Forum menu
Why? At no point do I mention speed or cadence. If you calculate the force needed to turn a crank on a bike up a 1-3 slope it's hardly super human at all. Which is actually my point. You can push some very big gears but it's actually much much slower.
It's probably not a 30% climb anyway, it just has a sign which says as such.
I use 39/53 for La Marmotte. i wouldn't use a triple as tehy just look silly on a road bike. I would consider a compact for the short sharp stuff over here.
When I wer't lad we all used 52/42 and a five speed 11-19 and t'rode up everything.
A 39t ring was seen as a bit foreign, and 34t wasn't even a twinkle in Mr Campagnolos eye. It's got easier and easier and yet more debatable as to what you need to be able to go uphill. Jumars for bikes next?
Basically you need what you need for the way and what you want to ride. The thing with compact is that you can large it up with new rings. Standard can only go down to 38t.
And if you're racing you should probably know anyway.
Like I said I use 53/39 but I haven't done a single race in years that has needed the 39, not coz I'm hard - just the races are getting soft.
My ideal is 50/38. As again I've never actually raced in an 11 and I hardly use a 12. And I never use the 11/12 whilst training or going downhill as it's of little value to me.
The only other mildly annoying thing is riding in groups with some on standard and some on compact, very messy.
Was thinking about going standard from my 50/34 recently but decided against it.
In the crit races I've done its all big ring stuff and not had any issues.
90%+ of the club rides have been big ring only
The only time I use the inner is when it gets [u]really[/u] steep or when I am away somewhere for a long day out and don't want to crucify myself up some of the climbs
Whilst I could probably get up everything with a 39 it would limit the options and I really can't see any advantage.
Why? At no point do I mention speed or cadence. If you calculate the force needed to turn a crank on a bike up a 1-3 slope it's hardly super human at all.
I think it is if you are me, at least. I'm almost 100% sure I couldn't turn the pedals using a 50t up a 1 in 3.
There's plenty of 20%+ hills around here and I have to be out of the saddle even on a 30t ring.
Video evidence of you riding the climb please...I dread to think what the gradient is that defeats me on a 36:18 off road, it's way less than 1 in 3.
Some old pro who used to knock around here and other parts used to say "copy the pros cadence not their gear choice" which always seemed very sensible advice for me.
39T - 34T = circa 13% smaller.
I know I'm sure as hell giving Bertie more than 13% in the power to weight ratio stakes so compact should make sense.
Having said that when I road raced it was standard all the way (compact didn't really exist anyway). When I was not racing but using a road bike for a few sportives as light relief and as a solo training bike for time trail and triathlon racing I dabbled with compacts - still do. To me the compact works for two types of rider - the very strong and the comparatively weak. I've always preferred to change between front ring as little as possible and a very strong rider can ride the big ring on a compact over most terrain, only switching to the little ring for proper stiff stuff. You miss out on the very top of the gear range (unless you use a cassette with an 11T which I've always avoided) but you don't really need that unless you are sprinting or being sucked along in the middle of a bunch, yet the extra at the bottom of a 50T makes it more usable in a non racing environment, especially when riding on your own. A comparatively weak rider will also love a compact as an alternative to a triple and use it in the little ring most of the time, rarely venturing into the bigger ring and even then finding it more useful than the 53T.
For riders somewhere in the middle, it's not quite so good. They can't quite muscle up stuff in the big ring so are still switching front ring frequently, yet the smaller ring does not have the top end of a 39T which might have done them for most of their riding on a standard setup with a sensible cassette.
To me the compact works for two types of rider
There's another - the rider who is base training and needs to get up hills whilst staying in zone 2.
what convert said.
Oldgit: Why is it messy in a group with some on compact and some on standard ? ..... Just wondering as I bow to your opinion on these sort of things as you've been doing it far longer than I.
I've noticed that the ability to change gear smoothly/fail to keep a steady speed seems more difficult with a compact but to be honest I've put that down to the sterotypical rider that rides a compact (i.e. every bloody "sportive" bike has one on now).
Duc; I just find that those with compacts tend to stay in 50 all the time including the climbs. Whilst those on standard tend to switch more often. Petty I know, but you can feel the slightly awkward pace changes.
My little foible is to have three sprockets straight through in the middle of the cassette. This is for long sitting climbs. Nothing worst than when your running out of steam and you change gear and it's a two teeth difference, you can feel yourself falling back down the hill 😐
Hmm - I just stay mainly in the 34/36/38 and raise my cadence!
The biggest advantage I have found is with the new campag shifters that let you go multiple sprockets down the casette in one movement as that makes the jump down from a 50 to the middle ring seamless.
Thats just me though I guess I am at any given time 3 sprockets lower than most of the guys I ride with regularly
Interesting reading. Thanks people. For the amount that I ride etc, I will stick with the compact I think. As I get fitter and I find that I can push bigger, then I will think about standard.
Anyone want to buy a set of FSA SLK carbon cranks and BB? 8)
Keep the bottom bracket as FSA are cross compatible with the other "standards" like Shimano and Race Face