what gear should i be using.

[Sittingduck]

On a compact, I use big ring and 3rd largest sprocket as my pulling away gear - then use middle of the cassette for most riding and only really engage the small chainring for serious climbing. People will say that 3rd largest sprocket is a bad chainline for the big ring but imho it doesn't give rub on a correctly adjusted front mech or wears the chain / cassette particularly quickly. Saves shifting the front a lot which you end up doing if you spend much time in the small ring on flat terrain (where you will rapidly run out of gears).

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

There are no rules to gear riding, apart from that has been said about using your block/ring extremtties.

You will find the gears naturally as you put the miles in.

 

[terry_gardener]

thanks for the advice i did another ride today and my fitness isn't good enough yet to use the 50 ring for long periods of time at the moment, maybe when my fitness improves i try again.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/164487498/1916033

 

[Nigelnaturist]

thanks for the advice i did another ride today and my fitness isn't good enough yet to use the 50 ring for long periods of time at the moment, maybe when my fitness improves i try again.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/164487498/1916033

You will,
my avg gear " has gone from middle 50's (52" is about a 38x19) to low 60's this week so far the avg is 65.68" which is 38x15 or 52x21

 

[HLaB]

I use the big ring mostly on my 38/52 compact but I run a reasonably ranged 11-26 cassette, sometimes in a group though I like to drop down and spin. For me the large ring gives a better balance of progress to endurance and the wee ring is ore responsive at a certain speed (usually in a chaingang); but thats just me, use what works for you Terry.

 

[Sittingduck]

38/52 doesn't sound too compact to me!

 

[HLaB]

38/52 doesn't sound too compact to me!

That's what I thought till Mickle or somebody on CC told me otherwise; compact just refers to the diameter of the cranks (110mm on a compact, 130mm on a standard double iirc) and the BCD is 110mm. Still undecided if I want to take advantage of that for the Alpe D'huez and lower my gears further, I have an 11-28t ultegra cassette I got on sale last year

 

[Sittingduck]

Ah yes the BCD thing defines 'compact' yes but in general terms I will alway think of it as being 34/50 or 36/50

I'd rather have the insurance gears in the bank and not need them, than be wanting...
I'd take an 11-28 or 12-28 if it was me. Actually I'd take a 34/50 with a cassette that ends in a 27 (at least)...

 

[HLaB]

Ah yes the BCD thing defines 'compact' yes but in general terms I will alway think of it as being 34/50 or 36/50

I'd rather have the insurance gears in the bank and not need them, than be wanting...
I'd take an 11-28 or 12-28 if it was me. Actually I'd take a 34/50 with a cassette that ends in a 27 (at least)...

Yeah, that was my general thinking too till somebody pointed out it was wrong
I'm definitely changing to the 11-28 cassette, its just whether I go to the expense of changing rings

 

[Sittingduck]

38-28 sounds workable...

 

[Flossyrockstar]

Whatever keeps your cadence up around 80 to 95 rpm, this generally should provide the greatest efficiency.

That's the plan.