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Cassette for Kona?

Coach RichCoach Rich
in Ironman Hawaii (Kona)

Kona vets: what cassette should I run for race day? I was thinking of picking up a 25-11 anyway, as my current setup of 52/35, 28-11 gives me an annoying cadence gap at my bike path cruising speed of ~23-24.5mph 

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    Al TruscottAl Truscott

    It's not at all like Madison. Only one or two spots where the grade gets over 6%, and then it's 7-8, for a short bit. Hawi, eg, is 4-5%. I don't think *you* need a 28 tooth cog.

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    Coach RichCoach Rich

    Posted By Al Truscott on 19 Aug 2016 12:11 PM

    It's not at all like Madison. Only one or two spots where the grade gets over 6%, and then it's 7-8, for a short bit. Hawi, eg, is 4-5%. I don't think *you* need a 28 tooth cog.

    Thx. So 25 or 23t?

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    tim cronktim cronk
    KONA aint about the HILL... Its about the WIND.... 11-25 should be fine ... wouldn't go to 11-23... FWIW I ran 50/39 and 11-28 and pretty sure I used every gear all 3 times I have done KONA... If anything I really wished I had more gears for downwind sections having spun out at speed more than needing another gear to climb or spin into a vicious headwind... Went to a 52/36 on the Ventum and will be using 11-25 for IMMD :-)
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    Al TruscottAl Truscott
    Sorry. Yeah, wind on the ups means 25 a better choice IMO. Insurance so you don't have to,pop your legs.
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    Coach RichCoach Rich
    Got it! Gonna pick up a 25-11 and put it in the Cassette Quiver :-)
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    JeremyBehlerJeremyBehler
    I went with a standard crank and plan to run an 11-25. I may toy with putting a 36 ring on to see if I can get it to shift up front ok. I've read that a few folks have been able to make the 53/36 setup work on DA9000
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    Mike RobertsMike Roberts
    @TC, I also ride 52/36 on the front and hate the 11-25 on the back on flat courses because of the missing 16. At MD, you'll never be in the small, and you'll never be in the 11. I'm going 12-25 for NC just because I use 16 a lot and hate a 1-2 mph gear gap. Of course, the 16 may be a granny gear for you.
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    tim cronktim cronk
    @MR- Maybe on my tri-bike I may not need that 11 but that was not the case on the road bike (run 52/36-11/28, 11spd) I ran an 11-25 on that for about a day before buying the 11-28 but its a different animal... As far as gaps go? I ran 50/39 with 11-28 on a 10spd forever (@IMFL and IMTX too) so dont mind the gaps at all on any of the 11spd configurations... I will have to pay attention over the next few weeks how many times I use the 11 in a downwind flat stretch, if I'm not using it I like your idea to go 12-25 and actually never even considered it... Also keep in mind my cadence has really dropped over the years and its common for me to use 80rpm?
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    Dave TalloDave Tallo
    One more data point: I'll go with a compact/12-25. There are only three descents on the outbound course, and then the descent from hawi, where I spin out, and the 11 isn't going to forestall that too much. Plus, In each of those cases, you get going fast very quickly. my decision in all four of these is 'coast and bank the rest,' and enjoy the tighter range mid-cluster.

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    Rich StanbaughRich Stanbaugh
    If any of you are running a d-fly on your DI2, you can use this web (below) site to see the stats for how you are suing your gears or how you have used them in previous races... I find it super helpful.

    https://di2stats.com/

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    Patricia RosenPatricia Rosen
    11-28 and compact in the front with 150 crank arms.... just fine at Kona although it is my climbing set up. No big down hills either so spinning out was not an issue. Don't use disc wheel... wind is nasty
    prior set up was 12-25 with compact set up. probably a little better for the terrain. 150 crank arms because... I'm short!
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    moetai@gmail.commoetai@gmail.com
    didn't know they even make 150 crank...wow
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    Coach RichCoach Rich

    Thanks all. The 28-11, 52/36 is just bugging the shit out of me on these bike path rides, as the gap occurs right at ~23-24.5mph, very common speed when I ride towards the beach, where it's a slight downhill. I'll have to identify in what cogs exactly is that happening and look at cassette specs. For Kona I'm sure I'll want a 25-11 though

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    Patricia RosenPatricia Rosen

    Posted By DAVID RICHMOND on 20 Aug 2016 10:31 PM


    didn't know they even make 150 crank...wow

    Had them made for me by Bikesmith out of Minnesota.  (It was a recommendation from Frank Day, inventor of powercranks... which I am also a big fan of.  Frank was one of the original ironman competitors...and is an engineer I think from the navy....)    I use 155 on my road bike....  I can't find the literature right now but using my inseam, 155 is perfect for someone my size.  

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    Dave TalloDave Tallo
    Yah huh. Cobb makes stock cranks all the way down to 145.
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    Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Posted By Patricia Rosen on 22 Aug 2016 11:34 AM
    ... Frank Day, inventor of powercranks... which I am also a big fan of.  Frank was one of the original ironman competitors...and is an engineer I think from the navy....  

    Getting pretty far from the topic here, but, yes, he started out as a nuclear engineer in the Navy, but went to Med School. He was a Naval GP (no FPs back then) when he did that first IM, but he may have become an anesthesiologist, or that could be my faulty memory.

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