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Anyone riding 52/36 with 11-32?

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!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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41 comments

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El Camino | 5 years ago
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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 52x11 at the top.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
1 like

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.

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
3 likes

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

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MarkOne replied to CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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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?!

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CXR94Di2 replied to CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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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  1

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MarkOne replied to CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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CXR94Di2 wrote:
CXR94Di2 wrote:

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

Corrected  1

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

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Daveyraveygravey | 6 years ago
1 like

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!

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MarkOne replied to Daveyraveygravey | 6 years ago
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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!)

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
1 like

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.

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ktache | 6 years ago
2 likes

That is a fine box of sprockets.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
2 likes

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.

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MarkOne replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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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

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MarkOne | 6 years ago
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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!

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Morat replied to MarkOne | 6 years ago
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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.

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graybags | 6 years ago
1 like

When I had my bike built up I speccd a semi compact with 11-28 cassette, but with a long cage derailleur to cope with a 32. I'm doing the Fred next month and have swapped out to the 32 to give me a gear of last resort. From general cycling around where I live (Chilterns) I've not noticed any significant change in the most regularly used ratios, nor when I went down to the Mendips a couple of weeks back for some hills !. Also, I have found no need to lengthen the chain when fitting the 32.

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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Okay,Okay,  I might of slightly over egged the pudding, a littlewink.  I did drift out of my heart rate zone, but felt comfortable at 90rpm,  strava estimated I peaked at 1200Watts  

Gearing, yes 28 chainring and 32t cass.  I used a 11-40 cass when I rode up Mt. Teide, I was quite comfortable in the mid 80s rpm after several hours of climbing.  

Gear down and spin up for a way more comfortable ride.

 

 

 

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
1 like

28t chainring with 32t sprocket (not a 32-28) is 6.2mph at 90rpm on a 25c tyre, on a 16% slope in zone 2 that's elite level.

Agree with above though, keeping the legs spinning around is not only less fatiguing but it helps to keep your balance when the speed really drops, it's hilarious to watch some of the pros struggling because they didn't get a low enough gear and could just get off and walk quicker instead of caning their legs/lungs trying to push a gear that's way too high and barely making any forward progress/nearly falling off.

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

Wasting energy moving all over the bike/being out the saddle because you've nowhere to go gear wise compunds matters IMHO and can really mess with your head knowing you've more hills to come and that's the easiest it's going to get leg wise!

Oh and the 28-32 jump, big jump but like 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.

I had a 14-30 8 speed Campagnolo cassette a few years back, with a 46/40/26 it was perfect for  touring, no big jumps and a decently low/high for pretty much everything I was going to do.

Those using a 40/42t sprocket now I think is insane, it'll get you up a hill but the massive ratio jumps, no thanks, it messes your cadence up no end.

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MarkOne replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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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

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Jackson | 6 years ago
3 likes

CXR94Di2, I suggest you get on a ferry tomorrow and get yourself to Paris-Roubaix. Provided you stay in Zone 2, you could break solo from the start and comfortably get in about half an hour ahead of Boonen. 

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Carton | 6 years ago
6 likes

CXR94Di2, "a long hill of 16 % at 90 rpm" in zone 2? At 100kg on a 32-28 that's somewhere around 585W. If that's 70% of your FTP then a little training on the boards and you could be breezing past Wiggo's hour on a Boris Bike. So I'm guessing that's not that long of a hill and you're actually going well past Zone 2 bar the HR lag. 

Look, I advocate spinning as much as anyone, and I agree with your general sentiment. But IMHO if you keep it above 70rpm, even if only just, on the hardest stretches of your local roads, then you should be fine. It's when you see new riders grind up at 40rpm on 7% gradients where I take some issue (mainly with the shops that push those sales). But I'd wager even Nairo Quintana avoids 15% gradients on his Zone 2 rides.  At least when he goes out on his road bike.

