Why is 36-52 better than 34-50?

on-yer-bike

Other than having a higher gear are there any other advantages? I currently use 11-27 with a compact so I would need an 11-29 with a semi compact.

hopkinb

Unless you're spinning out your 50/11 on a regular basis, why bother changing?!

sloppyschleckonds

Nicer ratios, less gear changes

fenix

Why is red better than blue ?

They're just different ratios.

What ratios are you using now ? Do you think you would prefer lower gears ? If so - go for the lower ratios.

timothyw

The only difference you haven't pointed out is that the change between the chainrings is slightly closer, on account of the 16 tooth difference being a smaller fraction of 52 teeth (and 36 teeth) than it is 50 and 34.

The reason to get one would be that you've ridden a standard chainset (so 53 or 52 tooth big ring) and find the 50 tooth chainring a little spinny afterwards (or that you find yourself avoiding using your 34 as it is too spinny).

I've now got 52-36 on two of my bikes, the reason was simple - I wanted slightly bigger gears. I'd put on a compact if I was visiting the alps. I still have a compact on my wet bike for cycling into gales in December.

If you try a 52-36 with your 11-27 cassette you might be pleasantly surprised to find out that you can still get up hills.

meanredspider

If I found my compact gearing a little "spinny" the first thing I'd do would be to move to a closer ratio cassette. There hardly seems any point in having a bigger ring on the front when you could put a smaller ring on the rear. You just end up with a heavier set-up (larger rings front and rear and more chain as a result) to achieve the same thing.

If you're cruising along in a peleton all day at 45km/h or hitting 60km/h in a sprint, fair enough. At 32km/h on a 50/34 11-28 10-sp set-up I'm mid cassette at a comfortable 85-ish cadence.

Midlands Grimpeur

Why are you considering the switch? I started out on 53-39 many years ago like most people and switched to 50-34 when compacts started to become available. I switched to 52-36 about 3 years ago as the 34 inner ring (with an 11-23 cassette) was a bit redundant for me other than riding up mountains. Having a 36 just means I get more use out of a bigger number of gears. I know a lot of people like to work out gearing sizes and compare which is perfectly valud but I just went on feel, the 52-36 with an 11-25 cassette just feels more suited to me than a compact when riding.

w00dster

All depends on your riding.
I race in crits, my crit bike has 52/38 and an 11-23 cassette. When I do the odd road race where there are some hills I'll go to an 11/25 or 11/28.
I prefer to be in a slightly larger gear, I regularly cruise in a group in the 52-12 or 13 at a fairly low cadence - I can react when I'm in this gear, so cresting a rise and someone attacks, I can sprint, drop to the 52-11 and continue sprinting. My training rides I do the same, cresting a hill to a small slope I "attack" and drop to the 52-11. With a 50 up front I would be spinning over 110rpm very early.
If I was riding somewhere very hilly with constant climbing up really steep gradients then I would probably want a 50/34. My winter bike has a 50/34 with an 11-32 cassette (and 11-28 on different wheels). This is ok for longer winter training rides where I am more focused on base mileage riding.
I don't think one is better than the other, they are both very good depending on what your requirements are.

part time waster

Its your bike , your gears , put on what you need . How can anyone tell you what and when to push.

svetty

I find that with a 50/34 I tend to use the 50 almost all the time and only use the 34 on relatively steep climbs. With a 52/36 I spend more time on the 36 than I would on a 34 and correspondingly less on the 52 than I would on a 50. Hence for me it is a more 'all-round usable' combination but for hilly rides or trips to the Alps I take a 50/34

londoncommuter

I thought I didn't need a 52/11 top end or 36/28 bottom so I'd be losing closer ratios somewhere to get an unwanted wider range. Stuck with 50/34 11-26T.

You will go mad thinking about whether you get less friction from using larger rings out back (you'd use roughly one gear larger with a 52T compared to 50T) and then there's what happens to your chainline.....

slowbike

part time waster wrote:

Its your bike , your gears , put on what you need . How can anyone tell you what and when to push.

So nobody should tell anyone else what gear they've selected or why ...
It many be anecdotal and worth as much as the OP has paid for it - but its a valid topic to discus.

Like asking about particular tyres - or even solids - they're all tyres, they all go round - but they're not all the same and the human body is capable observing the differences - even the really tiny ones.

FWIW - I do ride with compact - but I have got larger chainset on my TT bike - I (think I) find the larger chainrings do encourage more speed - ie pedal harder - which is fine till you hit gradients requiring your easiest gears. >15% with a 39/25 wasn't easy - but it was only a short part of the course!

I'd look at a semi-compact (for my road bike) if I were to replace the chainset again... on the TT - the 53 ring is all I need (most of the time!)

StillGoing

I wouldn't bother. I have 50/34 on the winter trainer/turbo bike and 50/36 on the summer bike, both running 11-28 cassettes. Yes I can get up hills more comfortably with the 34, but the simple answer to that is slow down with the 36 rather than trying to bust a gut hoping to beat your riding buddy.

pblakeney

philthy3 wrote:

I wouldn't bother. I have 50/34 on the winter trainer/turbo bike and 50/36 on the summer bike, both running 11-28 cassettes. Yes I can get up hills more comfortably with the 34, but the simple answer to that is slow down with the 36 rather than trying to bust a gut hoping to beat your riding buddy.

I ride a lot of hills. The above in red is the most important part of the equation.
YMMV.

e999sam

I've got to admit I used to scoff at compacts then I bought a 46 36 with 11 28. Just means I ride at a different place on the cassette and don't have to go on to the little ring as often.

itboffin

Svetty wrote:

I find that with a 50/34 I tend to use the 50 almost all the time and only use the 34 on relatively steep climbs. With a 52/36 I spend more time on the 36 than I would on a 34 and correspondingly less on the 52 than I would on a 50. Hence for me it is a more 'all-round usable' combination but for hilly rides or trips to the Alps I take a 50/34

totally this ^^^

I should be in the 34 more often but i find it too much of a drop down and unless I have the 23 or 25T cassette fitted I dont use it in the UK, in the alps mind you i only need one gear ratio 34-30 :oops:

dBritain

i run 34-50 and find it easier for me personally, always struggle with 52/36

MiddleRinger

Fenix wrote:

Why is red better than blue ?

Longer wavelength, innit....