What chainring combo do you have

GlennaMaddy

Bought a cyclocrosser on the basis that it would be easier to make a roader out of a cyclocrosser than making a cyclocrosser out of a roadie.
Kit and weight were not far off a roadie so I expected that it would be half-decent roadie, but the gear ratio's seem to be a bit to far off for road racing.

Front: 34x50 / Rear 13-25

What do you have on yours?

Chips Lovell

GlennaMaddy wrote: »

Front: 34x50 / Rear 12-25

What do you have on yours?

They're compact chainrings and unless you are racing at quite a high level or all your races finish in downhill sprints, you'll be fine.

I use 53/39 but I wouldn't feel at a disadvantage with your set up.

Vélo

Compact on the front
12/27 on the rear

Junior

53/39
12-23 I think ..

niceonetom

that's a compact - very common these days.

I use 50-34 /// 11-25 and find it fine, though I would get a 53-39 if I was racing. Just to fit in really.

I have yet to meat the beast for whom 50-11 isn't enough inches.

//awaits tunney.

rottenhat

niceonetom wrote: »

I have yet to meat the beast for whom 50-11 isn't enough inches.

Matron!

Deisetrek

52 / 42 on the front 11 /23 on the back ( used to be 12/ 26) don't know if that is a good combination though , had no choice when I went to replace the back cassette last week . Halfords only had the 11/23 and I was desperate to sort out a "jumping" problem I had encountered so I bought the different combo , would any of the people who know these things tell me if that ratio is ok?

TinyExplosions

I wouldn't mind a 53-11, but would be lost without a 34 inner ring

Currently 50/34 11-25

The tax man

52/39 front 12/27 rear. Was 11/25 till Monday. Now the hills are a tad easier.:D

tunney

Aquinas73 wrote: »

Compact on the front
12/27 on the rear

Dolomites?

tunney

niceonetom wrote: »

that's a compact - very common these days.

I use 50-34 /// 11-25 and find it fine, though I would get a 53-39 if I was racing. Just to fit in really.

I have yet to meat the beast for whom 50-11 isn't enough inches.

//awaits tunney.

Well funny you should mention it but I span out my 53x12 (120rpm +) in a race at the weekend. Would have killed for a 53x11, or maybe a 54x11. A mate was recently b!tching about spinning out his 53x11 in the tour of the north recently - he's a beast though.

Lumen

tunney wrote: »

Well funny you should mention it but I span out my 53x12 (120rpm +) in a race at the weekend.

66.7kph. Please tell me you were going downhill.

Caroline_ie

50x34
11-28

... 28 ... yes ... laugh ...

DirkVoodoo

Lumen wrote: »

66.7kph. Please tell me you were going downhill.

A certain boardsie did this too on saturday. I was tucked in behind him and hardly had to pedal my 50x11.

Chips Lovell

I broke my landspeed record on my recent trip to Spain. 93kph. And yes, I was going downhill.

sy

tunney wrote: »

Well funny you should mention it but I span out my 53x12 (120rpm +) in a race at the weekend. Would have killed for a 53x11, or maybe a 54x11. A mate was recently b!tching about spinning out his 53x11 in the tour of the north recently - he's a beast though.

50 x 11 greater than 53 x 12 116 inches v's 119 unless your on 185 cranks:D
Thats some monster gear you are pushing Tunney

tunney

Lumen wrote: »

66.7kph. Please tell me you were going downhill.

Slight downhill with a decent tailwind.

tunney

sy wrote: »

50 x 11 greater than 53 x 12 116 inches v's 119 unless your on 185 cranks:D
Thats some monster gear you are pushing Tunney

Not a common occurence though.

Raam

My Name is Mario wrote: »

I broke my landspeed record on my recent trip to Spain. 93kph. And yes, I was going downhill.

Holy mother! What did that feel like?

Raam

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

A certain boardsie did this too on saturday. I was tucked in behind him and hardly had to pedal my 50x11.

Thanks for coming through to take the lead, oh wait, you didn't!

TinyExplosions

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

A certain boardsie did this too on saturday. I was tucked in behind him and hardly had to pedal my 50x11.

And there was another Boardsie ahead of him going even faster that you couldn't get tucked in behind!

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

Holy mother! What did that feel like?

Not half as scary as going a bit slower on some descents in Wicklow. It was a long straight descent on a good road and I had a tailwind. I was really surprised I got up to that speed as it wasn't the usual bone jarring experience.

Raam

TinyExplosions wrote: »

And there was another Boardsie ahead of him going even faster that you couldn't get tucked in behind!

Aye. I was spinning out the 53/12 and tryna tuck. Still couldn't catch up.

