Racing on a compact 50/34.. possible? stupid?

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  • andy162
    andy162 Posts: 634
    Bhima wrote:
    How exactly would one "lock out" gears?

    you would adjust the rear mech limit screw so it won't drop onto the smallest sprockets.
  • huggy
    huggy Posts: 242
    Hmm cheers for letting me know, could be tricky in future. In Youth cat racing I just had to tape my front STI shifter to stop myself from using the big ring.
  • joshposh
    joshposh Posts: 673
    Yep i had the exact same problem last year (when i was new to it all). Essentially you need to get hold of a 52 tooth chainring (Quality T.A ones cost about £50 rrp). You will also need to get a specific cassette namely a 16-27ultegra one (they only do ultegra ones if your running 10speed that is!). It ends up being rather expensive but it needs to be done for national level racing etc. Hope this helps!
  • love2ride
    love2ride Posts: 224
    Ivan basso was one of the first riders to race the tour de france on a compact.
  • nolf
    nolf Posts: 1,287
    love2ride wrote:
    Ivan basso was one of the first riders to race the tour de france on a compact.

    Didn't he only do 1 or 2 stages on a compact when they went into the steep mountains, and switched back for more normal stages?

    I seem to recall pozatto doing some of the mountain stages in the giro a couple of years back on a compact, was a steep mountain though!
    "I hold it true, what'er befall;
    I feel it, when I sorrow most;
    'Tis better to have loved and lost;
    Than never to have loved at all."

    Alfred Tennyson
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Almost all used a compact at the Vuelta last year (Angliru), and many of them including Contador used one in the Giro (Plan de Corones TT).
  • love2ride
    love2ride Posts: 224
    nolf wrote:
    love2ride wrote:
    Ivan basso was one of the first riders to race the tour de france on a compact.

    Didn't he only do 1 or 2 stages on a compact when they went into the steep mountains, and switched back for more normal stages?

    I seem to recall pozatto doing some of the mountain stages in the giro a couple of years back on a compact, was a steep mountain though!

    whole thing on a compact
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    I'm not denying it happened but I'm surprised as you do hear about pros using bigger chain rings than 53 quite regularly - Kelly was talking about some using a 54 in the Vuelta TT the other day - OK I know that's a TT but it was a flat TT. You'd think the risk of having to chase hard on a descent without a huge gear would be a bigger difference than the lack of a 36 or 34 front chain ring on all but a few select stages.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • love2ride
    love2ride Posts: 224
    He probably used a bigger chain ring for the tts but the rest was on a compact.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Yes I was thinking more of descents on your average mountain stage though - it's not that unusual for people to attack on descents or for favourites to be distanced on a climb and have to chase on the descent - and a compact - even with an 11 sprocket - would leave pros undergeared.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    When I last raced I used 52/42 generally with a 7 speed 13-21 cassette other than one or two races where I went to a 39/23 minimum gear for some particularly steep South Wales hills. That gave me a maximum gear of 117.0 and lowest of 54.0. I did occassionally time trial on a 52/12 (127.6) but can't say it was ever comfortable!

    I've been amused looking at some comments on various forum lately where people have opted for a triple chainring on racing bikes to get up the steeper hills as most compact 9 or 10 speeds give a lowest gear of around 36.7 and an upper of 112.5. Surely that's enough for even the hilliest areas unless touring / carrying loads? In my overweight condition I reckon I could still manage the worst hills around here in 34/25! The use of 9 or 10 speed casettes mean that these compact chainsets are giving a greater range of ratios than the old 52/42 chainset 15 years ago.

    Juniors have got it good these days - gears were restricted to 93.7 when I raced (52 x 15 was the closest).
  • Ian J
    Ian J Posts: 12
    Having come back to cycling after a long time off I was surprised to find the gears had all changed from 52/42 to the compact or triple set up, I used to knock about on the 52 chainring with a straight up 12-18, I never used to come off the outer chainring.

    Admittedly I am large build and even back then had 28" thighs so I suppose I was always going to favour a taller gear.


    Must admit I cacked my pants looking at the chainring on Obree's bike which he's using for the Hour record 67x13 gear which is even more bonkers than the 80's big gear cruncher Ian Cammish who used to crank a 64x11 gear :shock:
    Focus Culebro Tria
  • nolf
    nolf Posts: 1,287
    Ian J wrote:
    Having come back to cycling after a long time off I was surprised to find the gears had all changed from 52/42 to the compact or triple set up, I used to knock about on the 52 chainring with a straight up 12-18, I never used to come off the outer chainring.

    Admittedly I am large build and even back then had 28" thighs so I suppose I was always going to favour a taller gear.


    Must admit I cacked my pants looking at the chainring on Obree's bike which he's using for the Hour record 67x13 gear which is even more bonkers than the 80's big gear cruncher Ian Cammish who used to crank a 64x11 gear :shock:

    People spin a lot more nowadays.
    Especially in racing, if you can keep a lower gear turning smoothly and at speed (like 100rpm) accelerating suddenly is so easy. Accelerating in a big gear is really tiring after a few times (hence why I always change down 2 gears when going round a sharp corner so I can accelerate out faster)
    "I hold it true, what'er befall;
    I feel it, when I sorrow most;
    'Tis better to have loved and lost;
    Than never to have loved at all."

    Alfred Tennyson
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Agreed Nolf, there was a phase in the early 90's where egos went mad and everyone was trying to grind a bigger gear than anyone else. Spinning, once you get used to it, keeps the legs much fresher.

    Obree's always been a bit mad. It will take him the first 5 minutes of the hour to get the gear turning! :D
  • Ian J
    Ian J Posts: 12
    Pross wrote:
    Agreed Nolf, there was a phase in the early 90's where egos went mad and everyone was trying to grind a bigger gear than anyone else. Spinning, once you get used to it, keeps the legs much fresher.

    Obree's always been a bit mad. It will take him the first 5 minutes of the hour to get the gear turning! :D

    I hope they televise it or at least have it on the net 8)

    To be honest I was always happier in a gear or 2 higher than normal - having chunky legs they seemed happier using the weight than they did spinning madly, I tended to be comfortable doing a cadence of around 75ish. I'll just have to see how I go on my training comeback lol
    Focus Culebro Tria
  • Dane7
    Dane7 Posts: 22
    The Danish team pursiut team race on a 51 x 14, 98.4". I know theres no downhills, but whats wrong with an aero tuck?

    But horses for courses I suppose. Personally I tend to train over or undergeared depending on the session or focus of the part of the season.
  • bianchi_boy
    bianchi_boy Posts: 54
    I have race on 46x15!!!!
  • thiscocks
    thiscocks Posts: 549
    Bhima wrote:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Bhima wrote:
    Why lower gears for youths/juniors?

    So they don't blow their knees out.

    :? In my experience, pushing high gears doesn't wreck your knees, it's poor bike setup.

    2 weeks ago, I did a 65 mile ride in uncomfortably high gears the whole time just to see what would happen. My knees were fine.

    Not a good idea to purpously ride big gears if it is uncomfortable. Your knees may not hurt on the ride but it may weaken them for the future.

    I think if you have run a big gear since the start of riding and you are comfortable then it is ok, but not reccomended to suddenly go to a bigger gear-low cadence style.

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