Is this an indication that I need a double?
freehub
Posts: 4,257
I'm just wondering, basically, on most rides, I find anything up to 17% I can stay in the big ring which is a 50, going into the little ring makes no difference in speed just spinning faster but I feel more comfortable off the saddle putting some effort into it, when I did 165 miles the other weekend there was probably only about 5 hills I needed the little ring in which is a 34, and I was on about 19 on the back, so that's 34-19 I was in, would it be better to upgrade to a double and be able to actually sit in the little ring that's a 39 most of the time and possibly help maintain a better and more consistant effort? I was in the big ring today going up a 14% hill and changing to bigger gears made no difference in speed, infact spinning more I seem to slow down so I just changed back into a smaller gear on the cassette.
Or with abit dodgy knees am I just asking for loads more trouble going with a double? I don't ride much now, I've only done 47 miles this week.
Thanks
Will.
Or with abit dodgy knees am I just asking for loads more trouble going with a double? I don't ride much now, I've only done 47 miles this week.
Thanks
Will.
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I might put a 38 ring in if you can't get 39, I know from the 36 on my commuter you can ride at a speed on the flat but still feels abit odd.
Grantus, that was last week, I've cut my riding down allot at the moment, I only aim to do a ride every so often to maintain my fitness atm.0 -
You can get 39T 110mm rings -
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s149p433
Stronglight CT2 are quality rings, have a good finish and are pretty light.
If you look around you might be able to find some cheaper ones.
TBH if you are upping the inner ring to a 39, you might aswell put a 52/53/54 big ring on too.0 -
If you are trying to save your knees then honking up steep hills on the big ring is not going to help them.
You need to spin up them until your knees recover from whatever problems you have or you may risk long term damage and not be able to get up any hills in future.
Your choice - be sensible and spin or do what you obviously want to do. Make sure you see someone soon who can assess your knee problems and give you a way forward.0 -
What cassette do you have? It's waaaay cheaper to replace that for one with higher gears.
I like the big jump you get from a 50 to a 34, so if I were to change to a bigger small ring, i'd want to change the big ring too. All personal preference though.0 -
I have a 12-27 cassette.
I might consider that 39 when I'm back in mcr.
scapaslow, I know what's wrong with my knee, it's a muscle imbalance causing the knee cap to not track correctly which causes wear on the articular cartilage under the knee cap and I get peteformal or w/e its called pain when no cycling, cycling I don't really get pain, the physio says I'm fine to cycle but I've took the decision to cut down my miles and am staying off club runs for the time being.
I might do 40 or 60ish miles tomorrow though since it appears it's going to be the only good day of the week and try and go into the little ring and get used to spinning.0 -
If you use this, it'll give you a good indication of the sorts of changes you will make to your gearing if you change rings/cassette.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
For example, if you kept the 34 and got an 11-23 cassette, you'd be able to get almost exactly the same gears as a 39 + your current 12-27. I know which one i'd rather do if I wanted to spend as little as possible...0 -
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Yeah, you're right actually, unless he decides to increase the size of the big ring too.
Personally, i'd just stick to the same setup until things start to wear out, unless the gearing is really doing his head in, to the point of insanity. If it aint broke, don't fix it!0 -
+1 on the cassette being more expensive to replace, and I am impressed by you using the big ring more Freehub, but why ?
I did my local Sportive 65 miles today over some sodding bastard hills, Cobb Lane was 20%, pleased to say I got up them all this time, last March I had to get off.
But I saw loads of roadies trying to tonk up in the big ring, even when they were on the big sprocket at the back, very strange chain angles - why ? I spun up a lot easier IMHO...
I run a 50/34 compact but 12/25 on the back, but 27 would have been useful today...
Maybe you need to just go to a 25 ?My knees hurt !0 -
Takis61 wrote:I did my local Sportive 65 miles today over some sodding bastard hills, Cobb Lane was 20%
Was that the Burgess Hill Rumble?0 -
redddraggon wrote:Will, you'd be fine with a double, but you don't really need one, unless you need a gear bigger than 50-11.
+1. Everyone else enjoying the compact backlash? It's like people are starting to worry that using a compact means they're not real men, as if 50/11 is a bit spinny for cruising in.
Having a compact does not mean you have a small penis. It's okay. No-one's judging you.0 -
Takis61 wrote:+1 on the cassette being more expensive to replace, and I am impressed by you using the big ring more Freehub, but why ?
I did my local Sportive 65 miles today over some sodding bastard hills, Cobb Lane was 20%, pleased to say I got up them all this time, last March I had to get off.
But I saw loads of roadies trying to tonk up in the big ring, even when they were on the big sprocket at the back, very strange chain angles - why ? I spun up a lot easier IMHO...
I run a 50/34 compact but 12/25 on the back, but 27 would have been useful today...
Maybe you need to just go to a 25 ?
I did not use the little ring today cause I felt no need, when I was in the dales we had climbs up to 25% and I very rarely went above 34-19.0 -
But who says I'm doing 80RPM?
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I assumed 80 because, if it's lower, you'd probably shift to a lower gear.
So you intentionally go up 25%ers in too high a gear then?0 -
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Still, that's a massive power output though, even for 60 RPM, it's good.0
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biondino wrote:using a compact means they're not real men
my 34:23 is bigger than a 39:27
It means nothing.0 -
But if you had a double you'd have 39:23.
I have a double, purely for the manliness. It's only a 52/39 but I tell people it's a 53, they rarely check.0 -
Infamous wrote:But if you had a double you'd have 39:23.
thats what 34:21 is for.
it means nothing.0 -
I was only thinking about it as maybe I'd be able to stick in the little ring even on the flats, no faffing about changing down at hills if I need to.0
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So you're going from riding up hills on the 50 to riding on the flats on the 39.
It might be a good idea to change it if you're cross-chaining (which you probably are).0 -
I am cross chaining, allthought it's not cause any damage, nearly got 3000 miles out of a chain.0
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I echo Ant's comments.0
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If you are fit enough to use the bigger gears afforded by using a racing double, go for it. If not, ride until you are?"A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
biondino wrote:Having a compact does not mean you have a small penis. It's okay. No-one's judging you.
My sentiments exactly, people shouldn't mock the guy for having a double!
I would be interested to see what a 39/50 combo would be like. I find 53 a little too big to cruise on the flat unless doing harder rides. I run a 12-25 casette as it's hilly near here, and with a 50 up front most of the time rarely go into the small ring."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 Tennyson0
