I don't want a double, Compact or triple!.
PostieJohn
Posts: 1,105
For 2 years I've cruised around on a standard 39-53 double with 12-25 on the back.
I've opened up a very small can of worms in 'Tour', by asking 'can I get my fat ass over the Pyrenees, with this set up'.
Anyway to help out, a friend lent me his compact today, and we did a usual climb.
Here's my feelings on it, which will lead to the obvious HELP question.
With my current set up, I love riding a flat road, sun on my back, in the mid/late twenties.
But don't/can't put any pace into going up hill, just grinding it out.
Today, with the compact, I found I was in the top gear, at a lower speed, very early on without feeling I could push on much faster.
When we hit the climb, I still felt I was 'grinding' when the % was in double figures.
As it levelled out to a single % climb, then the compact came into it's own, as to find a gear I could feel some 'bite' with, I was pushing on a lot faster than I would with my double.
Here's the HELP question:-
How can I get all of that on one chain set.
My idea set up would be:-
My big ring with say, my 3 smallest rear rings.
My 5th rear ring, for cruising
A compact, small front ring, with the equivalent rear gears.
Now I assume with the distances I'd be asking the chain to travel, that's never going to happen, but any suggestions as to how I can get close?
I've opened up a very small can of worms in 'Tour', by asking 'can I get my fat ass over the Pyrenees, with this set up'.
Anyway to help out, a friend lent me his compact today, and we did a usual climb.
Here's my feelings on it, which will lead to the obvious HELP question.
With my current set up, I love riding a flat road, sun on my back, in the mid/late twenties.
But don't/can't put any pace into going up hill, just grinding it out.
Today, with the compact, I found I was in the top gear, at a lower speed, very early on without feeling I could push on much faster.
When we hit the climb, I still felt I was 'grinding' when the % was in double figures.
As it levelled out to a single % climb, then the compact came into it's own, as to find a gear I could feel some 'bite' with, I was pushing on a lot faster than I would with my double.
Here's the HELP question:-
How can I get all of that on one chain set.
My idea set up would be:-
My big ring with say, my 3 smallest rear rings.
My 5th rear ring, for cruising
A compact, small front ring, with the equivalent rear gears.
Now I assume with the distances I'd be asking the chain to travel, that's never going to happen, but any suggestions as to how I can get close?
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Comments
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why don't you check out some Stronglight chain rings. They've got a huge range. For me, instead of using standard 53-39, I use 51-39 with 13-26 casette and works fine for me. So maybe you should experiment with your chain ring.0
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Compact Double with a Sram 11-26 or even an emergency 11-28 for the pyrenees would be my choice.
A 50-11 is (I think) a bigger gear than a 53-12 and as for spinning up the side of a skyscraper you are sorted!0 -
PostieJohn wrote:Today, with the compact, I found I was in the top gear, at a lower speed, very early on without feeling I could push on much faster.
Out of curiosity, what is your cadence?0 -
I didn't look at my cadance, it's a little too involved for me. I'm a top speed, ave, distance & time, man. Although I recently read an article on it, involving hill climbing.
From memory, when I did look, I was going up hill around 60-70 rpm, (and working my nuts off!). While riding a little above that on the flat.
(That might turn out to be well off the mark, I'll have a proper look over the weekend.)
My cadance would definately go through the roof, with a campact.0 -
Flat out pedalling on my compact, for me, is above 40mph...0
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Man up and ride fixed.
Gears? what are you, an old woman? need to keep your cadence smooth so that your little dog doesn't fall out of the basket?0 -
In fairness I ride a fixie, for 2 weeks, after every time I 'tweak' my indexing.
Then my LBS makes it right again
ND 40+mph, your legs must be going round like a windmill in a hurricane.0 -
I can get my cadence up to around 180.
EDIT: not at the moment I might add!!0 -
Just worked it out on a gear calculator that I do about 32mph on my 50-11 (175mm cranks) at my cruising rpm of 90. 42 mph is still only 120 rpm in that gear.0
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Surely that's a singlespeed not a fixed wheel bike. Don't say fixie.PostieJohn wrote:In fairness I ride a fixie, for 2 weeks, after every time I 'tweak' my indexing.
Then my LBS makes it right again
ND 40+mph, your legs must be going round like a windmill in a hurricane.
Seriously though, all this nonsense about trying to find the right gears, you're either grinding or too spinny with 20 or 30 gears? I've only got 2 gears (2 bikes) and never have I thought "I wish I had loads of gears like an old woman".
HTFU IMHO.0 -
Many folk on these forums seem to over estimate cadence. There are many tables that will give speed/ rpm for a given speed. I have a 65" gear (42/17) on my fixed bike and this gives just under 30 mph at 150 rpm. That is about my max. Anyone who can spin out on 50/11 should be a pro rider. At 120 rpm it gives 42 mph. 53/11 is 45mph at 120 rpm. At those speeds I am freewheeling and having a rest.0
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John, I can and have spun out my 50/11 however I was going downhill at the time...
What I was trying to say to the OP was a compact 50/34 with an 11/28 cog would be ideal for a hilly ride in the big mountains if you're not the best climber. It would be (IMO) too wide a spread of gears over here, especially in a group ride! I just about manage with my 11-26. I tend to use my training bike with standard 53/39 11-25 for group training rides.0 -
The OP is doing a Pyreneen tour so not really relevent. It is good fun doing this but he should be saving energy on the descents, they are fast enough anyway. I was over 50mph several times.NapoleonD wrote:John, I can and have spun out my 50/11 however I was going downhill at the time...
If he is using Shimano then he should be fine with 50/34 and 12/27. Standard tried and tested stuff that will do the job. I had no trouble on the climbs with this range and am over 60. I do not like the 12/25 cassette as I think the lower gears are too close to be really useful.0 -
Yep, that combo sounds good.0
