50/34 or 52/36 Crankset for racing (mostly flat)
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It's like riding a bicycle
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#28
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In my Training I'm spinning like 80-90 rpm, Strava says that my power Output on a 89.01km long ride with 250m elevation gain and an avg speed of 29 km/h I'm pedaling 151 W (average). In training (on a full alu bike with 50/34) im often in mid to high gear (downhill highest gear). But in flat races (20m elevation gain) I'm on my highest three gears.
Maybe this inforation can help you a little bit to give me like a direction in which I should go
Maybe this inforation can help you a little bit to give me like a direction in which I should go
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#31
The old standard of 53/39 is tough to beat in my experience. Of course I have not crit or road raced or mountain raced in 30+ years, however I was not a high watt rider, but ran a 12-24 out back, and on hilly courses a 13-28. My job on the team was to be a body, hahaha. Blocking and sprint lead out man. My son, who is built just like me, serves the same rolls on his team.
With today's 11-12 speed drive trains, the cassette offerings are very useful with 53/39 rings.
With today's 11-12 speed drive trains, the cassette offerings are very useful with 53/39 rings.
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Here is the deal ... as I see it.
The guy is not yet spinning out his existing gearing, and while he Wants to race, it is unclear if he ever has. What he would need should Not be based won what others used "When I raced" because he is not at that power or performance level, not at that fitness level.
I would suggest a 52-36 but whether or not that is available readily and affordably for his bike ... I would suggest he train more scientifically.
I suggest more intervals, more half-hour/max-power rides, mixed with long days.
Actually, I suggest he go to the pages on this site about nutrition and training and plan a dedicated program which will take him to the level where he will absolutely need bigger gears.
This is a "cart before the horse" issue. Build the motor, then build the transmission to handle the greater power.
The guy is not yet spinning out his existing gearing, and while he Wants to race, it is unclear if he ever has. What he would need should Not be based won what others used "When I raced" because he is not at that power or performance level, not at that fitness level.
I would suggest a 52-36 but whether or not that is available readily and affordably for his bike ... I would suggest he train more scientifically.
I suggest more intervals, more half-hour/max-power rides, mixed with long days.
Actually, I suggest he go to the pages on this site about nutrition and training and plan a dedicated program which will take him to the level where he will absolutely need bigger gears.
This is a "cart before the horse" issue. Build the motor, then build the transmission to handle the greater power.
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Here is the deal ... as I see it.
The guy is not yet spinning out his existing gearing, and while he Wants to race, it is unclear if he ever has. What he would need should Not be based won what others used "When I raced" because he is not at that power or performance level, not at that fitness level.
I would suggest a 52-36 but whether or not that is available readily and affordably for his bike ... I would suggest he train more scientifically.
I suggest more intervals, more half-hour/max-power rides, mixed with long days.
Actually, I suggest he go to the pages on this site about nutrition and training and plan a dedicated program which will take him to the level where he will absolutely need bigger gears.
This is a "cart before the horse" issue. Build the motor, then build the transmission to handle the greater power.
The guy is not yet spinning out his existing gearing, and while he Wants to race, it is unclear if he ever has. What he would need should Not be based won what others used "When I raced" because he is not at that power or performance level, not at that fitness level.
I would suggest a 52-36 but whether or not that is available readily and affordably for his bike ... I would suggest he train more scientifically.
I suggest more intervals, more half-hour/max-power rides, mixed with long days.
Actually, I suggest he go to the pages on this site about nutrition and training and plan a dedicated program which will take him to the level where he will absolutely need bigger gears.
This is a "cart before the horse" issue. Build the motor, then build the transmission to handle the greater power.
Go race. Suffer. Get your @$$ handed to you with extreme prejudice. Do it again. Figure out what it's going to take to survive. Go race a bunch more. Eventually, you'll figure out how to compete.
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No one knows your power output, riding style, or the exact terrain you are riding or plan to ride. No one who doesn't know those things can give good advice.
If you are extremely fit and strong, you would probably use higher gearing, but if not, .... the question might be this: When you are riding at race pace, how often are you in the top two or three gears, and how fast are you pedaling?
.
If you are extremely fit and strong, you would probably use higher gearing, but if not, .... the question might be this: When you are riding at race pace, how often are you in the top two or three gears, and how fast are you pedaling?
.
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Kind of shocked to see the amount of people who say 52 is significantly bigger than 50
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#41
don't try this at home.
This is 11-speed, I think?
Usually, Sram and Shimano have the same cogs for the same size cassettes. But not in 11-28. Sram is biased toward closer shifts at faster speeds. Shimano has more gears at the slower end of the cassette.
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 22 25 28 Sram
11 12 13 14 15 17 19 21 23 25 28 Shimano
~~~
I like Mike Sherman's Gear Calculator to visualize speeds for different gearing. And I look at the overlap ranges between the large and small chainring.
All the charts update on the fly if I change cadence ranges or try different cassettes.
