now.

My experience: 27 is good enough. I used to climb all hills with 23, then switched to 25. This year I have switched to 27 for the biggest climb of all - Alto dAngliru😎, barely made it... but finally saw the light.

I have an ultegra triple with a standard cage and it runs a 27 fine. I am not sure why a double wouldn't. I would have thought it would be ok, but I am no expert.

19%:o

I've got a 38 x 27(with 105 short cage rear derailleur) which gives me a 38 inch gear which I'm pretty sure is the same(or very close to) the inches that are had by a 36(i.e. compact) x 25.
If I were you I'd be going to a 38 front, and trying a 29 rear with the short cage and if that didn't work then getting a good secondhand long cage rear d.

We can usually adapt to getting up steeper climbs(if they're short enough) on legs and lungs without resorting to the lowest possible gears - when we get used to that sort of climb.

When I was in my early 20s, lighter and very fit I lived in a very hilly city(Dunedin, New Zealand - it has the steepest street in the Southern Hemisphere in it!!:o )
I found I was able to climb all my usual hills in my big chainring.
So - I took my small chainring off. I was going up every hill in 52 x ?
I can remember comments from a woman cyclist who was shocked I had my bike like that - I would be too - now🙂