Just got a new bike (but I may have made a mistake)

Joe_Lopez

I just picked up a 2012 Cannondale Caad 8 Sora, My old bike was a 23 year old trek that gave my family its moneys worth I loved my old (tank) and wanted my new bike to be a lot like my old bike, But I noticed even though my speed is up im not peddling as hard as I used to (compact crank), is it possible to upgrade my crank to something that makes me work a little harder without upgrading all my components, if so what do you recommend?? Thanks a ton and I did use search to try and find the answers but I couldn't find a complete answer.

nunowoolmez

You need a standard crankset, a 53/39T. you shouldn't need to change any other components.

ugo.santalucia

In fairness, unless you are Chris Hoy, a 50/13 gear ratio is plenty... try using those small sprockets

Bozman

A compact can take some getting used to, i'm still coming to terms with one because i used a standard for 18 years, folk don't like hard work these days, when i was a lad you gritted your teeth and got on with it, you didn't come crying to a cycling forum about a lack of easy gearing.

I don't know what ratios are available for Sora but it might be easier to change your rear cassette to something like a 11/23, that worked for me.

NITR8s

Bozman wrote:

A compact can take some getting used to, i'm still coming to terms with one because i used a standard for 18 years, folk don't like hard work these days, when i was a lad you gritted your teeth and got on with it, you didn't come crying to a cycling forum about a lack of easy gearing.

I don't know what ratios are available for Sora but it might be easier to change your rear cassette to something like a 11/23, that worked for me.

Obviously dont live in a hilly area then! I would love to see how much anyone could possibly enjoy riding up a cat 2 or 3 hill with a standard chainset and a 11/23 cassette.

Joe_Lopez

Bozman wrote:

A compact can take some getting used to, i'm still coming to terms with one because i used a standard for 18 years, folk don't like hard work these days, when i was a lad you gritted your teeth and got on with it, you didn't come crying to a cycling forum about a lack of easy gearing.

I don't know what ratios are available for Sora but it might be easier to change your rear cassette to something like a 11/23, that worked for me.

Thanks guys for the quick response I'm very relieved that I don't have to buy new components. The compact crank just didn't challenge me enough, I had my old bike for six years and always tried to challenge myself by leaving it on the toughest ratio, something I should have told the sales man when I bought my bike. I'm new to all the specs but very interested in learning. My goal is to put a team together for childhood cancer and raise a ton of money and awareness. My younger sister just beat up cancer and she's also picking up a caad 8 after test driving mine.

danowat

Increase you cadence, 50 x 12 at 95rpm is 31mph, so unless you are going everywhere downhill, 50 x 12 is plenty.

Bozman

NITR8s wrote:

Bozman wrote:

A compact can take some getting used to, i'm still coming to terms with one because i used a standard for 18 years, folk don't like hard work these days, when i was a lad you gritted your teeth and got on with it, you didn't come crying to a cycling forum about a lack of easy gearing.

I don't know what ratios are available for Sora but it might be easier to change your rear cassette to something like a 11/23, that worked for me.

Obviously dont live in a hilly area then! I would love to see how much anyone could possibly enjoy riding up a cat 2 or 3 hill with a standard chainset and a 11/23 cassette.

I said - "11/23 with his compact chainset".
I live i Derbyshire and spent most of the time riding up hills on a standard with a 12/25, i now use a compact with 11/23 which gives me just that little bit more now i'm in my 40s. 20 yrs ago you didn't have the choice of a compact or a 28 cassette you had to knuckle down and get on with it, my first road bike had a 53/42 chainset, that 42 didn't last but boy was i grateful for a 39 chainring.

gingermagician

neeb

There is effectively NO DIFFERENCE between a standard and compact crankset IF you select the cassette appropriately, UNLESS you need a 53 11 gear... There is no way you would use such a gear with anything approaching a normal cadence unless you were pedaling hard downhill or you can sprint like Mark Cavendish.

