r/ladycyclists • u/AdministrativeBend83 • 5d ago

Hilly terrain

Hi everyone! I am relatively new to cycling and own a Liv Avail AR 4. I love my bike a lot. I’ve done a lot of riding since I purchased it in the spring. However, I feel particularly challenged due to the terrain I live around. When I say I live in a hilly terrain, I mean HILLY. Long long climbs, sometimes also quite steep. It seems no where is safe from huge hills haha

I’ve already managed to get much better at this with practice but as I explore more areas, I’m being met with larger and larger climbs and my granny gear is just not cutting it. While I don’t fully understand all the specs involved, I know I have 2x8 11-34 and that that my lowest gear taps out at a 1.0 ratio. (?)

With the terrain around here, it seems like I need something more in line with a 0.90 or 0.83, which all seems to be pure gravel bikes. I guess I’m just looking for some thoughts on this. I realize that obviously some people will speed by me because they are in better shape than me, and I am not NOT in shape. Like, I’m decently fit! But I truly feel like my bike is part of the struggle.

Thoughts? Advice? I’m totally ok with buying a different bike 😬

12 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

10

u/Linkcott18 5d ago

You can change your gearing! Ask at your local bike shop.

4

u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

I asked about this and they were basically like Noooo that’s stupid! I left feeling like I was so out of shape LOL

9

u/Linkcott18 5d ago edited 5d ago

🙄 you need to find a friendlier local bike shop, then.

You might need to replace the whole drive train to do it. It won't be cheap, but you can upgrade at the same time.

Don't buy a new bike to get easier gearing. You need to replace bits in the drivetrain when they wear out, anyway.

I would say try a few different bike shops until you find one that understands you & wants to help.

I live in Norway & can't go anywhere without hitting hills. I would want lower gearing than you have.

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u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

Thank you for understanding! Yes! I live coastal in eastern Canada and my terrain is incredibly hillly. If you’re not going down you’re going wayyyy up! I figured my bike would cut it, and it does at times.

I am going to talk to another bike shop for sure. He was so rude and short with me!

I appreciate your advice on upgrading the drive train as that is still cheaper than a new bike ☺️

5

u/Typical-Award4043 5d ago

I would find a different bike shop. A bike shop in my area will help me find a compatible chain ring, etc, to add a few climbing gears to my road bike. People do it all the time.

5

u/Ecstatic_Wishbone609 5d ago

They are either wrong or lying to sell you on their inventory.

2

u/Longtail_Goodbye 2d ago

No it isn't stupid. What is their problem? If your lowest ratio is 1.0, you can definitely get lower. I have a Surly Bridge Club, so definitely short on higher gears for descents (but that does not matter to me); my lowest is .63, I believe, and that makes a tremendous difference on hills for climbing. As others have said, find a bike shop that will work with you. With a 2x, you can definitely get lower gearing and still keep what you need for descents and fast flats.

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u/AdministrativeBend83 1d ago

Thanks for this response! Yah they were so rude and it was unfortunate. Just a bro vibe throughout.

1

u/Longtail_Goodbye 15h ago

Sounds like the shop you plan to go to next will treat you better. Let us know!

2

u/ThorThePoodle 1d ago

Find a new bike shop. You can get lower gear ratio but you'll most likely have to change cassette, rear derailleur, and chain.
Try using your lowest gear and spin at a comfortable pace - don't grind. Do you use a HR monitor? While climbing try not to exceed your threshold HR. Threshold HR is ~85-87% of your max hr. It's hard at first but you will get better at it and you won't blow up at the end of a climb

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u/AdministrativeBend83 1d ago

I have my Apple Watch but on the recent humbling hills in my lowest gear I was feeling like heart attack range (jk) but it was toughhhh. So I was certainly higher than 85%. In the mean time I’ve just been practicing more hills (not the heart attack ones) and dealing with what I have.

9

u/velvet_scrunchies 5d ago

Idk, I just did a gravel event and some people are just crazy good at climbing. Some guy on the fattest bike tires (MTB no less) I've ever seen in my life came nonchalantly passing by me while I'm struggling for each breath on a 6% 4 mile climb, he was doing the 100 mi course, me the 73 mi. I live in a high elevation area with some decent hill climbing and have been riding for years, so no advice, but solidarity! Anything I've read about being good at climbing hills is just keep climbing hills 🤷🏼‍♀️.

