Just bought one.. flippin’ small!

I do, but with a compact up front. Even then I don’t use the bike it’s on in hilly areas.

Nah. Depends on the terrian, but 12-28 gives a nicer spread and cadence options rather than a slow grind and gurning up some hills!

I do. 36-50 on the front.

I do (also with a 50/34 compact)

and another one on my DH bike (the cassette, not the chainset)

I do, with a 53/39 up front. Not that I’m manly or anything, just on the race bike which is really just for crits.

I do with a 50/34 compact.

Well I wanted 52/11 for my flat race as 50/12 the other day was pretty spinny out when I was draughting my mate on his time trial bike and not even going that hard.

Might be alright, given I ride a triple normally but I have some steep hills. Should have got 11-28

Yep. On 50/34. Can manage most stuff up to about 20-25% provided it isn’t too long. The 50/11 gear is big enough for me. The closeness of the gears on block is the main appeal for me.

11-25 with 53/39, it’s pretty flat in the royal county of West Berkshire. 11-23 on the TT bike.

25 and a compact got me up Alpe d’Huez, Col de Joux Plane (3 times) & Avoriaz the other year….

Never span out but then when you can hit 45+ mph on the descents who needs to pedal!

Yep, I do. 11-25 with 53/ 39 on my summer bike and same with winter trainer except I have a compact on that.

I find the ratios become too wide when I go over a 25.

Used to use 11-23 with 53/39, only changed a year or so back!

nope. 11-32.

i’m unfit and I live on dartmoor.

I find the ratios become too wide when I go over a 25.

Still feel there’s a bit of an annoying jump in the middle of the cassette when shifting up even with an 11-25, I think it’s when it goes from 15 to 17.

If you want to race then a 53/39 with a 12/25 block is perfect. If you can’t climb steep hills on the 39-25 they you’ll be out the back anyway.

For normal, general riding then a compact 50/34 with an 11/25 block is probably better.

11-23 all year with a 53/39 up front.

11-25 for cross

Used to have 11-25 with 48/34 on a slicked-up commuter MTB.

Guy in our club who races loads runs a 11-23 with a 53/42 up front!

Still feel there’s a bit of an annoying jump in the middle of the cassette when shifting up even with an 11-25, I think it’s when it goes from 15 to 17.

Very true, but I have got used to it now.

11-28 here, but 11 speed so I don’t get any big jumps through the block. 52-36 Q rings up front.

In TT setup I use 11-25, but 11 speed again – so just get an extra bailout gear vs 11-23. Was enough to get me up Ditchling Beacon last weekend, and spun out the 52-11 on the way down the other side 🙂

Yes me, but just changed to 12:30 as I’m doing some lumps soon.. 😀

13-23 with 39/50 here.

dragon – Member
If you want to race then a 53/39 with a 12/25 block is perfect. If you can’t climb steep hills on the 39-25 they you’ll be out the back anyway.

For normal, general riding then a compact 50/34 with an 11/25 block is probably better.

What this bloke says

What would you be doing with an 11t sprocket anyway?

i used to use 13-23 with 42/52, and tbh never had a problem getting up anything.
mate had 12-19 with 42/52, that was a bit much on even a moderate gradient.
i currently use 12-28 with 34/50 on both road and cx bikes, i would probably prefer 11-25 tbh, i never use the bottom 3 gears.
either that or go 36 or even 38 up front to get rid of the annoying jump between rings.
i am both fat and unfit, however its rarely gearing that makes me push up hills, its usually laziness/boredom.

Got a shiny SRAM Red one in the garage, took off bike after 500 miles of pain around the Lake District lanes, much happier with my 11-28, spin to win!!!! I reckon they are for under 45 year olds!!!

Me, 53,39 on the front, live in the lakes – I ride around the big hills
Even on the little ones am repeating the mantra, MUST….BUY…COMPACT!

If you want to race then a 53/39 with a 12/25 block is perfect. If you can’t climb steep hills on the 39-25 they you’ll be out the back anyway.

