Choosing the right gearing for a new road bike

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

Post Reply
lovemyway
Posts: 216
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:32 am

by lovemyway

Hello,

I'm trying to choose a right gears for the Venge that I'm building and I think I might need some help. I live in relatively flat area (not super flat, but nowhere near to call it hilly - at most around 600m of elevation per 100kms of riding or 1km per 140km on the "steepest" part around that I know).

I'm currently using the 11-28 cassette with the 52x36 chainset. Two things to note:
  • I'm not using 28 ring at all. I'm not using 25 either UNLESS I'm after super hard interval and just want to recover a bit.
  • I'm rarely using 11-12 rings. I am using them when I'm doing some Z5+ intervals but I can't really spin them more than 70RPMs

Now, I've been playing around with the Gear Calculators and I think I'm set on the 12-25 cassette - it has some nice progress - 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-25 - it eliminates the cogs I'm not really using and gives me something more to play with in between.

What I'm not sure of are the chainrings - I think I want to change to compact/standard, just to try it. I think it would be good to improve my average cadence (it's around 82RPM average per month, much more if I'm riding on turbo trainer). I don't feel bad with it (I don't really "struggle", my knees don't hurt), I just feel like experimenting. Besides, if I get 5RPMs more I can basically offset the chainset change (in most cases).

I made a list to compare these; I think if I had a compact I'd be able to use the whole cassette (although I'd probably not be using the 25 cog with 34 in the front), and if I had a standard I'd use most of the bigger cogs but not the 12 (at least not that often). What do you guys think? Where do I start?

Marcin

Stueys
Posts: 673
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 1:12 pm

by Stueys

It's a personal thing really, I run 52-36 on all my bikes with an 11-28. But when I ride is relatively lumpy. I prefer the feel of pushing a bigger gear up front, so prefer semi compact to full compact.

I also ride q rings, which I find lifts my cadence

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Marin
Posts: 4035
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

Go 1x with a 46t ring. If you're only riding in the flat it's all you need. I just did that for my TT bike. Work well.

User avatar
jekyll man
Posts: 1570
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:23 am
Location: Pack filler

by jekyll man

Changing your gear ratios wont increase your cadence.
If you feel comfortable pedalling at 80rpm, then all you'll do with another cassette is select the gear that gives the same cadence/feel.

You need to deliberately ride at least 1 sprocket lower than now to increase cadence, and build up the time spent riding like that.
or go fixed and ride a small gear ;)
Official cafe stop tester

shimmeD
Posts: 544
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:52 pm
Location: eNZed

by shimmeD

I found it to be a discipline thing to increasing cadence; just deliberately ride higher cadences than you normally would.
I don't like big gaps in my cassette except in the biggest cogs >21; love having 18 in a 12-25 cassette.
Suggest you do it one step at a time, getting a new 12-25 cassette and keeping your current chainset.
Less is more.

lovemyway
Posts: 216
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:32 am

by lovemyway

shimmeD wrote:I found it to be a discipline thing to increasing cadence; just deliberately ride higher cadences than you normally would.
I don't like big gaps in my cassette except in the biggest cogs >21; love having 18 in a 12-25 cassette.
Suggest you do it one step at a time, getting a new 12-25 cassette and keeping your current chainset.


Thanks, that's what I did, I just ordered the 52x36 DA chainset and gonna pair it with 12-25 cassette. If I'll feel the need for standard chainrings I'll just swap them.

PinaF8
Posts: 190
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:05 am

by PinaF8

lovemyway wrote:
shimmeD wrote:I found it to be a discipline thing to increasing cadence; just deliberately ride higher cadences than you normally would.
I don't like big gaps in my cassette except in the biggest cogs >21; love having 18 in a 12-25 cassette.
Suggest you do it one step at a time, getting a new 12-25 cassette and keeping your current chainset.


Thanks, that's what I did, I just ordered the 52x36 DA chainset and gonna pair it with 12-25 cassette. If I'll feel the need for standard chainrings I'll just swap them.


