Gearing re-assurance
guilliano
Posts: 5,495
I've found that I am not using the largest 2 or 3 sprockets on my current 12-27 cassette, but on the flat I am sat wishing I had a higher gear. I've just bought a new 11-23 cassette to put on the bike.... will this give me a high enough gear? I can get to 25mph at a push at the moment with 50/12 gear, but as I am spinning like mad I'm hoping the 11t sprocket will be all I'll ever need...... I'm not fit enough for a double on hills and I don't want to change almost everything to go triple
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You push a 50-12 with no problem on the flat? Also don't understand your last sentence
".... not fit enough....". Is it just me?0 -
I'm just hoping that a 50/11 will be a high enough gear as I currently have a compact and the 34T inner ring is a godsend on climbs. I don't want to go 53/39 double to get a higher gear as the 39T would be too big for my fat body on climbs..... basically I want to stick with the compact 50/34 chainset I have but get a high enough gear to not be spinning out0
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well, a bit of arithmetic would have me believe that if you spin at the cadence you currently do when you get 25mph you'll get 12/11 of that speed with your new cassette, or about 27.25mph, which won't seem like a big deal I'd guess. (and hills will become 27/23 harder to climb - but if you're not using the bigger sprockets that won't make a lot of difference)
Pretty soon I reckon you'll change to a standard double. Then for the same cadence AND with your new 11 you'll get just under 30 mph. Of course you'll be putting proportionately more force in, (and hills will be a bit more challenging
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A triple will make life easier uphill, but you'll only be getting 52 instead of 53 teeth, so.... ah, my brain hurts. :shock:
(hope I got that lot right!!!)"The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon0 -
guilliano wrote:I'....25mph at a push at the moment with 50/12 gear, but as I am spinning like mad.....
maybe I've misunderstood but I'm not sure if the above really sounds right... I have a singlespeed with 48x16 and I can hold 25mph and I think it's about 100rpm, maybe the answer is to try a lower gear and seeing how fast you can spin, you'd be surprised how quick you can push a gear without bouncing up and down on the saddle
the cassette you've bought will feel different but as the ratios are closer you may well prefer it as there won't be as much of a jump in cadence from one to the next
hope all goes well either road"I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
--Jens Voight0 -
Try and work on your cadence - 50x11 is good enough for 60kph plus, so you've still got a fair way to go.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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guilliano wrote:I'm just hoping that a 50/11 will be a high enough gear as I currently have a compact and the 34T inner ring is a godsend on climbs. I don't want to go 53/39 double to get a higher gear as the 39T would be too big for my fat body on climbs..... basically I want to stick with the compact 50/34 chainset I have but get a high enough gear to not be spinning out
Don't take this wrong, but you want me to believe that you can SPIN out a 50-12
with regularity? Are you talking going downhill? Or flatland? Just how long can you hold this 50-12 spin?0 -
I'm used to a low cadence from MTBing and I find I have power in my legs but am building from a low endurance. I probably only spin at 75rpm (rough guess, no cadence senser) but to me this feels like spinning out as I prefer to push the gear rather than spin it.0
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I held a 50/12 gear on a flat(ish) for about 2 miles on my commute the other day. Could have held it a lot longer but there was a roundabout in the way coming off a bypass. My cadence is low, but that's just how I tend to ride. On downhills I feel uncomfortable trying to keep up with the gears once I get to 35mph and want a higher one. I'll probably get used to using a higher cadence as I get fitter, but for now I rely on power0
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Well my guess work is good at least...... I thought it would be about 75rpm. I've got the cassette anyway so am going to swap it over as the larger sprockets are pointless. I guess I just need to get used to a higher cadence0
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I ride 50/12 and I only managed to spin out at about 40mph this evening. I usually cruise at 17-22mph depending on the wind and that feels very comfortable, 25 and higher with a nice tailwind or slight downhill is easy and my legs are still comfortable, I wouldn't have said you're spinning like mad at all at 25mph.0
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