Pretty much sums it up. Hence lots of wannabe racers have struggled for years with totally unsuitable gearing cos they want to look like the pro’s!

For normal, general riding then a compact 50/34 with an 11/25 block is probably better.

For most people, a 12-30 or even 12-32 cassette makes far more sense. It’s not that you should always be using the easy gear to get up the climbs, more that it’s there when you’re still 20 miles from home already with 80 in your legs, and there’s a steep climb in the way that otherwise you’d be walking up.

Still feel there’s a bit of an annoying jump in the middle of the cassette when shifting up even with an 11-25, I think it’s when it goes from 15 to 17.

That’s why racers have typically still used 12-25 blocks. The 16 in the middle is more useful to them than the 11T that gets used very infrequently at speeds you’re better off tucking in an aero position at anyway.

The answer now is of course to go 11spd (something Campag evangelists will have been saying for a while of course) and you can have your cake and eat it so to speak.

It’s funny how times have changed anyway… Was watching footage of the 2002 TdF recently Phil Ligget was banging on about Lance Armstrong spinning away at 100rpm in an ultra low gear whilst his competition was out the saddle and pushing a harder gear… Lance’s “ultra low gear” of course being 39/25!!! My how times have changed… Nairo Quintana’s Canyon sported a 34/50 compact and a 12-29 cassette for the hilliest stages of the Giro this year, and in 2012 when Wiggins won the TdF he is known to have used an 11-36 Mountain Bike cassette (with modified Di2 rear derailleur to cope) to give him the gears to get up the hills!

Yep, 11-25 & 52/39 on the Shropshire/Mid Wales borders.

Hard work, but I’m now fitter & a stronger climber than I used to be!

11-25 39/52 here, not had to get off and push yet….think a 28 would be quite nice though sometimes.

Used to ride 52/42 with a six speed 12-24 which was “interesting” on some hills. Now ride 50/34 with a ten speed 12-25 and it’s rare that I need to use the 25. There comes a point where no matter what the gearing that I’d rather get out of the saddle and grind at about 50rpm rather than spin.

It should be noted that I’m no spring chicken nor exactly svelte!

When in doubt, rule #5 applies.

11-25, 50/34 does make some of the roads round here (Exmoor and the Quantocks)a bit of a challenge.

Pretty sure wiggo just went 38/32 on tdf 2012.

52/36 x 11-25. I can get up most things (I might put a 12-28 on when I go to the alps). To be honest though Warwickshire isn’t that hilly. Plus, I’m used to dragging a bike twice the weight, with 2.3″ tyres at sub 30psi and 34 x 12-36 up longer, steeper, rougher climbs at the weekends. The descents are worth it though 😉

What would you be doing with an 11t sprocket anyway?

Tried 12-23 on the TT bike and missed the 11t. Ended up fitting a 55t chainring, but 55/12 was still quite a bit less than 53/11. I reckon you do lose quite a lot if you ditch the 11t. 53/12 is about 31mph at 90rpm, which is pretty quick but quite doable and even on the road bike I reckon it would leave me wanting a bigger gear. Now want to go 11sp 🙂

Just changed my 10 sp 11 to 25 t 11 to 28. Seemed to weirdly get a fastest climb on my route after I stuck it on, knees seem happier and all round bonus for the extra 20 grammes its all good to me. Run 50 -34 up front. Done a few sportives, which they make you go up Everest, so decided after doing 60 miles and facing that, would rather ride it than walk.

i do (but then i live in Norfolk, so could use a 11-12 cassette really)

Interesting, thanks folks. I may leave it on after the race and put the triple back on, since I do find myself spinning out on DHs quite a bit.

There are plenty of 1:5s around here and a few 1:4s that are hard enough for a fat bastard on a 12-28 though!

13-25 here.

Man sized chainrings though.

compact, 11- 25 here,

no problems at all in surrey or Wiltshire riding.

3 times up the tourmalet (club des cingles) was a little less comfortable than would have been nice but still manageable