50T Front chain ring enough?

[woosey]

Hey Guys,

Looking at the racers around i see 50T seems pretty common, however i currently have a 48T on my MTB which i have no issues using on the flat (my cruise gears are 48/14 & 48/16) my concern is with a lighter bike with bigger thinner wheels/tyres the 50T even paired with a 12 rear might not give me headway in the gearing for sprinting/downhill sections.

So is a 50T 'enough'?

 

[Rob3rt]

There is no one answer.

 

[VamP]

I've never span out a 50/12 in a race situation.

I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying it's unlikely to be a limiter.

 

[Hacienda71]

I hit 40 plus mph on a downhill with a 50:12, much faster than that and you want to be in aero tuck rather than pedalling like a looney.

 

[VamP]

Having said that, I have gone for 11t sprocket on my new race wheels.

 

[helston90]

I have 52 : 11 on my flat bar road bike and have you really need to be going some to spin it out- 45mph I've had and there has still been some resistance there if my legs could keep up so it's not something to worry about.
As you mention 50 is very popular and works for the vast majority (mine just came with the bike), however I'm sure there's some out there that'll say otherwise, I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

[montage]

50:12 is fine for bunch finishes

 

[cyberknight]

There is no one answer.

+1.
To many variables to do with your preferred cadence, terrain , etc etc
All i know is i do not even get into a 50x12 till i am close to 30 mph so only down hill , on the flat i tend to be in 50x 15 /50x 14 and i am comfortable commuting speed on the flat on around 22 mph .I know people are faster but i am a mamil with panniers .
At the weekend i use a bike with a compact matched to a 11-28 cassette and that suits me fine , the days of grinding monster gears have long gone and now my knees prefer to spin faster for the same speed which also means my legs are less tired.

 

[Noodley]

I can spin out with 53*11 going uphill, I am a monster of power

 

[ColinJ]

So is a 50T 'enough'?

Apparently not!

 

[raindog]

Apparently not!

sho' is some manly gearing in the first post over there

 

[oldroadman]

I can spin out with 53*11 going uphill, I am a monster of power

How fast was the tail wind blowing, force 10 or 11?
Top level it's usual to have 53x11 (a ratio of 4.82:1) but it's only posing for most of us old (and young) joes. Think it through, 53x13 was a gear the sprinters used to use and if you do the sum, 53/13 is a ratio of 4.07:1. 50x12 is a ratio of 4.16:1. How much bigger do you need to go? Spinning out downhill is spurious,- at much more than 70/80 kph it's into the tuck and freewheel.
Going back over the years, 52x14 was the biggest gear most could get or would use, and the trend for bigger and bigger gears has been fuelled by TTers copying the pros. The difference being pros are on tyop of the gear and getting a good cadence, whilst domesticriders look as if they are indulging in horizontal weightlifting on ridiculously low cadences.
In summary, a 50 outer is fine for almost everyone (including me), plus you get that nice 34 inner to spin uphill, unless you have serious ambition.
Enjoy - another nice day so the lanes call!

 

[Rob3rt]

IMO a compact is enough for most riders, including myself. I just don't like them and prefer a standard double for the ride feel and shifting, but I am under no illusions of being a "power lifter" style rider and I do not often get into the 53:12 (I don't have an 11t cassette on as I couldn't push it), I think spend most of my time in ~53:14 when racing flat time trials. Only on very fast sections will I jam it in the 53:12 and when I had a compact on my road bike, barely ever dropped into the 50:11. A 53:39 chainset with a 12-23t cassette would suit me pretty well.

 

[raindog]

Enjoy - another nice day so the lanes call!

The lanes called me early this morning on a 50t - the sunrise was magnificent btw.

 

[Cyclopathic]

About a year ago I bought GT 1000 second hand. It's a good 12 years old and it came with 53:11 as the top gear which I found utterly ridiculous. I've since taken the group set off and put it on an old 531 raleigh frame and swapped the frot ring for a 50 34 which is a lot more sensible but even still I'm going change the cassette for something a bit less extreme 50:12 or 13 will still be plenty for me.