The big ring is a killer for a newbie!! Can I just change the front rings for smaller ones?

Nah, just grow bigger leg muscles!

You will get used to it. just dont wear your dark mountain bike clothes bright colours to be seen. I had mine 2 1/2 weeks t boned from a car written off may look a bit to roady but think can I be seen. I will crawl back in my hole now.

Enjoy and stick with the big ring it pays in the end.

how big is the big ring? 53 or 50?

To answer your question you can get smaller rings,

mrmo
It’s a 53

you could swap the rear cassette for something easier (or an mtb cassette but you might need a longer armed rear mech) or swap to a compact chainset

btw italian bike with shimano not campag?? JoBurt won’t be pleased!

cheapish options would be a wider ratio cassette, i guess you have a 25 or 26 bottom sprocket so at best you may be able to go to 28ish? not much of a change. Best approach would be either live with it and get stronger, or get a compact chainset.

I’d say get a compact chainset. A lot of people struggle along with the same gearing the pros use, which seems a bit daft.

Tiagra is nice looking and can be had for about £50.

Looks like a nice frame, I like those wheels too. It could do with a less chubby saddle though. 🙂

Yeah – go compact.

Ginger I need that saddle for my big arse! it had a skinny thing on when I got it.

Personally I would not step down to a compact if the problem is riding in the big ring. I would consider a compact if you ride in hilly areas and are struggling with the hills on the small ring.

Plus, you will not simply be able to change the rings as the BCD is different between standard and compact chainsets 130mm versus 110mm.

I have used a compact 50/34 for the last few years and I think it was the biggest mistake I ever made – My legs now feel far weaker and always spinning away in 34/13. Unless you really need the small 34 ring then I would be more tempted by a 50/36 compact

saddles are personal, so forget the silly remark about that…looks are not all.

never call it the darkside.

enjoy.

not bring funny but if it’s just the big ring that is too big…stick to the small one?

podi’s rea treag orf bwe srufing!

The problem with compacts is that you can only ride in the 50 as the 34 is only any good for tough climbs. I’d swap for a compact in the alps but not here.
Are you ok with that bar set up? I can see you’ve gone for some rise with that stem, but then fitted deep bars, which I would say need tilting forward a tad.

I use 50/34 on my road bikes which is fine – the 34 gets me up big hills and the 50 gets me everywhere else.
Its rubbish on my new cross bike though, once I throw away all the nasty 105 and put on some nice carbon Centaur then I’ll run that with 48 or 46.

Can I have your nasty 105 then, aP?

Seriously, actually, looking to do up my road bike for the summer, but on the (as)cheap(as possible). What you gonna have going?

Probably 105 50/34 chainset, front+rear derraileur, shifters, possibly some grossly overpriced DT R1900 wheels as well (I really can’t believe how much they retail for), also maybe some nasty EA50 44cm bars as well.
From that BMC I rode in town last month.
Anyway to get in touch with you outside of here?

Got it?