# Contador's bike ....??



## eftz (Jun 17, 2012)

Just started watching pro cycling and I'M curious, why dont riders use a higher rear cassette for mountain stages? for example, this video shows contador's bike(not sure if this is what hes using in the TDF) Alberto Contador's Specialized SL4 - YouTube. Hes using 11-28 and a 53-39. Why not go with a lower crank like 50-34 or maybe a 12-30 rear?

Wouldnt this be easier on the legs making it easier for the climb?
BTW, watching these races are fun! I'M still learning


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

Note the length of the cage on that rear derailleur (!!!) - and as the voice-over indicates, it can handle up to 32-tooth rear. So yeah, pro-wise, he can really gear low.


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## egebhardt (Feb 17, 2007)

Contador doesn't often use compact 34-50 cranks. He's stronger and can usually push full cranks and an 11-25 in back. Also, smaller gears are not as efficient. Run bigger gears to get a smoother drivetrain. Pro bikes have to weigh 15lbs some way or another. They add lead too.


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## AdamM (Jul 9, 2008)

You'll find that the general classification pros do sometimes use compact cranksets at the Giro and Vuelta - but not typically at the TDF (climbs tend to be less steep at the TDF).


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## eftz (Jun 17, 2012)

Ahh I guess it makes makes sense


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

AdamM said:


> You'll find that the general classification pros do sometimes use compact cranksets at the Giro and Vuelta - but not typically at the TDF (climbs tend to be less steep at the TDF).


You obviously have never ridden the Galibier or Glandon. Granted they don't have retarded steep gimmicks like the Angrilu, but the two I mentioned are equal to the challenge. Angrilu doesn't have a cat 1 climb at the base of it like Galibier either. You finish Telegraph then roll right into Galibier without a break.


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

The typical grades of the TdF climbs are perfectly manageable on a standard crankset with the cassette you quoted for Contador, even for an amateur such as myself. Granted, I would sometimes drop to suboptimal rpms, but that's me. If I had an FTP of 400+ Watts, I could spin up those climbs quite happily... P.S.: Oh, and I forgot to add, I'm sure I weigh about 20 pounds more than Alberto, too.


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## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

You should also realize that, just because it had 53-39 and 11-28 the day they filmed it, it doesn't mean that he always has that gearing. The teams all have bike techs who are equipped to change the gearing every stage if needed.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Eftz, you would be interested to know that in the Vuelta and Giro of a few years ago, races featuring 20%+ climbs, before the "race groups" were offering wider ranges (which some are doing now), Contador got a lot of attention for running an Apex group (SRAM's desigated "touring" group) on those very steep mountain stages, due to the more generous gearing. He blistered the field (mostly running traditional gearing) with it. This helped to legitimize the running of wider range gearing among the pro's. Though it still exists to some degree, I recall four or five years ago that people running compact cranksets and/or cassettes larger than a 12-23 were stigmatized to the point that many amateur riders were intimidated into running hard gears when they would benefit from a wider gear range. I remember when I replaced my 53-11 and 12-25 with a compact and a 11-28. My climb times on some of my favorite mountains actually got better and my speed/shifting in the flats was unaffected, though it was once strongly argued that the shifting of wide-range cassettes would be too inadequate for a "serious" cyclist, who should not "need" lower gears anyway (since one should never ever use anything that is not absolutely necessary, even if it does make one more comfortable) and the weight of a larger cassette would be unbearable for such a discriminating cyclist. I recommend watching the Angliru stage of the 2008 Vuelta and comparing the cadence and appearance of Contador with Valverde and Rodriguez on the steep part of that climb. I believe Alberto was running a 11-30 cassette on that stage, if my memory serves me correctly. There are situations where Contador feels that such gearing is beneficial and he will use it if he does.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Interesting thread - as a flatlander (Delmarva Peninsula), gearing is fairly easy and not something I have to think a lot about, but climbing hills/mountains in Maine recently brought home the importance of having the right gearing. The Pros, like Conti, know what suits them and the terrain best and becoming a gearing expert is their meat-and-spuds - and they (the team wrenches) can shift-out drive trains like the rest of us change...well you know. If Conti is using a certain drivetrain ratio on a given day, I think we can be confident that the choice works for him - but may not work for another rider.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

I saw a photo of his bike at this year's Giro pointing out a compact crank and 11-28 cassette with a wifli RD cage. Contador mentioned that the compact crank was more prone to dropping chains and was something he had to be careful about.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Aside from the extraordinarily steep climbs that the Giro and Vuelta sometimes use, none of these guys need a 28 or a compact. I'm surprised Conti had anything lower than a 25 for any stage of this race. LA executed his "high cadence" technique with a 23T lowest cog.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

looigi said:


> Contador mentioned that the compact crank was more prone to dropping chains and was something he had to be careful about.


