currently got 53/39 and 11-26 – which is great, i live in Lincolnshire, i can nip out and do 100km with 200ft of elevation, however if i venture near any hills i cannot keep the cadence high and end up grinding up (no i dont need to MTFU or Rule 5, no one likes grinding)

whats my best option?

Switch the cassette to 11-28 or chainrings to Mid Compact 52/36 – or both?

or a Cannondale Spider Ring in 50/34 and switch out when needed – but thats a faff

options/opinions? cheers

Well given a 11-28 is only £20ish and easy to swap i’d try that first and see how you get on.

I live in the Pennines, my 54 mile ride yesterday took in over 4000ft of climbing, to that end I use a compact with an 11-28 105 cassette. I took that bike to Lincolnshire last yr and felt undergeared a lot of the time!
I’d say try a 11-28 cassette to begin with but if you are heading anywhere seriously hilly I’d be prepared to swap in a compact unless you are a very strong climber.

Originally from the Fens and now in Wales; depends on how strong a climber you are but a cassette is the easiest option surely?
11-28 or a 12-30?

I use 50/34 and a 11/26 cassette, live in the lincolnshire wolds, it’s plenty for any of the hills, as in you can get up sat down. I use 33/20 on my singlespeed mountain bike and that is ok for most, admittedly have to stand up occasionally on that.

Given that your current tallest gear is 53/11, and switching to a compact would only lower it by 6%… Ask yourself this…

How often do you spin out your tallest gear? How often do you even use it?

A compact (as seen on Nairo Quintana’s bike many times during the Giro!) makes a lot more sense a lot more of the time than all the dyed in the wool roadies would have you believe! The roadies that tell me they “need” a 53/11 tallest gear are always the ones that can’t spin more than 75rpm anyway, and me with my 50/12 tallest gear will still leave them for dead going down any descent! Just learn to spin…

But that said, assuming it’s 10spd, a 12-30 cassette is a much cheaper alternative that will do the job you require most probably.

I run 53/39 and 11-28 out back. I’m 85kg and that gets me up Winnat’s Pass. A compact and 11-28 should allow you to ride up anything.

12-30t sounds good, yes its 10 speed

im assuming my best option here is Ultegra?

50/34 and 12-25 will cover most terrain. go to 11 or 12/28 for big hilly days and 11-23 for racing. And spin.

50/34 and 11-28 here in Derbyshire. Suits me fine and cruised round the CW Arrow sportive from Grantham on Sunday, 103 miles and 3,500 feet of climbing.

Though I lost the will to live on the long straight Fen roads in the middle of the ride, which seems odd as I was brought up in deepest Deeping….

I have a 50/34 with 11-27 cassette. I initially switched from a standard double for a trip to the Alps but have stuck with it since and its perfectly fine even for road races and crits – Have never felt like i’ve needed a bigger gear on a downhill or in a sprint.

Just because you can get up it with your standard, doesn’t make it right.

If you have 53-39 you will need a different cranks/spider to run 52-36. If I go anywhere remotely hilly I’ll put on at least an 11-28, and it’s the alps I’m reaching for a compact or an 11-32. I’m not slow, neither am I good, but I can do 5w/kgish for 20 minutes.

There are plenty of world class bike riders who will run an 11-28 and a compact for an alpine col, if you don’t think you need that sort of gearing to get up [insert name of decent UK climb] with a modicum of efficiency, you’re kidding yourself!

Just because you can get up it with your standard, doesn’t make it right.

this is what my thinking is, a lot of the climbs locally are short sharp 10-15% and less than a km in length – rather than long draggy 6-10% – and im avoiding them because in 39/26 im spinning what – 60-70rpm, sure i can get up, but id rather spin up

im aware i would need spider/chainrings, i have Cannondale Hollowtech cranks so thats easy, all parts available

I live in Norfolk but off to Dragon Ride this weekend, tend to have a compact at front and switch between 11-25 locally and a 11-28 for away fixtures with some hills, but was thinking of cobbling together a 11-30 cassette for the Dragon Ride, so cause i tend to prefer to spin my legs when they are tired instead of just grind away.

