Most common gearing on a road bike

[rogerzilla]

If this was 1990, I'd say 52/42 and 13-21

Some more entry-level bikes had 13-23 for weaklings and girls.

A 13-21 cassette is a really beautiful thing to behold and to use, as long as you live in the flatlands.

 

[StuAff]

If this was 1990, I'd say 52/42 and 13-21

Some more entry-level bikes had 13-23 for weaklings and girls.

A 13-21 cassette is a really beautiful thing to behold and to use, as long as you live in the flatlands.

Mr Legg used to run 53/39 and 12-21 (9 speed Dura Ace), despite the knee issues. Remember tailing him up Ditchling in 2010, and he was all over the road to make his way up, as I spun relatively- only relatively, being Ditchling- easy on 50/34 & 12-25.

 

[rogerzilla]

I had a 12-21 too, with a Unidisc wheel cover. That used to fly if you got a flat road.

 

[ColinJ]

If this was 1990, I'd say 52/42 and 13-21

Some more entry-level bikes had 13-23 for weaklings and girls.

Hmmm!

My experience...

When I bought my first (adult) road bike back in 1989, the salesman in the bike shop laughed at me when I told him that I was taking it home on the train because I couldn't face 25 miles in Greater Manchester's rush-hour traffic for my first ride.

Even more annoying - I weighed 16.5 stone at the time, hadn't ridden a bike for 20 years and live in a very hilly part of Yorkshire so I asked for the cassette to be changed to an easier one (the bike had 52/42 chainrings and a 12-25 cassette). He started laughing again and told me that a decent cyclist could get up anything in a 42/25 gear! He then related the story of how he'd once powered up a wet 25% cobbled climb in a Belgian road race using a 42/21 bottom gear. I nearly chucked the bike back at him, the arrogant, stupid tosser !

He put a 13-28 on for me, and I soon changed the inner ring to a 39.

 

[Jameshow]

I was on a 50/34 x 32-11 today didn't need the 34 on the three climbs today which was a good thing as the chains too long. Set up for 36 and a long cage RD.

 

[cyberknight]

If this was 1990, I'd say 52/42 and 13-21

Some more entry-level bikes had 13-23 for weaklings and girls.

A 13-21 cassette is a really beautiful thing to behold and to use, as long as you live in the flatlands.

i used to ride 54/42 13-18 ! , no wonder my knees are shot .

 

[CXRAndy]

I'm slowly heading towards getting a road bike after years of using an MTB. What's the most common set up I should be looking for if riding in a hilly area. Lots of rolling countryside near me with the occasional flat bit, so likely need lower gearing than top speed.

Prefer disc brakes but is that a disadvantage with road bikes?

How much do you weigh?

What type of gradients are you climbing typically?

Are you a spinner or grinder pedal cadence?

 

[Emanresu]

How much do you weigh?

Have you seen my avatar?

Looking for something like this. Discs would be nice. Lighter the better.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186914260149

 

[CXRAndy]

Have you seen my avatar?

Looking for something like this. Discs would be nice. Lighter the better.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186914260149

Didn't want to presume. My suggestion is, you go for mountain bike gearing or a triple crank-set, with a cassette up to 40t.

You may never venture onto the lowest gearing but will be glad to be able to spin away when the gradient really gets steep

 

[Bristolian]

When I bought my (used) Specialized Allez Sport two years ago yesterday (how time flies) I was 266lbs (120kg / 19st 0lbs) and pretty unfit. The bike came with 3x9 Shimano Sora with 50/39/30 chainrings and a 12-25 cassette. I rapidly found that I needed lower gearing for the hills that surround Bristol and replaced the cassette with an 11-32-tooth one, which helped no end although the 11-tooth cog rarely gets used. Even with the reduced chainring I was still finding turning the 50-tooth chainring over was difficult on even the slightest hill so last year I replaced it with a 48-tooth one instead and that has made a big difference.

My point here is that I think this is one of the big benefits of the derailleur gear-train system - if what you've got doesn't work for you it's relatively easy and cheap to change it. Don't stress about getting the gearing right straight off; get used to riding the bike and then decide what you need to do to make your rides what you want them to be.

PS: Four years ago my weight was 301lbs (136.5kg / 21st 7lb) and today it is down to 240lbs (108.8kg / 17st 2lbs) and my general fitness is much improved. My target for 2025 is to get down to 223lbs (101.6kg /16st 0lb). In my racing-snake days I was 133lbs (60.3kg / 9st 7lb) soaking wet - I have no delusions about getting back to that weight

 

[cyberknight]

My standard setting is 50/34 with an 11-28 cassette .

 

[robjh]

As most have indicated on here, fairly standard set-ups these days on road* bikes tend to be 50/34 front with anything from 11/28 to 11/34 rear. However, there's a lot of room for personal preference and I'm now running 48/31 front with 11/34 rear - I never regret using a lower gear on a climb but rarely miss the extra bit of top-end speed.

*gravel bikes are an offshoot of road bikes and overlap a lot, but tend towards lower bottom gears, and increasingly you see single front rings with a large rear cassette, eg. 40 front to 11-46, especially if 12-speed.