Yeah, it would suck to drop your chain right at the top of a climb and have the guys behind pass you while you put it back on...

(someone had to say it)


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

davidka said:


> Aside from the extraordinarily steep climbs that the Giro and Vuelta sometimes use, none of these guys need a 28 or a compact. I'm surprised Conti had anything lower than a 25 for any stage of this race. LA executed his "high cadence" technique with a 23T lowest cog.


After some TdF stage win, Lance was asked what cog he used when attacking toward the mountaintop finish. He famously replied, "A 25. If I'd had a 26 I'd have used it."

Several years ago, I remember arguing on these very boards that it was just a matter of time before Shimano offered a DuraAce compact. At the time, they did not. I was derided, because the pros eschewed compacts, and Shimano aimed it's DuraAce line only at the pros, and to heck with the rest of us. In fact, I was told by a Shimano rep that the company would never consider a top-end compact. Too sissy. Good thing they changed their mind.


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## eftz (Jun 17, 2012)

Wouldnt you all agree tho, if Conti used a compact or a higher rear cassette, he may have been up there with Froome and Porter yesterday on stage 8 of the TDF?


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Slartibartfast said:


> After some TdF stage win, Lance was asked what cog he used when attacking toward the mountaintop finish. He famously replied, "A 25. If I'd had a 26 I'd have used it."
> 
> Several years ago, I remember arguing on these very boards that it was just a matter of time before Shimano offered a DuraAce compact. At the time, they did not. I was derided, because the pros eschewed compacts, and Shimano aimed it's DuraAce line only at the pros, and to heck with the rest of us. In fact, I was told by a Shimano rep that the company would never consider a top-end compact. Too sissy. Good thing they changed their mind.


Armstrong in his later years used a 26t cassette (because Sram didn't make 26t before that). I forgot what year, but it was one of his comeback years.

Contador used a whooping 32t cassette on at least one stage of Vuelta 2012.

Wiggins was spotted using a Shimano midcompact crank on at least one stage at Giro 2013.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

eftz said:


> Wouldnt you all agree tho, if Conti used a compact or a higher rear cassette, he may have been up there with Froome and Porter yesterday on stage 8 of the TDF?


nope. 

He lost 1'45" minutes to Froome but don't think it was due to gearing because his cadence looked like his typical cadence on a climb. Froome was just killing it.


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> Yeah, it would suck to drop your chain right at the top of a climb and have the guys behind pass you while you put it back on...
> 
> (someone had to say it)


Agreed. Someone had to say it. Classic.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

eftz said:


> Wouldnt you all agree tho, if Conti used a compact or a higher rear cassette, he may have been up there with Froome and Porter yesterday on stage 8 of the TDF?



Gearing mistakes like that are pretty rare in the Tour de France and Contador is very meticulous about his gearing. If it is remotely possible that an extra gear could help him on a stage, he will use it. Froome's dominant ride yesterday didn't have anything to do with gearing. 

Gearing errors of the sort you described do not happen very often in the Tour de France because though there certainly are some steep climbs, none of the climbs used in the Tour are absurdly steep like some of the ones that get used in the Giro and Vuelta. It is fair to call the Tour the hardest race in the world but that is because the level of competition is so high. The courses utilized in the Giro and Vuelta can be much harder (one perspective that I use myself is that as a moderately competent amateur cyclist, I can make it to the top (very slowly) of any of the HC climbs being used in the Tour this year, as could most cyclists who ride regularly provided they train a little and pace themselves; I honestly don't know that I would be able to get to the top of the Angliru (used in the Vuelta occasionally), even riding at my own slow pace, because I have never attempted a climb that difficult). It is really only on those sorts of climbs that you will occasionally see top level pro's get into trouble due to gearing errors. I mentioned the Angliru stage of the 2008 Vuelta in a previous post because that is exactly what happened with Alejandro Valverde. Valverde acknowledged that he was worried about being under-geared before the stage and did not choose the most generous options available to him. Contador on the other hand did. If you compare them going up the steepest part of the climb, Contador is smoothly pedaling with a _relatively_ quick cadence, considering the gradient. Valverde is standing up and throwing his bike all over the place just trying to keep the pedals moving. To be fair, Valverde's performance that day was quite good but he looked much more uncomfortable than Contador and regretted his gearing choice. 

