Anyone actually race on a compact in the UK?
Is it just me that finds the 34 just too slow and useless for anything other than the biggest of climbs. Whilst the 39 can be used on climbs and undulating terrain.
Also anyone gone to 50/39? thinking about that as I'm a bit slow cranking up the 53.

I've just gone from 50/34 to 52/39. Agree that for me, 34 is just too low – for a lot of folks though (non-racers), I can see it working well. I would have been happy with 50/39 and just putting a 39 ring on the compact, but got a great deal on Ultegra SL 🙂

Depends also on rear gearing, terrain and what you're legs are like. Like most stuff, there's no definitive answer (though I'm sure there will be some soon 🙂 )

42-52 when I've raced. I spend too much time front-shifting with 39-53, 34 would be a waste of time.

53/39 or if it's flat 54/46. I'd only use a 50/34 for Cyclo Cross, even then I'd probably use a single 48 or a 46 in wet conditions.

53/39 here. Origianlly had a compact but span out to easily, also when you get that rush of speed all you want is more and more and a 50 cant provide that

I used to ride in the Peaks on 39/53. I now live down south and ride 34/50, go figure?

I usualy find I'm in the big ring a lot more, although the small ring is very tempting to sit there and spin rather than get on with it so have to stick with the big ring as long as possible.

I'd always used traditional gearing on road bikes, my winter bike came with a compact, which I initially hated, I rode my Madone for the first time in ages at the weekend, and wasn't sure on the standard gearing!

I'd certainly be tempted by a compact for road racing, same as on the MTB, can spend longer in the big ring and only drop down when really necessary. Even with a 53/39 I spend the vast amount of time in the 53 when racing, although I do mainly crits.

Raced on 53 39 with a 12 23 block, although have used an 11 21 for flat racing abroad. Now use 50 34 and 12 25. Think for racing, 52/53 and 39 is a better set up than compact, but people do race on compacts and do ok.
Maybe an option would be compact and an 11 21 straight throughish block?

Maybe an option would be compact and an 11 21 straight throughish block?

What would be the point in that, the 11 stays the same whether it's an 11-21 or 11-28, it's the top end you're likely to lose out on with a compact after all.

I used to use 12-23 cassettes too, and now use 11-25, I think people do just spin a bit more now!

39/53 with a 12-23 cassette, there's no way I'd do road racing on a compact.

The set-up of a compact is designed to mimic triple chainsets, a similar range but across 2 chainrings instead of 3 so the ratio on the cassette tends to be wider (12-27 usually) to get the gearing and you just end up with really annoying gaps at the back, I want the close ratio cassette.

Having said that, a 50:11 combination is actually higher than a 53:12 but the combination of gears is much better with a 12-23 cassette.

It was suggested by a racer/lbs owner I know, to give you more single tooth jumps when on the big ring. I'm much happier now not racing on a compact, as you say, I spin more these days.

I have 39/54 on my road bike. It only has 8 speeds at the back though, something like 28/12.

The gaps between gears are enormous, its awful to ride.

According to David Millar (in Cycle Sport), a lot of pro roadies use Compacts to train on as full size chainsets are too big for non race speeds.

Bearing in mind the comparison between their training speeds and most of our racing speeds, there's certainly an argument for a compact while racing…

i must be a puff then. compact for me.

as a caveat… i ride big ring only when on anything but a PROPER hill, and generally for the whole group ride when out with the club normally.

maybe im doing it all wrong, but i like the bail out gear for when you blow up miles from home on the wrong side of frogatt!

the gears are all there really, youll just be shifting more/be at the other end of the block. its rare that im spinning out, out of gears to be honest!

I remember Rog Hammond coming to Hillingdon a few years ago and burning up the local E1/2s (including Tony Gibb IIRC) but riding his cx bike with small chainrings and road wheels the day before an international cross.

Changed to a compact for the Pyrenees, but the 50 gets me round most stuff here, 34 feels like a real bail-out and immediately followed by recovery shifts up the block. Might try a 36 or 38 maybe?

I'll stick to my experience of road racing (bunch racing rahter than sportives) rather than general rides, as that seems to be what the question is about.

I did my first road racing last season, after 6 years road riding inc sportives latter two years with a compact and 12-25. The 1st two races were with a compact, and boy did I feel undergeared (french equiv of 4th cat). It felt actually dangerous, as when I would drop down form big to small and I was in the middle of the peloton, I felt like everyone behind me was about to slam into me, as my legs went from churning to spinning like crazy. Afte rthat I switched to 39/52 and all seemed much better and I was able to sit in with everyone much more smoothly.

So… I would say it also depends a lot on what the pack is riding! and I guess that would be a trad double i.e 39/52, 42/53 etc

Of course, dodn't assume that i actually finished any of the races. Why o why are entry level bunch races in France so long compared with the TLI, BC 4th cat etc? Standard race length seemed to be about 80km and would go form the gun at about 38km/hr….

I'm racing on a compact at the moment, it's fine but then I'm bottom category and I can easily foresee a time when I am spinning out on a slight decline with a tail wind when the group picks up speed. I think I'm OK up to about 50kph with the 50 and as I recall from my last bike when I live in some hills, I spin out at about 65kph on a 53.