this is what my thinking is, a lot of the climbs locally are short sharp 10-15% and less than a km in length – rather than long draggy 6-10% – and im avoiding them because in 39/26 im spinning what – 60-70rpm, sure i can get up, but id rather spin up

im aware i would need spider/chainrings, i have Cannondale Hollowtech cranks so thats easy, all parts available

FWIW I run 52-36 but if I wasn’t racing I’d be on a standard compact, the UK’s climbs are characterised by their gradients, not their length, big gradients require loose gears.

but was thinking of cobbling together a 11-30 cassette for the Dragon Ride

I fitted 4 11-30 or bigger cassettes when at work on Saturday in prep for the dragon ride!

There’s a saying, match the pros’ cadence, not their gearing.

That’s the thing isn’t it, Scud. Although you’ve got an 11-30 fitted for example, you don’t have to go into the 30, or even the 29/28 but it’s there if you need it. Did an overnight century last year taking in some 25% climbs and was very glad to have the 30 to dip into but for the main I never went further than 25/26.

The other thing to consider of course is that you look f*cking good when you glide up a hill at 90rpm.

I figure I am a big guy and even though i have done a century every sunday for the last few months, i much prefer to spin up a climb if i can (and Garmin seems to show that i am faster spinning than grinding), legs seems to tire much less, plus even if i am going no faster than walking pace at times, i’d rather stay on the bike than walk!!

The mountain biker in me means that i tend to gain a few places on the downhills anyway.

I switched from normal to compact in March this year, whilst retaining the cassette ratio. I don’t think I’m any quicker because of it but my legs hurt less on long rides (80+ miles) and recover better.

Midlands based so not exactly lumpy, I’ve always managed reasonably well on 50/36 with 11-23 (went to 12-27 for the Alps).

Just switched to 11-25 as I couldn’t get a 23 in 105, in hindsight should have gone for 12-25 as I’m missing the 16 far more than I think I’d miss the 11.

New bike on the way, considered a standard but gone with 52/36 and 11-25, not sure how it’s going to work out but thought it seemed a good balance.

One warning, the 11-28 10-speed cassette has a big jump, right where you need a sprocket on the flat (e.g., into the wind). The only reason I can see for 11-speed is to keep the 11-25 and add the 28 cog.

Omar has it – I sprint in 50/11 which is the same as 52/12. The race wheels run 11-23 bought for the compact cranks really, and closer spacing for flat crits, but I never trouble the 11T with a 52 chainring. My average cadence is 100-110 when racing and 90+ JRA.

Lots of interesting ratios on show on Sunday at the 3 Pistes Sportive in the eastern Highlands.. 103 miles and around 11,500 feet of climbing (according to pal’s strava) so triples, 11-32s, plenty of fit roadies on very bling bikes running 11-28 on compact chainsets. But then, there are extended climbs averaging 12% and several maxing at over 20%! Great to see a new and large event taking off so well. Anyway, yes, lower ratios and spin; you’ll find a balanced compromise there somewhere.

One warning, the 11-28 10-speed cassette has a big jump, right where you need a sprocket on the flat

Eh?

The big jump on an 11-28 is from the 28 to the 24, then down to the 21.

From 21 through to 11 the ratios are exactly the same as on an 11-25.

Some people find the lack of a 16T on cassettes with an 11T bottom (the 11T comes at the expense of the 16 on Shimano cassettes) a pain, but most people don’t seem to worry about the 15-17 gap in the middle of the block.

Personally I’m just running a Compact with a 12-30 all the time. There are many rides I do where the lowest gear I may use is only 34/21 or 34/24, but it’s nice to have the 27 and 30 tooth in there in case they’re needed. And there have been all too many rides where they have been needed too!

As for the other end of the block, I’ve got to be doing over 40mph to spin out 50/12, OK I’m not Mark Cavendish, but then neither are most people. The reality is that a 12T smallest cog is more than enough for most riders most of the time.

11-28: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-28
11-25: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25
11-23: 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23
and my favorite:
12-25: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25

Yes, I miss the 16T in the middle. 12-28 11 speed is the all round never change cassette for me.