If you don't like the big gap between the 50 and 34 chainrings, swap the 34 ring for a 36. If you have a cassette with a 12 tooth smallest sprocket or higher and really need a more difficult highest gear, get a cassette with an 11 tooth smallest sprocket. There is really no point whatsoever getting an expensive new chainset unless you really need to use an 11 tooth sprocket with a 52 or 53T chainring, which you almost certainly don't.

juankerr

Pedal faster or tighten up the brakes so they are touching the rims if you want a challenge. As said below 50 x 12 will take you to 30 mph which should be plenty fast enough.

Joe_Lopez

juankerr wrote:

Pedal faster or tighten up the brakes so they are touching the rims if you want a challenge. As said below 50 x 12 will take you to 30 mph which should be plenty fast enough.

My speed is actually up its not about the speed it's the workout that I'm going for my current ratio is more cardio and I like working on strength which is why I miss my old gear ratio, speeding up the cadence is what I did to adapt but like I said its more cardio

ShutUpLegs

neeb wrote:

There is effectively NO DIFFERENCE between a standard and compact crankset IF you select the cassette appropriately, UNLESS you need a 53 11 gear... There is no way you would use such a gear with anything approaching a normal cadence unless you were pedaling hard downhill or you can sprint like Mark Cavendish.

If you don't like the big gap between the 50 and 34 chainrings, swap the 34 ring for a 36. If you have a cassette with a 12 tooth smallest sprocket or higher and really need a more difficult highest gear, get a cassette with an 11 tooth smallest sprocket. There is really no point whatsoever getting an expensive new chainset unless you really need to use an 11 tooth sprocket with a 52 or 53T chainring, which you almost certainly don't.

Shouting doesn't make your point valid.

MichaelW

Joe_Lopez wrote:

My speed is actually up its not about the speed it's the workout that I'm going for my current ratio is more cardio and I like working on strength which is why I miss my old gear ratio, speeding up the cadence is what I did to adapt but like I said its more cardio

This is exactly what lower-ratio compacts are for, to transfer the effort from legs to cardio.
Your new, high-cadence style is probably better for you, esp for your knees and it is well suited to longer endurance rides. The top-end of std race gearing is really for those Manx Missile moments.

neeb

ShutUpLegs wrote:

neeb wrote:

There is effectively NO DIFFERENCE between a standard and compact crankset IF you select the cassette appropriately, UNLESS you need a 53 11 gear... There is no way you would use such a gear with anything approaching a normal cadence unless you were pedaling hard downhill or you can sprint like Mark Cavendish.

If you don't like the big gap between the 50 and 34 chainrings, swap the 34 ring for a 36. If you have a cassette with a 12 tooth smallest sprocket or higher and really need a more difficult highest gear, get a cassette with an 11 tooth smallest sprocket. There is really no point whatsoever getting an expensive new chainset unless you really need to use an 11 tooth sprocket with a 52 or 53T chainring, which you almost certainly don't.

Shouting doesn't make your point valid.

Just trying to highlight some words to make the structure of the sentence clearer. People often skim read and ignore important qualifiers such as "if" and "unless". I'll use bold or italics next time if it makes you happier..

neeb

Joe_Lopez wrote:

My speed is actually up its not about the speed it's the workout that I'm going for my current ratio is more cardio and I like working on strength which is why I miss my old gear ratio, speeding up the cadence is what I did to adapt but like I said its more cardio

What cassette (sprockets) do you have on your current setup, and what chainrings and sprockets did you have on your previous setup? It's impossible to make meaningful comparisons without this information.

cougie

Change your thinking not the bike.

Your last bike was 23 years old. It would be a lot heavier and more sluggish than your new bike.

The gears are fine. Learn to pedal faster rather than grinding away.

If you really want to make it hard for yourself - fit heavier wider tyres.

bendertherobot

Have you considered a small parachute?

desweller

You can fit a standard double or change the chainrings. The gap on a standard double is less awkward than a compact as well.

neeb

DesWeller wrote:

The gap on a standard double is less awkward than a compact as well.

Only because the manufacturers insist on selling compacts with 34T inner rings as standard. With a 36 inner ring and 50T outer on a compact, the gap is identical to a 53/39.