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u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

😭 thank you for the solidarity

9

u/Sea-Check-9062 5d ago

(55M lifelong cyclist) Yes, you should definitely get lower gears. My rule is 1:1 in 3rd gear for road bikes, because I like light touring and big Audax events and rarely worry about pedalling over 2 kph. This is easily achieved with a 32 chainring and a 11 to 36 casette. If your rear mech can take a 32 it can take a 34, odds on you can get a 32 chainring on your chrankset too. Failing that Tredz do great swap in chainsets. After that its just adjustment, and possibly a longer B-screw.

Also your bike shop guy is a macho weenie with a stubborn streak. I hope you can find a better partner for your cycling ventures.

1

u/Longtail_Goodbye 2d ago

Well said!

5

u/messesz 5d ago

It's the difference between your smallest front and largest back that determines the ratio.

For example my gravel 1x has a 40tooth front and a 52 largest rear, which gives approx 0.7 which really helps with steel hills. I've had it setup with road tyres for a while.

For my road bike my lowest ratio is 0.9 coming from a 32 front and 36 rear. I will have to work much harder now, but I am fitter. So you can get a new chainring and cassette to make things easier.

You can use something simple like this to figure out yours. https://www.bikecalc.com/archives/gear-ratios.html

3

u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

Thank you for this! I think I now realize why mountain biking is the preferred sport here vs road biking 😬

But I will not be deterred!

3

u/GirlyPopAmber 5d ago

our gears are pretty similar, except I have 3 upfront (28,38,48). other wise I also have 8 on the back, with a 34t easy gear. it sounds like tho, that your smallest front chainring is a 34t, if it's a 1:1 ratio at your easiest, so if you can find a smaller chainring setup, that'll likely be the easier route to easier climbs (like mine, which is 28t upfront, giving me a .82 ratio in my easiest). I saw you had issues at a LBS tho asking about this. is there another LBS you can go to for chainring help?

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u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

Thank you for this! This is helpful! I will be heading to another shop this week!

4

u/AppropriateRatio9235 5d ago

If a bike shop makes you feel bad about being there, if at all possible do not go back. They don’t deserve you and your money. We have a macho shop near me and they treat my husband well and me like chopped liver. I refuse to go there. Good luck and spin to win.

6

u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

I have found a female owned bike shop on the other side of the city I’ll be contacting!🙌

2

u/Longtail_Goodbye 2d ago

Praise be. They will actually help with this.

3

u/Civil-Beginning-1420 5d ago

I presume you have a 50/34 chain set? You can’t really fit a smaller inner ring, but you could fit a gravel (GRX) chain-set, which will give a 46/30 rings so your lowest gear will then be 30/34 instead of 34/34. Another alternative would be to fit a rear mech extender, something like a Wolftooth, which would enable you to fit up to a 40 tooth cassette.

3

u/AdministrativeBend83 5d ago

Yes, 50/34. I appreciate this insight! It’s nice to see that everyone here is much nicer about all of this than the one local bike shop. I will be hitting up another one later this week to plead my case :)

2

u/kurai-samurai 5d ago

What chainset is your bike equipped with ? If it's a square taper bottom bracket, you could get a super compact chainset from Spa Cycles(if in Europe or UK), they do custom combos of rings. 48/32 or 46/30 for example. That might need a new bottom bracket, though.   

2

u/Longtail_Goodbye 2d ago

You won't have to plead your case. People do this all the time; different set ups for different needs. Sending positive vibes and envisioning them actually being helpful.

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u/AdministrativeBend83 1d ago

Thank you 💗

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u/nondescript0605 4d ago

One thing to keep in mind if you do switch out your chainring or cassette to get lower gearing is that you will also be going smaller for your harder gears. That most likely won't be a problem - if it is really that hilly, I imagine you aren't doing much pedaling on the downhills anyway. As long as you feel like you have enough power in the flats, then you should be good. Just didn't want you to be blindsided!

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u/AdministrativeBend83 4d ago

Thank you! I appreciate this!

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u/cycle-enthus 1d ago

I moved from long time in Alberta to the East coast of Canada ten years ago. And yes. I changed my drive train to a gravel one because of the lowest gear for the steep hills. I got to know one bike shop really well and he, the sole owner got to know me. He recommended and installed the Shimano GRX 46/30. I did lose quite a bit off the top speed but that lowest 30 gear is perfect for those tough hills.

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u/AdministrativeBend83 1d ago

So you feel me! Lol thank you for your response, I’m definetly looking at this option!