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rdmp2 | 6 years ago
1 like

I find this to be the best way to compare ratios I've set it to compare 50/34 11-28 with 52/36 11-32.

http://www.ritzelrechner.de/?GR=DERS&KB=34,50&RZ=11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21...

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MarkOne replied to rdmp2 | 6 years ago
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rdmp2 wrote:

I find this to be the best way to compare ratios I've set it to compare 50/34 11-28 with 52/36 11-32...

Nice one thanks

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Jimthebikeguy.com | 6 years ago
2 likes

Yeah. Science aside, i have exactly the setup you describe, it works brill for everything and shifts fine. The end.

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MarkOne replied to Jimthebikeguy.com | 6 years ago
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jterrier wrote:

Yeah. Science aside, i have exactly the setup you describe, it works brill for everything and shifts fine. The end.

Haha nice! I just got my bike back, rode it and already feel the hearing is better for me (and very smooth ł, but doesn't need the 32 in anger.
The bike shop guy does say don't give it too much force on the 52 and 28 or 32 though, as the spring is stretched on the rear derailleur... I wouldn't usually ride those anyway though (cross-chaining and 36 for hills)..

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theloststarfighter | 6 years ago
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I find this site illustrates it nicely;

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=DERS&KB=36,52&RZ=11,12,13,14,16,18,20...

Shows a difference in ration of 0.08 between a 36 & 28 and a 34 & 28 and then the 36 & 32 gives you a 1.13 ratio.  So I don't think running a 52/36 with 11-32 is an issue, there's just not as smooth progression in certain changes.

 

(you might have to play around to get the set up you want to compare)

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MarkOne replied to theloststarfighter | 6 years ago
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theloststarfighter wrote:

I find this site illustrates it nicely;

http://www.gear-calculator.com/

... So I don't think running a 52/36 with 11-32 is an issue, there's just not as smooth progression in certain changes.

Ok I see more clearly thanks that the 36/52 is giving a wider ratio. I rode it today and prefer the slightly different gearing it gives that I used, but didn't have to go whole 36 to 32 yet (actually beat a PR without even trying, with a rucksack on!)
Will tackle a few climbs tomorrow

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Capt Caveman | 6 years ago
1 like

I have once - swapped out an 11-28 for a 11-32 so I had a bail out gear for Hardknott on the Fred Whitton a couple of years ago.

Worked fine, but be aware that it required a medium cage rear derailleur in addition to the new cassette and a longer chain, which may make compact chainrings your cheaper option.

 

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MarkOne replied to Capt Caveman | 6 years ago
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Capt Caveman wrote:

...... required a medium cage rear derailleur in addition to the new cassette and a longer chain, which may make compact chainrings your cheaper option.

 

Yep I got one, and yep, rings would have been cheaper to replace. Live and learn! Not sure much difference between 50/34 with 11-28 and 52/36 with 11-32?!

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sergius | 6 years ago
1 like

Both my bikes have 50/34 on the front, one is a 10spd 11-28 and the other an 11spd 11-32.

 

On either bike I find it's fairly rare to be using 50-11, there are only a few longer hills where I get up that high (40mph).  On the climbing front I tend to find that unless I'm on my last legs I rarely go lower than 34-25, when I do need a bail out gear though it is nice having that extra cog on my best bike.

 

It may be because one is ten speed and the other eleven, but I haven't really noticed any difference in the jumps between cogs from the 11-28 to 11-32 - certainly not enough to bother me anyway.

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Simon E | 6 years ago
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The difference between 11-28 and 11-32 is small, you may not even notice. When you're on the 28t and needing to shift down then that 4-tooth step to the 32 tooth cog is very welcome.

As for chainrings, aren't you supposed to be able to replace the chainrings on a semi-compact with 50/34? And 50x11 is big enough for most people. When I fitted an 11-30 cassette last year I found I never used that cog so replaced the 11 & 12 with 12 & 13 from another cassette. This also filled the noticeable gap between 14 and 12.

Sheldon's gear calculator has more gearing permutations than you could shake a stick at.

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