Bike #2 - Gearing?

[mip]

Last April I bought my first bike as an adult. It's a cross bike fitted with road tyres and I've done over 3000km on it. I use this bike for everything: commuting at least twice a week, weekend rides and sportives. On the weekend I completed my first 100 mile sportive on it.

Having come to the conclusion that this cycling lark is definitely for me I'd like relegate this bike for use as a commuter and in the winter and get something which doesn't weight nearly 15kg for weekends etc.

The first question I've been asking myself about my new steed is what gearing should it have? My current bike has a triple chain set with 48/38/28t on the front and a 11-32 cassette on the back. I'm not exactly sure what this lot means but I know that the smallest ring on the front helps me (I'm 97kg) get up hills with a gradient >10%. I'm not sure I'd be able to get up these hills without it.

On to my question, most of the bikes I've been looking at have compact chain sets. I was wondering how these compare with the gearing on my current bike? For example, one of the bikes I've been looking at has 53/39t on the front and a 11-32 cassette. Am I right in saying that the rations I'd have available with this set up would be very similar to what I have now but without the smaller front ring?

Any comments, advice, sharing of experience greatly appreciated.

 

[malcermie]

My Triban 3 has a triple chain ring 50-39-30 and a rear cassette 11/28 8 speed and can get me up the steepest hills. The standard cassette on the T3 is 12/25 8 speed and is fine for most hills. I weigh 76Kg and am 68 years old Bike weighs about 10Kg and for £300 is a great buy.

 

[zizou]

A 53/39 is a standard double rather than a compact, the gearing is going to be quite a big bigger than you are used to

A compact of 50/34 with an 11-32 cassette will also be bigger than you currently have however the 34 - 32 gear is pretty low. Of course it depends on your fitness but i think if you can manage 100 mile rides and you are looking to continue improving then a 34-32 is going to be more than sufficient.

 

[mip]

A 53/39 is a standard double rather than a compact, the gearing is going to be quite a big bigger than you are used to

A compact of 50/34 with an 11-32 cassette will also be bigger than you currently have however the 34 - 32 gear is pretty low. Of course it depends on your fitness but i think if you can manage 100 mile rides and you are looking to continue improving then a 34-32 is going to be more than sufficient.

Very helpful. Thank you very much.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Very helpful. Thank you very much.

Play with this - will give you an idea of the differences.

http://www.machars.net/bikecalc.htm

 

[mip]

Play with this - will give you an idea of the differences.

http://www.machars.net/bikecalc.htm

Interesting, thanks.

How do I work out the tooth count for an 8 speed 11-32 cassette?

 

[Jon2]

Interesting, thanks.

How do I work out the tooth count for an 8 speed 11-32 cassette?

If you're working out your lowest climbing gears, use the largest tooth count on the cassette. In this case 32. And the smallest tooth count from the chainrings. For your triple it was 28, most compact chainsets will be 34 or 36, and a standard double usually 39.

 

[mip]

If you're working out your lowest climbing gears, use the largest tooth count on the cassette. In this case 32. And the smallest tooth count from the chainrings. For your triple it was 28, most compact chainsets will be 34 or 36, and a standard double usually 39.

Sorry Jon, I didn't word my question very well. What I mean is, for use in the tool suggested by @SpokeyDokey, what the the intermediate tooth counts between 11 and 32 on the cassette?

11-?-?-?-?-?-?-32

Edit: Found it http://www.bikeman.com/FW6166.html

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Sorry Jon, I didn't word my question very well. What I mean is, for use in the tool suggested by @SpokeyDokey, what the the intermediate tooth counts between 11 and 32 on the cassette?

11-?-?-?-?-?-?-32

Might be a case of physically counting them or looking it up on the manufacturers/suppliers site if you know what cassette it is.

eg

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a4...cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CJySrPiTmLcCFXIPtAodCGcAWQ

 

[youngoldbloke]

Count them! - or take the cassette off, clean it, and you may see the tooth number embossed on each cog - or if you know the manufacturer you may find details in their tech docs, or elsewhere online - eg ."Shimano HG41 8-speed Hyperglide Cassette with 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32" (www.bike-discount.de)

 

[youngoldbloke]

+1 SpokeyDokey, you just beat me to it

 

[MrJamie]

Just as an idea, if the one you've been looking at has a 39 32 lowest, try using your middle front and largest rear for a nearly the same 38 32.

My hybrid has the same gearing as your current bike and unfortunately if I moved to a road bike without losing some weight first I think i'd be walking up the steeper hills, but i've got about 20-25kg on you.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Just another view.

Whilst lower gears can undeniably get you up steeper hills they can, to some extent, make you reliant on them ie they are there so you use them:

12 years back (aged 42) I used to twiddle up the local hills on my XTR equipped MTB which (if memory serves me well had a 44/36/24 triple and 11-32 (I may be a tad out but you get the drift).

I remember using my lower gears a lot even the tiddly large/small combo.

10 years and an almost 10 year break later I have a 46/36 and 12/28 and fly (relatively speaking) up the same hills. Simply because I don't have the option of anything lower I have to put a bit more effort in.

Imho the 53/39's of the world are for hardcore, strong riders (not me). 50/34 is fine and I have to say that my closely overlapping 46/36 CX chainset is perfect for me.

34 front with a 32 at the back should be fine for most hills and 34/28 if you are feeling fairly fit.

 

[mip]

Just another view.

Whilst lower gears can undeniably get you up steeper hills they can, to some extent, make you reliant on them ie they are there so you use them:

12 years back (aged 42) I used to twiddle up the local hills on my XTR equipped MTB which (if memory serves me well had a 44/36/24 triple and 11-32 (I may be a tad out but you get the drift).

I remember using my lower gears a lot even the tiddly large/small combo.

10 years and an almost 10 year break later I have a 46/36 and 12/28 and fly (relatively speaking) up the same hills. Simply because I don't have the option of anything lower I have to put a bit more effort in.

Imho the 53/39's of the world are for hardcore, strong riders (not me). 50/34 is fine and I have to say that my closely overlapping 46/36 CX chainset is perfect for me.

34 front with a 32 at the back should be fine for most hills and 34/28 if you are feeling fairly fit.

Thanks for that. I can see this point of view. I hired a Ridley Fenix 7005, which had 50/34 at the front and a 11-28 cassette (I think), whilst in Tenerife earlier in the year and I managed to get up plenty of hills on that.

 

[mip]

Thank you to everyone for the advice. Looks like I'm in the market for a £1000 road bike with compact gearing. Though if it comes with an 11-28 cassette it may soon be swapped out for a 11-32