[Closed] Sub Compact Chainrings

I saw a write up that FSA were getting into sub compact chainrings, certainly popular in touring and audax circles, so I guess SJS or Spa Cycles might be places to check online?

Looking at the practically unused state of the smallest 3 sprockets on my cassette, 48/32 at the front would make more sense with a closer ratio at the back for smaller jumps between shifts. If I'm getting close to 30mph it means I'm going downhill and freewheeling!

Thank you MCTD. I'll go and have a look at those two websites. I naturally spin rather than grind and all of my rides involve steep hills where going up hill takes a grunt or two and going down hill involves a lot of freewheeling. On the flat at full effort I'm always switching about in the smallest two cogs on the cassette so smaller rings would be ideal for me while keeping nice, smooth steps In gear change.

Seems to make sense to me on the same basis - currently 50/34 and 11-32 and I can spin up anything eventually, but hardly ever use the last 2-3 cogs at the back and have started noticing the jump between gears at times. 48/32 and 28-12 would be more practical if I'm being honest.

I worry that it's just a sign of advancing age and wimpishness, but my knees are too old to MTFU any more.

As had been said, check out Spa cycles, they have a bunch of options

I find the 16 tooth gap of 34/50 frustrating as riding at 12-17mph means changing between the front rings alot, which means also changing 2-3 gears at the rear ever sodding time. The smallest readily available inner ring that will fit a 110bcd compact is 34T (although a 33T TA can be had), so a 30/44 or 32/46 that allows greater use of the outer front ring at normal cruising speed seems attractive. Could just fit a 34/46 I suppose. Has anyone switched to sub compact and regretted it?

Just changed my compact outer to a 46. Can be in the outer ring a lot more. I span out at about 28 mph with a 12-28 on the back. I think an 11-30 block would be perfect for round here and my weedy legs. (DALE'S)

I've got a Sugino 44/30 on my Bokeh with 11/28 and it's got pretty much all the gears I'll need.

You span out a 46 - 12 at 28 mph? I think you need to take a look at cadence and get the old legs moving a bit faster,
Or look at what spinning out means.

Of the three road bikes I have, two are 1x11 and the other 34/50 - 11-32. I live in a mountainous area and I'd happily drop to a subcompact crank as I spend more time climbing than in the 50/11.

I'm old and creaky 😥

I changed to a 12-30 cassette precisely because my standard chainset wouldn't allow me to fit a smaller ring than 38t and I have gotten on well with it since, before that I was using compact 50/34 with an 11-27 cassette and that was also fine. Basically a standard chainset was the wrong choice for me and I have adapted the bike around it.

But I do like the sound of "sub/super compact", I am a natural spinner.

Reading some of the fluff online the industry types seem to see sub-compact as being pitched more towards 'gravel' than road use though...
I suppose would mean them sort of admitting that lots of "normal" cyclists didn't really need 50t+ chainrings, and I am sure some heroes will be along eventually telling us that only pansies would push anything smaller than a 52t...

I see nothing wrong with challenging convention when it comes to drivetrains.

On the flat at full effort I'm always switching about in the smallest two cogs on the cassette...

I was doing similar. When I looked into it, the smallest sprockets were 11/12/14/..., and I was flicking between the 12 and 14 (with 34/50 chainrings) at ~25 mph which is approaching my terminal velocity on the flat. I ditched the 11T sprocket and fitted a 13T instead giving me 12/13/14/... (The 12 T has to be changed to a special 'outer' sprocket and a 12T lockring is required). This has made the top gears much more useful to me. I don't miss the 11T sprocket at all.

I still like the thought of a triple on the front though.

Some of these modern sub-compacts are nothing of the sort. They just mess about with a 110mm bcd chainset and give you a 30. That's bugger all. You need something like an old 86mm bcd Stronglight chainset to go low or use a MTB chainset.
I use a SRAM X0 double with a 28/42 set up . Rarely spin out as there are few hills where its worth pedalling flat out in a big gear EG a 50/11. You can freewheel at 40 mph +.
The nice thing about the chainset is that most of the time you can ditch the stupid gappy cassettes that are becoming common. I use an 11-25 11 speed most of the time. An 11-32 does go on for days grinding the 25% plus hills but most of the time the smaller cassette is so much nicer. a 2 tooth jump is never as good as a one .

They just mess about with a 110mm bcd chainset and give you a 30. That's bugger all. You need something like an old 86mm bcd Stronglight chainset to go low or use a MTB chainset.

I remember owning a 94mm BCD, 5 arm chainset on my MTB, that was 25 odd years ago. That could have accommodated a 46/30 double.

So yeah, it could have been done a long time ago...

Triple chainset and swap the outer ring for a chain guard?

It's interesting to see the differing views on this.

I'm in the camp of find the easy gear, and the easier the better. I started on my Croix de Fer with a 50/34 crankset combined with 11-32T cassette.
For when loaded up with panniers I've changed up to an 11-36T cassette, and can only keep a decent cadence up to 8% gradients with my granny knees... now looking to change to the crankset to something like a 38/26, hoping to be happy up to 12% gradients.

Will be keen to hear how you get on [b]Monksie[/b]... as I could be looking into something like the same as you when I'm not in touring mode.