[MarkOne]

I have 52/36 with 11-28 cassette and was torn between which to replace to tackle some nasty hills here.. Long story but I’ve got an 11-32 cassette and going to try it with the semi compact…
Does anyone ride this? Is there much difference to an 11-28 in the middle cogs? I read changing gear from 28 into 32 is a bit of a clunker?
I could always get compact chainrings later when I’ve saved money (oval when i start laying diamonds) … I’m new to cycling.. It seems I do need to start laying diamond eggs quite soon!

Topic

[Anonymous]

I don’t know about the
I don’t know about the science of it all but I’m happy with 52/36 & 11-32 on my Rose.
Admittedly, the bailout at the bottom end is of more use to me than the 52×11 at the top.

[Vista Cycling Tours Tuscany]

As with many things in life,

As with many things in life, it’s all very personal but also related to where you ride.

Now, I live in Florence, where we have wall-climbs, rolling hills and Apennine mountains and the 34t crank with my 30t cog makes a difference to me – it’s my get-out-clause on the 20% – 25%+ climbs. With my Ultegra 50/34, I have a custom/slightly bodged 11s 11-30 (where a mechanic extracted a mid-range cog a slotted on a 30t cog after the 28).

On the other hand, I find my compact 50t crank doesn’t always satisfy with a 11t rear cog, and on a long, gently flowing or straight downhill section I do sometimes “run out of gears”.

I’m considering a 52/36 semi-compact crank and larger range 11-32 rear cassette. This should retain the same ratio for low climbing gears but give me a little extra push at the top-end.

Give me a message or a call if anyone wants a guide in the Tuscany area (Giro d’Italia / Strade Bianche / L’Eroica)
http://www.vistacycling.com +39 3772733048

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t worry about the

I wouldn’t worry about the ‘limit’ set for the front, not with only going one more, a 50/33 should shift perfectly fine, again depends if for your chainset you can get a 33T, be worth it for the extra IMO if you’re considering a 34T anyway.

[MarkOne]

CXR94Di2 wrote:

CXR94Di2 wrote:

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Did my first senior club run(70 miles) this year…

Corrected :)

Haha I see! Still, good effort! I want to build up to that and sportives.. Need to improve my stamina but too hot here after 10am

[CXR94Di2]

CXR94Di2 wrote:

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Did my first senior club run(70 miles) this year, I was more than able to keep up guys running 53/39 chainrings compared to my piddly 40/28. Don’t follow convention, research and set your bike up for your requirement s

Corrected 🙂

[MarkOne]

CXR94Di2 wrote:

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Did my first senior club run(70) this year,..

70 years old? And dudes were booking your ferry ticket to Paris for yesterday?!

[CXR94Di2]

Did my first senior club run
Did my first senior club run(70) this year, I was more than able to keep up guys running 53/39 chainrings compared to my piddly 40/28. Don’t follow convention, research and set your bike up for your requirement s

[Morat]

MarkOne wrote:

MarkOne wrote:

Haha easy guys – I’ve only been cycling three months, and am still losing some fat – I won’t be leading anyone out in the Paris-Roubaix tomorrow! Hit the hills today.. 20%+ gradients I was down to 50rpm (actually 0 a couple of times – but it peaks at 39.2% according to strava, so if anyone can spin that at 90 I’d like see!)… And it was 107° real feel by the time I finished! Some improvement with the 32, but I think I’ll need 34/50 on the front… The Thais save concrete by not making switchbacks!

 

I was on a ride last weekend with a guy on the identical bike to me except I had 11-32 on the back and he had 11-28. I made it up the hill and he didn’t despite being 10 years younger and about 4 stone lighter. There’s no way I was fitter than him, just better equipped.

I do ride 20% hills, and 34/32 makes the difference. Don’t listen to the flatland heros who seem to think that their 10% inclines count as hills.

[MarkOne]

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

.. this is my Suntour sprocket case….. it look the bollocks.

… go buy a 33t

They do indeed look the bollocks, just sitting in the box!
33t?but I heard you can’t go above 16t difference? I have cannondale/fsa si crank that is running a shimano 105 drivetrain

Thanks

[MarkOne]

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

To answer your first post, I’ve been running 52-36 and 11-32 since last year’s Fred and it’s been great. Didn’t help me conquer Hardknott and Wrynose but that’s another story!

Haha hardknott looks similar to the mountain climb here.. I think I’ll get 34/50 and swap back as and when needed (if I get fit enough, or more likely, live by less sinister roads!)

[Daveyraveygravey]

To answer your first post, I
To answer your first post, I’ve been running 52-36 and 11-32 since last year’s Fred and it’s been great. Didn’t help me conquer Hardknott and Wrynose but that’s another story!

[CXR94Di2]

My twin setup on my sportive
My twin setup on my sportive/tourer bike has a range of 18 to 95 gear inches. I can climb any hill spinning.
For general riding I use 11-32 cassette​ which reduces the climbing gear to 23 gear inches.

[ktache]

That is a fine box of

That is a fine box of sprockets.

[Anonymous]

You can bodge a couple of

You can bodge a couple of cassettes together but it can get spendy, this is my Suntour sprocket case that i keep for my old 5/6 speed bikes, you could choose anything from a 12 to a 36 and it look the bollocks too with the gold sprockets.

forget the 34t, go buy a 33t (dunno what your cranks are though) it’s not much of a drop (3% ish) but if it means you can keep upright/keep going then it’s worth it. a 34/32 is 28.36″ with 170mmcranks/28mm tyre, a 33/32 is 27.53″

I’m lucky in that I hate mountains so I simply don’t do them and my local terrain is rolling so i don’t usually need really low gears, however one of my bikes I have a crank that allows me to have a 50/28 ring set up and anything in between, they’re older but just as useful as modern cranks for touring/non competition and can be used with 10/11 speed set ups no problem. my audax/touring bike has a 26/30 low gear on it with a 12 tooth starting sprocket which is 23″ but then that’s a triple.

You can spin at 70rpm on a 20% gradient, you just need a low enough gear to do it with, a 24/36 would give you an 18″ low gear, that would get you up most inclines even loaded, the older MTB cranks you could have a 20t inner sprocket for really heavy loaded duties, sounds crazy but people will happily spin at the same speeds as the pros going up honister (& as low as 2.5-3mph) in that vid and be a lot less unstable.

[MarkOne]

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

@4:28 in this on Honister is a fairly good example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y-DG7A2eqo

…. most of the cassettes these days they aren’t really designed for the non elite/tourists, the prevelence of 11t starting sprockets is ridiculous and has virually no function in the vast majority of people’s cycling.

Nice one for the honister Pass clip, it made me feel quite homesick!
And yeah I was thinking last night – surely the future will be bespoke cassettes, so folk like me can start and finish higher and have smaller increments

[Author]

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