Again, that is a climb with 24% pitches with an _average_ gradient of 13% over the last six kilometers. You will not see anything like that in the Tour and thus shouldn't expect to see the top climbers finding themselves over-geared. 

As a new fan of professional cycling, you will enjoy watching the other races that happen throughout the season. Each one has its own character and different races are won by different kinds of riders. That is one of the reasons that I enjoy viewing cycling more than other sports. In a football game, the scenery is always the same and the same players can be expected to do the same things in every game. Professional cycling races happen all over the world and each have different dynamics. Many will say it is the most beautiful sport in the world.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

eftz said:


> Wouldnt you all agree tho, if Conti used a compact or a higher rear cassette, he may have been up there with Froome and Porter yesterday on stage 8 of the TDF?


Contador knows what he is doing.

For Saturday's stage Quintana used a standard 53/39 crank and 12/27 cassette. Good article about his bike on cyclingnews. As pirx said, the Tour climbs aren't usually ridiculously steep, they are ridiculously long.


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## eftz (Jun 17, 2012)

awesome info.
Good to say that they are pros for a reason 

thanks!


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

eftz said:


> awesome info.
> Good to say that they are pros for a reason
> 
> thanks!


Giro d?Italia: David Millar?s bike set up to spin through the mountains

An 11-36 mtn bike cassette and rear derailleur!

I suspect Contador's 32t Apex rear derailleur was a marketing stunt.

As far as going compact, I'm not a huge spinner and I've had to chase down people in my 53/11 around here so a standard definitely helped.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

thechriswebb said:


> Eftz, you would be interested to know that in the Vuelta and Giro of a few years ago, races featuring 20%+ climbs, before the "race groups" were offering wider ranges (which some are doing now), Contador got a lot of attention for running an Apex group (SRAM's desigated "touring" group) on those very steep mountain stages, due to the more generous gearing.


Further insight is that the gear selection goes back to the 2008 Giro before Apex existed, when he was running a custom long-cage Red RD and cassette.


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## B05 (Jul 31, 2011)

> Contador used a whooping 32t cassette on at least one stage of Vuelta 2012.


Those stupid super steep mountains in the Vuelta...sheesh.

I'd need a compact and 36t and lots of luck.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

aclinjury said:


> He lost 1'45" minutes to Froome but don't think it was due to gearing because his cadence looked like his typical cadence on a climb. Froome was just killing it.


Hmmm, you're probably right, but my impression at the time was that he just wasn't dancing the way he had in the past. I'm not proposing it was gearing problem, just that he didn't seem to have the ability to accelerate as he has done previously. FWIW, I ride an Ultegra triple and can climb just about anything my SoCal mountains throw at me. Then again, I'm 60 years old and long ago gave up trying to look cool. I prefer to reach my destination without falling over!


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

JSR said:


> Hmmm, you're probably right, but my impression at the time was that he just wasn't dancing the way he had in the past. I'm not proposing it was gearing problem, just that he didn't seem to have the ability to accelerate as he has done previously. FWIW, I ride an Ultegra triple and can climb just about anything my SoCal mountains throw at me. Then again, I'm 60 years old and long ago gave up trying to look cool. I prefer to reach my destination without falling over!


A few guys with triples have beaten me up some of the steepest (10%-12%+) climbs in Malibu, especially this time of year when the heat is constantly 95F+.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Slartibartfast said:


> After some TdF stage win, Lance was asked what cog he used when attacking toward the mountaintop finish. He famously replied, "A 25. If I'd had a 26 I'd have used it."


Famously? I've never heard that before. In the 9 speed days he usually used T/A aluminum cassettes so that he could choose his gears and for light weight. He always used a 12-23T, sometimes with a 22 and a 21 (losing the 16) so the jumps would be as small as possible for the climb. Maybe he went broader in the 10 speed days but not before.


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