52/34 Gear Combination

[Marin]

The smaller chainring contributes nothing to shifting, so there should be no problem.

A friend of mine runs a round big ring and an oval small one, seems to work ok.

[Deveron53]

I've been using Rotor cranks with a 52T and 34T with a Dura Ace 11-25 rear cassette. I use Sram Force Yaw FD which helps with allowing me to stay in the big ring a lot more. I only use the 34T when I absolutely have to. I use a short cage RD and initially had some trouble shifting back up to the big ring from the small but since tweaking the FD setup it's worked perfectly. I may go down to a 50T as I think the 52T is overkill!

[sib]

I also ran a Shimano Ultegra 6800 with a 46 big ring previously.

Ah, that's good to know - I'm running Ultegra 6800 at the moment.

[Philbar72]

When I had my rotor 3d24 power2 max, I used to run 54/38 for flat days, 51/35 for hilly days. A 35tooth chainring is great cos you can still toodle along at 22mph on the flat in 35/12

Should never have got rid of that…

[Marin]

52T [...] 11-25 [...] only use the 34T when I absolutely have to

Any hills where you live? =0

[Deveron53]

52T [...] 11-25 [...] only use the 34T when I absolutely have to

Any hills where you live? =0

Yes, Eastern Scotland!

What I meant was, I tend to stay in my big ring a lot and only downshift when I know a hill is coming up. I don't like shifting with a FD. I find a 34/25 is just enough to get me up the steepest hills we have around here. The Sram Yaw FD is very good at allowing me to use the first 9 speeds with ease and the last 2 speeds with caution. If I lived somewhere flat I'd probably go for a single 50T with 11/28.

[scottmmw]

Works fine.

Changed my 52/36 to 52/34 for trip to Pyrenees with 11/28 casette

[morganb]

When I had my rotor 3d24 power2 max, I used to run 54/38 for flat days, 51/35 for hilly days. A 35tooth chainring is great cos you can still toodle along at 22mph on the flat in 35/12

Should never have got rid of that…

Which rings were you using? TA?

[Philbar72]

Ta rings, yes.

[havana]

People in need of a 34 will never need a 52.

This is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.

[GambadiLegno]

That's not true, I need both.

[glepore]

People in need of a 34 will never need a 52.

This is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.

Nope. Actually the opposite, big hills require both bigger downhill gears and smaller uphill.

[jih]

I've tried this combination. It worked but I hated it.

I found I was always in the low end of the big ring, or the high end of the small ring. Chain crossed most of the time.

And then it was difficult in a group to shift the front and not throw the group's rhythm off because i'd have to make 3 or 4 shifts at the back to match it.

[tadrums]

52/34 is not w/o compromise as your experience points out. Yet, I've found the necessary rear compensatory "down shift" when going into big ring worth the benefit of the 34 on the steep hills where I live. Crossed chain has not been an issue.

I've tried this combination. It worked but I hated it.

I found I was always in the low end of the big ring, or the high end of the small ring. Chain crossed most of the time.

And then it was difficult in a group to shift the front and not throw the group's rhythm off because i'd have to make 3 or 4 shifts at the back to match it.

[jih]

Crossed chain has not been an issue.

I don't know how it can not be, but happy it works for you. With this combo and not cross-chaining you must be riding either fast or slow all the time and not much at medium speed.