I have a normal crank set, I just don't have the tools to change it so I need to get to the LBS

yeh sorry guys. mine was anecdotal.

only done one race to date. it was on the flat. never shifted out of my big ring…

Yoikes, I have a compact and find that I need it frequently, and I consider myself 'fairly fit'. Does that mean a) i'm a wimp, b) I must spin my legs really fast or c) it's just that i'm riding solo instead of in a a group (wind resistance etc.)?

I am racing in Denmark in cat D and ours are minimum 65km and mac 95 km IIRC. after about 80km I'm hanging although I was 3rd last week in a short introductory race of 57km 🙂

I think the difference is more noticable due to riding in the bunch and the slipstreaming making it easier to maintain a higher speed, so a bigger gear being available makes sense. If you regularly spin out 50/11 riding alone you either live on top of a big hill or there's a place for you on the continent somewhere 🙂 Whats the gear inch difference between 50 and 52, can't be huge.. I think some pros were riding compacts in le Tour a while back, probably 36 though, for mountain stages – not sure if they still are though!

I don't race so a 20% hill feels a lot more comfortable on a 34.. not sure I'd get up them on a 39 to be honest, being as the 34 isn't all that comfortable either.

have to say though, whilst i loved it in gran canaria, now ive gained a bit of strength back… there are very few hills in the peak that im in my lowest gear.

normally at least a couple through the block.

The set-up of a compact is designed to mimic triple chainsets, a similar range but across 2 chainrings instead of 3 so the ratio on the cassette tends to be wider (12-27 usually) to get the gearing and you just end up with really annoying gaps at the back, I want the close ratio cassette.

Not true that in my experience – it's to get the lower gears of a triple, but the better shifting/trim of a double.. Most I know who have them still use 12/25 or 23, so the gaps aren't any worse.

About 10 years ago I used to do all my road riding on a crosser with a 48-36 on the front and 11-19 on the back. It was fine most of the time but I did spin out the top gear a few times in tail winds during TTs.

Essetnially I htink that in a group, in a tail wind you are going to need a big gear 52-12 or 50-11 to comfortably keep up. Not that you can't do well without this. Just look at how well some juniors on restricted gearing do in road races.

53/39 for me. I can't get my cadence high enough to sprint well with 50/12.

11-19?

That's a man's cassette 🙂

11-19 that's a smooth tube? with a few bumps in it.

A 50/11 gear is surely higher than a 53/12, so a compact with a 11 -21 cassette will give a higher top gear than 1 53 on a 12 – 25

i wouldn't think 50/11 is a higher gear than 53/12. Riding 53/11 is alot harder than a 50/11 and you can get a mucher higher speed, as someone said he tops out at just over 50kph on a 50 but can get upto 65kph on a 53. So Surely changing gear from 53/12 to 53/11 wont give me an extra 15kph+ on my top end

Running a 50/11 means the rear wheel will turn 4.54 times for each revolution of the Chainwheel, on a 53/12 the rear wheel will turn 4.41 times for each revolution of the chainwheel, so for the same cadence you will go faster on 50/11 than a 53/12 (albeit only 3% faster)

i used to like the 50 but the drop to 34 was too much. now i have 39/53 but id prefer 38/50 i think really now after running both options but as the chainset is dura ace its not getting changed any time soon lol

@paul_m

What about for the same power output? 😉

Use a compact 50-34. I put it on for a trip to Alps where it was spot on, and am too lazy to take it off.

I have done a couple of races with it and fast training rides and really like it. I tend to avoid road races with steep hills and find I can get up most drags on the 50 front. On flat races I find it more than adequate and have not spun out on it. On a long fast pedalling downhill section it may be too low for some, but for 3rd or 4th cat races I doubt it.

For time trialling I would use a 53 but not for road racing.

I have a 50/34 on my road bike, and raced a few TLIs over the past couple of years.

If i was strong enough then I would go back to 39/53 for proper racing. I was in the slowest handicapped group, and when the main bunch come by I can only just keep up with their speeds as I am spinning like a loon. 50:11 just aint fast enough.

edit – i might only have 50:12

I'm so gonna be flamed for this, but, as a newbie to road riding, I went to buy a bike with a compact on it, but ended up getting a triple because that was all they had left in the shop. But, I quite like it because I have my 50 for downhill and flat roads, my 39 for those undulating ones, and my 30 for when I really need to MTFU, or has bitten off more that I can chew. I don't really see the disadvantages of the triple, other than the few grammes the 30 tooth weighs, and frankly, if you finish your ride with any water left in your bottle, that's about the same weight.

Right, fire proof suit on.. show me the error of my ways!

53/11 is 130 gear inches and 90rpm = 56km/h
50/11 is 122.7 gear inches and 90rpm = 52.9km/h

they are not far apart at all in fact 50/11 is the same as 53/11.7

here is a fantastic gear calculator for you to play with

http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.applet.html

Nothing wrong with a triple, its about riding not how few gears you have.
I spun out my 53 11 in a Wednesday afternoon kermesse on the flat, I was way,way out of my depth…