Chainring....help please
Discussion
Been looking at two road bikes and I'm confused with the chain ring sizes..I'm currently using a compact 10 speed road bike..50/34 chainring 11-28.
The new bikes have different chainrings..both are 11 speed..the first is 52/36 T and the second is 50/34 the same as my current steed..although the 11-28 is the same on both.
What in simple terms does this mean and which is more suitable for hills/top speed etc.
cheer guys
The new bikes have different chainrings..both are 11 speed..the first is 52/36 T and the second is 50/34 the same as my current steed..although the 11-28 is the same on both.
What in simple terms does this mean and which is more suitable for hills/top speed etc.
cheer guys
Given that the cassette stays the same, the 52/36 ("pro compact") chainset gives 'bigger' gears. So you'll lose out on 'low' gears for the harder climbs, but gain on 'high' gears for downhills and pan flat smooth roads. I was considering a 52/36, or even a 53/39 'standard' chainset for my next bike, but the suggestion from other PHers on Pedal Powered has been that I'd feel the loss of the lowest gears much more than I'd appreciate the extra high gears given the type of riding that I do.
In short:
53/39 = highest 'standard' road bike gear, for high speeds and relatively hill-free racing
52/36 = higher 'top' gear, great for descents and flats, but a compromise, as it is closer to the compact than the standard on the smaller ring, so is reasonable good for climbs
50/34 = lower gearing, much better for climbing, but with some compromise on top speed
My last road bike was running 50/34 (front) and 11-25 (rear). I was looking to move 'up' to a 52/36 and 11-28 because I wouldn't lose much at the low end, would gain a little on the higher gears, but not hamper myself with really big gears like the 53/39 on my old steel bike.
Sheldon Brown gear calculator... http://sheldonbrown.com/gain.html
In short:
53/39 = highest 'standard' road bike gear, for high speeds and relatively hill-free racing
52/36 = higher 'top' gear, great for descents and flats, but a compromise, as it is closer to the compact than the standard on the smaller ring, so is reasonable good for climbs
50/34 = lower gearing, much better for climbing, but with some compromise on top speed
My last road bike was running 50/34 (front) and 11-25 (rear). I was looking to move 'up' to a 52/36 and 11-28 because I wouldn't lose much at the low end, would gain a little on the higher gears, but not hamper myself with really big gears like the 53/39 on my old steel bike.
Sheldon Brown gear calculator... http://sheldonbrown.com/gain.html
Edited by yellowjack on Tuesday 9th September 00:26
In terms of your current setup, your 11-28 on your current stead will probably be: 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,25,28
The new 11 speed version of that cassette will probably give you a 16 i.e.: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,25,28.
I have jsut swapped my 11-28 10 speed to a 12-28 10 speed to get a 16 as I was spending all my time on the flat switching between 15 and 17..
The new 11 speed version of that cassette will probably give you a 16 i.e.: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,25,28.
I have jsut swapped my 11-28 10 speed to a 12-28 10 speed to get a 16 as I was spending all my time on the flat switching between 15 and 17..
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