Biggest gear

keithc440

Just looking for a few quick responses to see what people think is a realistic biggest gear on a road bike that they will actually use. I currently have a 53 / 13 on my best bike and to be honest I can't spin it out on the flat and downhill on public roads I am not sure I really want to go any quicker. I am considering a 50 / 13. Have this on my winter bike and really like the 50. Is 50 / 13 to small though if you had any racing ambitions ?

redddraggon

keithc440 wrote:

Is 50 / 13 to small though if you had any racing ambitions ?

Probably.

I've got 50/11 and will have 53/12 on my second bike - both roughly equal although 50/11 is actually bigger.

If you've got a nice high cadence though, 50/13 would probably do you fine.

Down the Road

Why change?

If you're going to rce you may need it one day. 50/13 will see you blown out the back of many races even at Cat4 level.

SDP

we have a junior who rides E/1/2 races & has placed well up inb these as a 1st year junior..max gear 52X14 !

depends on your leg speed ....

learn to pedal at a good cadence...effieicnt & saves your knees..

50X12 or 13 will be fine for entry level racing ..

cougie

There seems to be a lot of machismo still going back to what gears you ride. Some people clearly overgear themselves massively.

Look at the pros = their cadences are always in the 80s.

Have you seen the TTer with that massive chainring on - it looks like it would ground out over speedbumps. If it was purely down to the biggest gear wins - then he would win every time.

If you are racing - wouldnt you have another block so you can swap between flat gears and hilly gears ? a 50-11 would be something like 120 inches ?

redddraggon

cougie wrote:

There seems to be a lot of machismo still going back to what gears you ride. Some people clearly overgear themselves massively.

Look at the pros = their cadences are always in the 80s.

Have you seen the TTer with that massive chainring on - it looks like it would ground out over speedbumps. If it was purely down to the biggest gear wins - then he would win every time.

If you are racing - wouldnt you have another block so you can swap between flat gears and hilly gears ? a 50-11 would be something like 120 inches ?

I don't know why people get so hung up on cadence, personally I use what gear and cadence is appropriate for the situation.

I wouldn't say I over gear myself - I rarely use the smallest sprocket - except on descents and fast flat areas. 50/14 at 80 rpm is only 23mph, easily achievable and sustainable on well surfaced flat roads, as soon as the road starts to descend "why not shift down a sprocket or two?

Personally I've got both high and low gears that I don't use, but if I wanted them they are there.

pete.whelan

We have a maximum of 57 x 11 on our TT tandem. Have spun out a few times

Shadowduck

I have 53/12 - I've never spun out but I do use it so I guess my gearing must be about right. Actually, one of the ways I can tell I'm on a fast run is if I find myself in top!

Monty Dog

TT'er with a big gear? That'll be Nik Bowdler from Farnborough & Camberley - he might be quick but elegant it aint!

leguape

Down the Road wrote:

Why change?

If you're going to rce you may need it one day. 50/13 will see you blown out the back of many races even at Cat4 level.

According to the Sheldon Brown gear Calc

100RPM cadence in 50/13 = 48.4km/h
120RPM cadence in 50/13 = 58.1km/h

OK that's a fair old spin but not exactly impossible. And that's not accounting for wind and gradient etc. The day you get shelled in a 4th cat race at 58km/h is the day I turn pro.

To put in context, I think the national crit champ won a few races last season on 50/11.

leonlikestrees

Back when I raced, I tended to use a 52/13. I was a 2nd cat, so ok, but no pro. I never ever felt undergeared though.

In TT's, I used to have a 54/12 top gear, but as much as anything it was so I could sit in the middle of the block, which is where the drivetrain is most efficient. It also meant that for the odd course with any significant downhill sections, I could get some real speed up.

I never figure out why, but in TT's I could never keep a good cadence. On the road it's 80-100ish, but in a TT it used to drop to about 70. Must be something to do with the position I guess...

Now I'm an old fart (well, 32!, but it's been 8 years since my last road race), I ride with a 50/12 top gear, and I'm not sure if I ever actually use it!

Ken Night

keithc440 wrote:

Just looking for a few quick responses to see what people think is a realistic biggest gear on a road bike that they will actually use. I currently have a 53 / 13 on my best bike and to be honest I can't spin it out on the flat and downhill on public roads I am not sure I really want to go any quicker. I am considering a 50 / 13. Have this on my winter bike and really like the 50. Is 50 / 13 to small though if you had any racing ambitions ?

Depends on what you're going in for doesn't it?

50/13 is fine on a sportif-you won't be going 35mph (115rpm) for long, and if you're going that fast, you'll be in a pack-example the Vaujany sportif drops 300m in the first 27k and it was covered in exactly 30 mins last year-no problem (there was after that, straight into 34/26 and was spat out the back!)

the other side of this is the cassette-with 13-26, you get a run of 7 sprockets 1T difference-fabulous

If you're racing you may want something higher

If you're touring, you could get away with lower-using a cassette starting with 14 to get close spacer further up the cassette

FWIW, I run 4 bikes

Crosser-48/13-use this bike for a lot of road stuff and use 48/13 frequently
Best- 50/13-hardly ever use
Retro 53/13-never use
Hack 53/12-this bike is the on the turbo most of the time

Hope that helps

MegaCycle

I have a 50/34 compact and a 12-27 at the back. I reckon that's about the best for sportives and climbs. Prob not fast enough for racing tho.