MadHatter

My Name is Mario wrote: »

I broke my landspeed record on my recent trip to Spain. 93kph. And yes, I was going downhill.

Yikes! I think my max is mid-60s, and that was more than enough.

How do you slow down at that speed...hang in there and wait for the road to stop falling?

Chips Lovell

MadHatter wrote: »

How do you slow down at that speed...hang in there and wait for the road to stop falling?

Anticipate your next corner and start braking gently to scrub out speed.

Raam

I got 76 coming down Djouce the other week. Don't really wanna go much faster on that stretch cos of all the houses at the bottom. A jeep started to pull out as I was nearing the bottom. Glad that he saw me. I reckon you could get close to 90 coming down there with the right lead out man, a tailwind and some nerves of steel.

TinyExplosions

I've tickled 80 coming off Sally Gap towards the N81... wouldn't mind getting some nice European descents though, with a good surface, going fast is awesome!

@Raam -you just need to add a few pounds boyo, that's what makes me faster!

biker_joe

winter rothar 53/39 / 23/12
racer rothar 53/39 / 23/11
TT rothar 54/39 / 23/11

BMX ( 44 x 16 ! SE Racing PK RIPPER, does n't come out now !! )

I must admit when start road biking seriously back in 99/00, there were no compact chainsets .... I don't think I could use one now ......

Biker Joe.

I am going to build a fixie soon, really don't what gear ????

MCOS

tunney wrote: »

Well funny you should mention it but I span out my 53x12 (120rpm +) in a race at the weekend. Would have killed for a 53x11, or maybe a 54x11. A mate was recently b!tching about spinning out his 53x11 in the tour of the north recently - he's a beast though.

twas a decent tailwind alright and you were clearly flying! Only have an SCR1 with compact but spun out the 50x11 and was wishing I was on a TT bike

blorg

It's not really the absolute top end that is the issue, the bigger advantage to a standard double racing is that the front shifting is better and you don't lose any momentum shifting. With a compact there is a big gap between the 50 and the 34 and you have to shift simultaneously on the back, you don't necessarily need to do this on a standard. This doesn't matter so much unless you are in a race!

To be honest a cyclocross bike is not going to be optimal for road racing, the position is different, the bike is heavier, and the brakes in particular tend to have far less modulation which is essential in a bunch (I have two cross bikes.)

I have a couple of cranks (53/39 and 50/34) and cassettes (11-23 and 12-27) on my racer, so I can mix and match. 53/39 11-23 for racing in Ireland, 50/34 12-27 for the Marmotte.

Tackleberry

Raam wrote: »

I got 76 coming down Djouce the other week. Don't really wanna go much faster on that stretch cos of all the houses at the bottom. A jeep started to pull out as I was nearing the bottom. Glad that he saw me. I reckon you could get close to 90 coming down there with the right lead out man, a tailwind and some nerves of steel.

I got 88kmph on that stretch - its pure nuts alright - the only benefit to being a fat git is sweet sweet gravity kicking in on a descent!!

ryan_sherlock

Road
53,39 crankset
12,25 training
11,23 racing (there are never any proper climbs in Irish races - and I tend to use the 11 a lot racing - an 11,25 would probably work but I like the close ratios on the 11,23)

MTB
42,28 (going on the 'hack' bike for starters)
11,34

A 42 on as the big ring is enough for all XC racers, maybe in a few marathons with long fireroad descents you would need a standard 44.

Raam

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

11,23 racing (there are never any proper climbs in Irish races - and I tend to use the 11 a lot racing - an 11,25 would probably work but I like the close ratios on the 11,23)

.

Even for Shay Elliot?

ryan_sherlock

I had a look at the Shay Elliot profile this morning - it's actually pretty flat (apart from Shay Elliot climb itself). On Shay Elliot, I remember the first part being pretty steep [9-10% for first km] but I can hoof over that... If (and as I'm on a heavy training load this week, it is a big if) I was anywhere near the lead, the speed up the climb would mean that I wouldn't be hitting the 25 anyway.

Doing the Kippure climb the other week, I never used the 25, lowest was 21 I think (possibly hit 23 when seated, but not sure).

Besides, it's the only cassette I have with an 11, and I'll need that.

MadHatter

I have 50/36 up front and 11/25 at the back. It's gotten me up any hills I've tried so far but not without much gnashing of teeth (mine, not the chainrings).

I toyed with the idea of switching to 12/27 for the Wicklow 200, but then one night I woke up in a cold sweat thinking tunney was on his way round to my house to berate me for being such a wuss. So I've decided to HTFU and stick with what I have.

Maybe...

IM0

53/39 x 25/12 and do LOTS of climbing 1000's meters (altitude)