PAP Wonders...: Best of Both Worlds?

Here is the simple logic of bike gearing:
1. Fast on the flats = BIG chainrings
2. Fast on the climbs = BIG cogs/cassettes

If these are true, then:
BIG chainrings + BIG cogs = fast on the flats + fast on the climbs
The BIG-BIG combination gives the best of both of world.

By having both, can we really set-up a do-all bike? For a bike to handle anything the race course throws at it? Answer: Yes.

55/44t chainrings paired with a 12-27t cassette. Fast on the flats, can be painful for the climbs.

As a duathlete (duathlon: run-bike-run), most course I have raced have involved uphills or rolling terrain: Clark, Nuvali, Eagle Ridge, SCTEX and Balanga to name a few. I can only think of one "flat" course: Pradera. Short anecdote: my first Balanga experience at the 2015 Pilipinas Duathlon Final Leg was a huge surprise. We had to climb up to Letran three times. With fatigued legs, my 12-27t cassette was too heavy for the first time. The same thing happened again for the SCTEX Duathlon (2016). "Parang kailangan ko ng mas malaking sprocket" (I think I need a bigger sprocket/cassette), I thought to myself. Another season is ahead and I'm considering my options. Since getting myself a Roadlink last February, I've been using a 12-30t cassette. This is very similar to my 12-27t cassette but it trades the 16t for the 30t. I've raced the cassette three times so far and no complaints except for the rare times when at speeds that the 15t is too hard and the 17t is too easy. (For an introduction on chainrings, cassettes and the drivetrain, click here)

Choosing the next cassette. Although there's no announcement of a race in Balanga yet, there is the SCTEX Duathlon this August (2017). I am reconsidering my 12-30t cassette that has worked well so far. From past race experience, the 27t can be hard on fatigued legs and the 30t will be well appreciated. What if the 30t is not enough? Also, I used the 12t and was looking for an 11t to use on the long downhill. Again, I'm searching for the next BIG thing (cassette) and now, I'll be jumping to the MTB side. There are three options available: 11-32t, 11-34t and 11-36t. With a Roadlink in place, size will not be much of a problem for me.

Mapping the individual cogs of the different cassettes.

From above, the 11-32 option is the odd one of the three. It has the most different kind of jumps among the three choices. Now, the choice is between the 11-34t and 11-36t. If we count the cogs that they share with the 12-30, they have the same as the 12-30, the both have six. The 11-34t has 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 30t while the 11-36t has 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 24. How about the "almost the same"? For the 11-34t, there is the 23 (almost 24) and 26 (almost 27). For the 11-36t, there is only the 28 (almost 27). This shows that the 11-34t gives the closest ratios to the 12-30t with the bonuses of both a higher and a lower gear. So, I chose the 11-34t over the 11-36t. More on mounting large cassettes here. (Note: when cross-chaining, a 30t cog is the limit of the rear derailleur so I should be careful not to shift to a cog larger than that when I'm on the big ring)

11-34t mounted. Despite having a short cage rear derailleur, it still clears the cassette thanks to the Roadlink derailleur hanger extender.

Testing the cassette. I used the 11-34t for a week with the longest ride being 78km long (Marikina to Jariel's Peak via Sierra Madre). The route included a lot of uphills. At the start, I can feel the difference of the 23t versus the 24t. It somehow felt odd and somehow off when riding uphill. On the other hand, the difference between the 26t versus 27t is not felt that much. Using the 23t and not my usual 24t, in one way, forced me to ride a slightly harder gear when going uphill. Also, the next gear (26t) is too easy and leads to over-cadence when I just want the 24t. I did get used to these cogs and the jumps after a few rides.

When I get to use the 30t, there is no difference since it is a gear present in the other cassette. The 34t was not used that often for the ride to Jariel's Peak. I used it for some 10 minutes when going up Cottage Gardens (2nd gate) to conserve strength and energy. The longest time I used the 34t is when I was matching the pace of another cyclist at the tail-end of the group. This experience showed that while the 34t can be useful, I can do without it except for really difficult climbs or when the legs are very fatigued.

Map and Elevation from Marikina to Jariel's Peak via Sierra Madre. I paused my Tomtom Watch and forgot to restart it so there are parts that have not been recorded. This still gives a good idea of the climbing needed to be done to reach Jariel's Peak.

On the descents, I was surprised of the jump from the 15t to the the 13t. The 11-34t only has the 11-13-15t group while the 12-30t has the smoother 12-13-14-15t group. The 12-30t has one-tooth gaps but the 11-34t doesn't. The top-end smoothness is where the BIG-BIG may lack. The set-up had sufficient range but it lacked tighter gaps especially one-tooth gaps. Then again, considering the nature of most duathlon races, tight gaps may not be as important as they are in road racing. Due to race participants beings more spaced out after the first run segment and/or the enforcement of a "no drafting" rule, you won't be in a small group or peloton needing to match the speed and tempo. (More on cassettes, range and gaps here)

Here is another snapshot. This time it is for Clark along its famous Wall and going to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). The course is two-loops in an out-and-back format. In my opinion, this represents a more typical race profile. For fatigued legs, this can be very challenging and BIG-BIG would still be useful.

Conclusion. In summary, going for a BIG-BIG combination do provide speed for the flats and ease on the climbs. It is the best of both worlds but everything has a price. To get the range and flexibility, one needs three things:
- Capacity to mount large (MTB) cassettes. This may be in the form of using a long cage rear derailleur, a derailleur hanger extender like the Roadlink, or another way. A new, longer chain may also be needed. Cross-chaining can also be an issue either with the big chainring + big cog (similar to my experience) or small chainring + small cog.
- Let go of tighter jumps especially at the top-end. There may be no more one-tooth jumps. Settle for the two-tooth jumps at the top-end. This may be a challenge for races with lots of false flats and require more subtle gear changes.
- Time to adjust to the cassette. This not only includes the legs but also shifting habits. This took me around four days though this may be due to selecting a cassette as close to my current cassette. Another cassette with a very different pattern of jumps/gaps may need a longer adjustment period.

At the end of the one-week testing period, I decided to switch back to the 12-30t for most riding and I would put the 11-34t only when that "just-in-case" feels like a serious consideration, such as the SCTEX Duathlon and other difficult routes like Balanga (Bataan) or Jariel's Peak (Infanta, Quezon). I (and my legs too) still prefer the 12-30t and its jumps. After the Philippine Duathlon Series Leg 3 this July, I'll be putting the 11-34t back and start getting my legs accustomed to it. Here's my last tip: if you race and if you can, it might be good to keep different cassettes for different race courses. If not, it may be best to keep the widest cassette.

Post Script: I set up one bike for my uncle with a mix of Dura-Ace, Ultegra and SRAM parts with a Wolftooth Roadlink. It has a 53-39t standard crankset with an 11-42t cassette. Sorry for the bad quality. I was only using my tablet to take pictures.

11-42 SRAM cassette paired with a long cage Ultegra rear derailleur with Wolftooth Roadlink.

The easiest gear is a 39 x 42. That is a less than 1-to-1 combination for going up steep climbs.

Cross-chaining is possible which means there's one less thing to think about.

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