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1. njee20 - Member

   Some will say that a 46 tooth big ring is for girls.... well, OK then. So how much time do you spend in the 53 x 12 or the 50 x 13? And for those of you who actually use that gear even occasionally, are you spinning that gear out or are you straining to grind it over? Be honest.

   I use my 53/11 fairly regularly in a few places, not spinning out, but ticking over on some fast sweeping descents. I've used the inner ring on my compact on the winter road bike once this year, on a 21% road climb.

   46/13 at 90rpm is 26mph, which IMO is too small for a road bike, significantly so if you're racing. 46/11 is better (29.4mph @ 90rpm). You'll also wear the cassette quicker as you'll be at the top of the block the whole time and you'll have big jumps in between gears.

   So, in conclusion, no, CX ratios would be stupid (for me) on a road bike!

   Posted 4 months ago #
2. cynic-al - Member

   Frankly, I never find myself outspinning the 46 x 13 gear

   I would on chain gangs no problem, and those big jumps would be a right PITA on any long or hard ride IMO.

   But for many riders you are probably right, it's fine. Good to see people doing their own thing.

   Posted 4 months ago #
3. RestlessNative - Member

   42-11 is my top gear which is just slightly higher than 46-13, I find it fast enough as I don't race. So long as you can spin you can still pick up silly speed downhill.

   I don't understand how riders good enough to claim they need a 52-12 ish top gear also claim they need the 30t ring of a triple

   Posted 4 months ago #
4. cynic-al - Member

   RestlessNative - Member
   42-11 is my top gear which is just slightly higher than 46-13, I find it fast enough as I don't race. So long as you can spin you can still pick up silly speed downhill.

   I don't understand how riders good enough to claim they need a 52-12 ish top gear also claim they need the 30t ring of a triple

   It's not need, it's about not having to spin on long/steep downhills, and getting back up them after a long/hard day.

   Posted 4 months ago #
5. njee20 - Member

   I don't understand how riders good enough to claim they need a 52-12 ish top gear also claim they need the 30t ring of a triple

   So now you're getting testy because people disagree with you!?

   For me it's about my 'normal' gears. If I spend the majority of my time at one extreme or t'other I'd say I'm under, or overgeared. I'd look for a setup in which I spend most time somewhere in the middle of the range.

   Yes, I could get away with the same set up as you, by spending a significant proportion of my time in the top gear, but what's the point. By having bigger rings you're leaving yourself something in reserve be that for descending or what. Otherwise as I said you'll wear the top ones, and never the bottom.

   Same on the MTB. When I ran a double I used 28/42, not because I needed a 42/11 top gear, but because I'd never ever use a 22, so something like a 22/36 would be utterly pointless.

   Horses for courses innit.

   Posted 4 months ago #
6. r0bh - Member

   And that future is..... CX gear ratios on a road bike: a 38/46 double chainset with 13-28 cassette.

   46-13 is a terribly low top gear, you'll spin that out after a few seconds when going downhill.

   I'm currently running a compact with 36/50 and an 11-28 cassette; avoids the bigger jump between chainrings of a standard compact and 50-11 is actually a higher gear than 53-12 so doesn't spin out on the descents.

   Posted 4 months ago #
7. RestlessNative - Member

   "So now you're getting testy because people disagree with you!?"

   err no I just said I don't understand it

   My road bike was built mosty to cause offence, just so happened I rather like riding it. I even signed up for a 104 mile sportive today.

   On reflection triples make perfect sense purely because they annoy roadies

   Posted 4 months ago #
8. bigdaddy - Member

   Guess it depends where you ride - I have to commute some steep hills, therefore a triple suits me just fine, don't care what others think of it!

   Posted 4 months ago #
9. cynic-al - Member

   RestlessNative - Member
   My road bike was built mosty to cause offence

   Well done there, bless.

   Posted 4 months ago #

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