Changing to a compact ?

s1mon

Hello,

I have a Giant TCR Advanced 2 (2012) with very little millage on it :oops: not long after I bought it I change the cassette to 11-28 from the 12-25 but I still think a compact would suit me better.

If I stick a 50/34 chainset on will the 11-28 be ok or go back to the 12-25 or something different ?

While I'm at it would a 165mm chainset suit me better as I'm quite short 5'6-7" ?

Thank you.

rafletcher

Yes it'll be good with the 11-28, and yes 165mm would be better for you.

You might need to take a link out of the chain - check that the rear mech has some tension on the chain in the 11/34 combo.

dave35

Why do you think 165 cranks would be better for you? I'm the same height and ride 170 cranks, and have raced on 165/170/175 and apart from costing me a bit of money it didn't make a bit of difference.

s1mon

Just thought if I'm changing the chainset anyway would a shorter one be any benefit fir me.

markhewitt1978

I'm 5'6" and went from 170mm to 165mm and it was a worthwhile change, my pedalling feels much smoother and some of the fit issues I was having have gone away.

simon_masterson

If you are happy and comfortable with the cranks you have, shorter ones won't benefit you as such. The argument is that since using longer cranks doesn't (as was previously thought) have an appreciable impact on your performance but can put strain on your knees (though I think it's a bit overstated), you have nothing to lose by opting for short cranks. If the typical measuring guides are to be believed, >170mm cranks are longer than ideal for a large sector of the population. Personally I'm 6' with long legs, I could use 177.5 but I use 170, 172.5 and 175. In all honesty my favourite seems to be 170; I'm thinking of standardising.

bagz3

what would the 50/34 be replacing??