Agh! My ´compact´ turned out to be 53-39. Advice requested!

[amnesia]

I have gone from a compact 34/50 with 12-25 rear to a 39/53 and 11/28 and the lowest gear is now 36.6" instead of 35.8". I doubt I will notice the difference TBH (I pick the bike up tomorrow).

On the plus side, the highest gear is now 126" instead of 107" so top speed will be nearly 20% higher for the same given RPM.

Gears will be more widely spaced though...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Good advice and I suppose my times & performances have improved a bit week by week.
Might take you up on the Cheam and Morden Hilly 50km. Is the headware compulsory though?!

unless you want a cold head, yes.

i fold the ears in for the descents, much less drag that way.

 

[cameramanjim]

Thanks for all your replies, really helpful.
No, the Condor guy was talking about the gearing, but as I said, I´m sure he wasn´t trying to pull a fast one.
I´ll try the compact crankset and 13-29 cassette and see how it goes, but I do take your point that perseverence leads to improvement. I´ve got an old hybrid Trek with a triple, and spinning away and inching up a hill on it feels a bit rubbish to be honest.
Any funnily enough, Nick in the London Cycle Workshop asked me if I pushed when I go round Richmond Park (clockwise, always clockwise for some reason) and after I thought about it I realised I didn´t. So I went out, tried a bit harder, and took six minutes off my previous best three lap time. I guess it´s all about pushing (rather than getting off and pushing).
Thanks all.

 

[Nebulous]

I'm pretty new to a road bike - with a compact - but I can't help thinking I might have been better with a standard gearset.

On my MTB I spent about 90% of my time in my top gear, and I spend a lot of my time on my road bike on my 50 / 12. I'm not a huge fan of hills though and the downside might be killing myself there!

 

[JNR]

I'm pretty new to a road bike - with a compact - but I can't help thinking I might have been better with a standard gearset.

On my MTB I spent about 90% of my time in my top gear, and I spend a lot of my time on my road bike on my 50 / 12. I'm not a huge fan of hills though and the downside might be killing myself there!

That's some serious cycling there, if I were you I'd change to a 53 big ring if you have maxed out the range. Elsewhere another member commented that if you use a 12-28 block with a 53-39 set the lowest gear ratio is about the same as the 'standard' 50x34 with a 12-25 block that are often sold. When I change rings and cassette I'm changing to that or even 53-39 with a smaller block on the back.

 

[Nebulous]

That's some serious cycling there, if I were you I'd change to a 53 big ring if you have maxed out the range. Elsewhere another member commented that if you use a 12-28 block with a 53-39 set the lowest gear ratio is about the same as the 'standard' 50x34 with a 12-25 block that are often sold. When I change rings and cassette I'm changing to that or even 53-39 with a smaller block on the back.

I'm not sure that its serious cycling - it may be more that I haven't quite got the concept of gears! Maybe I should have just bought a single speed.

When buying my road bike I got a test ride on one from a bikeshop. I came down a hill to a flat junction in the top gear, stopped at the lights and tried to start off again in the 50 / 12. Starting in the highest gear was something I did regularly on my MTB, but it was certainly a challenge on the roadbike.

I have been working on it - trying to maintain a steady cadence and change more, but I do wonder how 53 / 12 would be on the open road. I think it might suit me better than my compact.

 

[dellzeqq]

Good advice and I suppose my times & performances have improved a bit week by week.
Might take you up on the Cheam and Morden Hilly 50km. Is the headware compulsory though?!

nope. We indulge Greg and his spotty titfer

 

[GrumpyGregry]

nope. We indulge Greg and his spotty titfer

actually it belongs to my daughter, and she won't let me wear it in the Surrey Hills.

 

[tiredlegs]

How much difference is there between a 30-28 ratio on a triple and a 34-28 on a compact

 

[festival]

Thanks for all your replies, really helpful.
No, the Condor guy was talking about the gearing, but as I said, I´m sure he wasn´t trying to pull a fast one.
I´ll try the compact crankset and 13-29 cassette and see how it goes, but I do take your point that perseverence leads to improvement. I´ve got an old hybrid Trek with a triple, and spinning away and inching up a hill on it feels a bit rubbish to be honest.
Any funnily enough, Nick in the London Cycle Workshop asked me if I pushed when I go round Richmond Park (clockwise, always clockwise for some reason) and after I thought about it I realised I didn´t. So I went out, tried a bit harder, and took six minutes off my previous best three lap time. I guess it´s all about pushing (rather than getting off and pushing).
Thanks all.

Richmond Park can be a tough circuit if ridden hard & it can be a grind if unfit.
Don't take offence at this, but you say you are a relative beginner so your position on the bike, pedaling style, choice of gearing before during & after a climb, reading the course & effort required may all need to be adjusted to make the marginal gains that will ensure you improve.
Most of us have heard of the famous "marginal gains " of British Cycling Teams and if a pro at the top of the tree can benefit, think of the jumps in performance a beginner can make.
You have already discovered an extra 'gear' by pushing harder so even learning how to ride out of the saddle e.g. when,how long,what gear,weight distribution can make a big difference

 

[lukesdad]

He was referring to the frame being a compact (i.e. sloped top tube) per chance?

Probably because it gets steeper and steeper until you get to the top, Broomfield Hill (aka Heart Attack Hill) clockwise at Richmond Park half kills me on 52/42Tx12-28T everytime. But it is fun in a masochistic sort of way

. One could always go anti-clockwise if one wants an easier ride.

Of course he was referring to the frame if you asked the question is it a compact. yes would be the answer. i f the question was is it a compact chainset no would be the answer.

 

[Tynan]

That's some serious cycling there, if I were you I'd change to a 53 big ring if you have maxed out the range. Elsewhere another member commented that if you use a 12-28 block with a 53-39 set the lowest gear ratio is about the same as the 'standard' 50x34 with a 12-25 block that are often sold. When I change rings and cassette I'm changing to that or even 53-39 with a smaller block on the back.

cadence/speed?

I used to grind around at low cadence until I read about 90 being the ideal

 

[Garz]

My natural cadence seems to also settle around the 80s. I can push myself to try for 100 but at the end of the ride this never materialises (maybe hills and TL's dont help).

On another note I rarely maxed out the 50-12 on my older bike and the new bikes 50-11 doesnt seem to get used a lot. This is probably best judged after the summer though when I can really welly down dry hills and not rubble bound greasy winter roads.

 

[cameramanjim]

Of course he was referring to the frame if you asked the question is it a compact. yes would be the answer. i f the question was is it a compact chainset no would be the answer.

I was saying that being new to road bikes I´d like gearing that would help me with the hills, and he said replied that it was a compact.

 

[cameramanjim]

cadence/speed?

I used to grind around at low cadence until I read about 90 being the ideal

Not sure about the cadence (I´d need to upgrade my computer), but I averaged 17.3 mph. It´s almost all undulating with (I think) 250 ft of climbing.