That's what my setup is right now but going back to standard rings as they don't shift from small to big ring smoothly.
S-WORKS VENGE 1ST GEN
PINARELLO F8
PINARELLO F10
2018 BMC SLR01
2019 SCOTT SPARK RC 900

toutadroit
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:43 pm

by toutadroit

+1 on the 1x. I run a 48Tx11-40 and hills be damned. Plus, I can still spin 32MPH on flats @ 100RPM. Light, clean, shifts smooth. I won't miss adjusting and shifting the front.

charlieboy52000
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:43 am

by charlieboy52000

lovemyway wrote:Hello,

I'm trying to choose a right gears for the Venge that I'm building and I think I might need some help. I live in relatively flat area (not super flat, but nowhere near to call it hilly - at most around 600m of elevation per 100kms of riding or 1km per 140km on the "steepest" part around that I know).

I'm currently using the 11-28 cassette with the 52x36 chainset. Two things to note:
  • I'm not using 28 ring at all. I'm not using 25 either UNLESS I'm after super hard interval and just want to recover a bit.
  • I'm rarely using 11-12 rings. I am using them when I'm doing some Z5+ intervals but I can't really spin them more than 70RPMs

Now, I've been playing around with the Gear Calculators and I think I'm set on the 12-25 cassette - it has some nice progress - 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-25 - it eliminates the cogs I'm not really using and gives me something more to play with in between.

What I'm not sure of are the chainrings - I think I want to change to compact/standard, just to try it. I think it would be good to improve my average cadence (it's around 82RPM average per month, much more if I'm riding on turbo trainer). I don't feel bad with it (I don't really "struggle", my knees don't hurt), I just feel like experimenting. Besides, if I get 5RPMs more I can basically offset the chainset change (in most cases).

I made a list to compare these; I think if I had a compact I'd be able to use the whole cassette (although I'd probably not be using the 25 cog with 34 in the front), and if I had a standard I'd use most of the bigger cogs but not the 12 (at least not that often). What do you guys think? Where do I start?

Marcin


Hi. Don't get hung up on increasing your cadence. Your cadence is a personal thing based on your physiology and strength.
Usually the less strength you have the lower cadences you will push in an untrained individual.
Have you trained strength intervals already? They are usually done after 8 weeks of endurance training when you start the season. If you skipped strength training in your training block (must people do since it is the hardest) your cadence will be affected.
After you have done your strength training block you should be training long intervals. Here is where you hon that cadence and maintain strength by doing hill repeats or grinding once or twice a week plus fast group rides or races.
I live in south FL miami and here everyone that rides pretty much uses 53/39-11-23/25. Its flat as hell here.
Your gear ratios will depend also on the max speed you can attain at a sprint.
In a fast group ride or a race sprint 52/12 or 53/12 is not enough down here. You need the 53-12 to get up to 36+ mph and then the 53-11 to sprint at a cadence that allows you to generate power.
Again don't kill your self over the cadence. Aim for 80+ for efficiency. Anything below that has been proven to be inefficient. I used to race and shift at 110rpms. I'm a big guy that generates a lot of power. later I discover that my best cadence is 85-90rpm.
The whole argument over higher cadence is that you require less power to move at the same speed. But alas we are all different and our muscle fibers configurations are different.
So do what feels best and if you really want to get into it get a power meter. That will tell you your power output at any given time. Play with different cadences, set ups , Analyze it and then draw your own conclusion.
Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

alcatraz
Posts: 4064
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

Have to agree with the 1x people. I could never run that because I like climbing but for yourself you already admitted of using a small range of gears. Quite a weight weenie setup aswell.

46t or 44t ring with an 11-28t cassette will give you the gears you need.

Lose the cable, heavy shifter, derailleur, small chainring. Put a light weight brake lever there instead.

If you want to stay on 2x you should go with compact crank 50/34 and the smallest cassette you can find. (Perfect cadence). 11-21t cassette. It will be amazingly accurate cadence.

/a

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Post Reply