Looking for a new groupset for the road bike, and can’t decide on a combo of cassette and chainrings for all round use. Options are:

Chainrings:
34/50
36/52
39/52

Cassettes:
11-28
11-32
12-25

What does the singletrack collective think?

My choice would be

50/34 and 11/32

25/12 and 34/50. Don’t know why they still persist in using an 11t cog to be fair, especially on the 28t/32t cassettes.

Best option IMO was a 27/12 with a 36/50, but doubt you can get that now.

Saying that, it doesn’t matter too much, I have a bike with a standard double and one with a compact doubt and it doesn’t make much difference. Although the shifting is better with the standard, along with the fact the inner ring is more useful.

Depends how heavy you are, and how fit you are, and how many climbs over 10% you are going to find in ‘all round use’, and perhaps if you want to do big gear work on a non-smart turbo trainer.

For 90% of people the 50/34 11-32 is going to be the correct choice imo.
For me, i’m light, and therefore climb quite well, so would probably take the 52/36 11-32

50/34 and 11-28 for me.

If you are unsure more is better, you will have larger gaps but if you come from mtbs you’ll probably not notice too much.

I’d say 34/50 11/28 or 32 if you are somewhere hilly or not a great climber.

Unless you are racing then by the time things get a bit spinny in a 50t you are probably not too bothered about pedalling.

Thanks – if I went for the 50/34 and 11/32 combo, would I need the short or medium cage derailleur?

medium, probably long though. I’d go 28 which means you can use a short cage mech (just)

I prefer a 12-25 where i can get away with it. The gaps are much smaller and 11 tooth sprockets get very little use unless your racing.

50/34 with 11/32 ‘cos I’m a fat git with a bad knee
When 34/32 ‘aint low enough it’s time to walk

This link might be helpful

52/36 and 11-28 for my money.

53-39 and 12-25 and a big bit of MTFU lol

12.5 stone biffer here and 50/34 with 11-32 gets me up anything.

However, I’m quite taken with the new sub compact idea. 48/32 up front with something like 12-28 would give me more gears I would actually use.

My Cube came with 50/34 and 11-32, but the 11-13 sprockets barely get any use, as I’m more of a spinner than a grinder.

50/34 and 11-28 on mine. It’s a cracking groupset. Being a compact, it has the usual problem of a large jump between the chainrings.

Thanks all!

42/52,12-23

I currently have 10 speed 105 , 12_25 with a 50/34 compact on my Defy.That works pretty well in Hertfordshire where there are few long gradients.
I’m 15 stone too.

I sometimes hanker for a slightly higher top for downhill and a very occasionally a lower low gear but think I’d find the bigger gaps annoying. If I was to upgrade to 11 speed I’d probably go 11_28.

Strange to think that only a few years ago I’d ride everything with a 53/39 and 12/25 and manage.

53-39 and 12-25 and a big bit of MTFU move to East Anglia

I’d go with 50/34 and 11/28 or 11/32 but I’m a very casual roadie and not that fit.