This tab is the Speed Range, the most useful chart for me.
Click in the Save tab to create a URL that can be bookmarked for later, like this:
Calculator link to this setup: Sram 11-28 and 34, 50, 52
Here are charts at common fast group or racing cadences. I picked 88-100 rpm here.
52 chainring in blue, 50 chainring in black, 34 chainring in red.
The 52 is just about a half shift faster in general, which makes sense, it's 4% larger and shifts range from 5-6% to 12-15%, depending on the cogs arrangements.
Sram 11-28 in metric
The same Sram 11-28 in mph, including the calculator titles.
~~~
Compare to Shimano 11-28:
Usually, Sram and Shimano have the same cogs for the same size cassettes. But not in 11-28. Sram is biased toward closer shifts at faster speeds. Shimano has more gears at the slower end of the cassette.
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 22 25 28 Sram
11 12 13 14 15 17 19 21 23 25 28 Shimano
~~~
I like Mike Sherman's Gear Calculator to visualize speeds for different gearing. And I look at the overlap ranges between the large and small chainring.
All the charts update on the fly if I change cadence ranges or try different cassettes.
This tab is the Speed Range, the most useful chart for me.
Click in the Save tab to create a URL that can be bookmarked for later, like this:
Calculator link to this setup: Sram 11-28 and 34, 50, 52
Here are charts at common fast group or racing cadences. I picked 88-100 rpm here.
52 chainring in blue, 50 chainring in black, 34 chainring in red.
The 52 is just about a half shift faster in general, which makes sense, it's 4% larger and shifts range from 5-6% to 12-15%, depending on the cogs arrangements.
Sram 11-28 in metric
The same Sram 11-28 in mph, including the calculator titles.
~~~
Compare to Shimano 11-28:
Last edited by rm -rf; 08-03-23 at 08:46 PM.
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I'm not sure why it is, but it is. It's the front, like I said. I end up shifting between rings a lot more with my 50/34 than with my 52/36, or with 53/39.
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#44
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#47
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Something I noticed my first year as a Cat 5. Take all the best local riders, and that’s where they start. So your average slow Cat 5 is actually a pretty decent rider able to keep up a fast pace. We all started on 53/39 x 11-23 moved up to 12-25 for the hills or 12-27 if you were a “spinner”. For Cat 5,4,3 (never went beyond that) we weren’t mashing. A 50/34 would have been pretty worrisome.
Things have changed a little since the introduction of gravel and enduro MTB and stuff like that, but for straight road racing, you’ve got to keep up. That’s what big gears are for. If your legs can’t do it, you can join me on my slow rides and talk about how fast you used to be with me.
53/39 x 11-32 is a friggin dream compared to what was available even in the mid 2000’s. I wouldn’t consider going any lower if you’ve actually got the legs to race.
Things have changed a little since the introduction of gravel and enduro MTB and stuff like that, but for straight road racing, you’ve got to keep up. That’s what big gears are for. If your legs can’t do it, you can join me on my slow rides and talk about how fast you used to be with me.
53/39 x 11-32 is a friggin dream compared to what was available even in the mid 2000’s. I wouldn’t consider going any lower if you’ve actually got the legs to race.
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Something I noticed my first year as a Cat 5. Take all the best local riders, and that’s where they start. So your average slow Cat 5 is actually a pretty decent rider able to keep up a fast pace. We all started on 53/39 x 11-23 moved up to 12-25 for the hills or 12-27 if you were a “spinner”. For Cat 5,4,3 (never went beyond that) we weren’t mashing. A 50/34 would have been pretty worrisome.
Things have changed a little since the introduction of gravel and enduro MTB and stuff like that, but for straight road racing, you’ve got to keep up. That’s what big gears are for. If your legs can’t do it, you can join me on my slow rides and talk about how fast you used to be with me.
53/39 x 11-32 is a friggin dream compared to what was available even in the mid 2000’s. I wouldn’t consider going any lower if you’ve actually got the legs to race.
Things have changed a little since the introduction of gravel and enduro MTB and stuff like that, but for straight road racing, you’ve got to keep up. That’s what big gears are for. If your legs can’t do it, you can join me on my slow rides and talk about how fast you used to be with me.
53/39 x 11-32 is a friggin dream compared to what was available even in the mid 2000’s. I wouldn’t consider going any lower if you’ve actually got the legs to race.
20 years past my racing days, I’m using all of an 11-29, but still turning a 53/39 up front.
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#50
Genejockey, there is no question about it, my experience mimics yours. With 50/36 I am in and out of the big ring more often than with the 53/39. I'm over 60 and up until 4 years ago I used a 53/39 with a 13-28 out back, and of course not racing. I can't see using a 50/36 for crit or road racing, however I'm sure some people do it. My son started out with a 50/34 and moved to 53/39 in short order. Simply needed a different selection of grear ratios better suited for putting out high efforts.
As for gear charts, they are nice to look at, however they do not tell the entire story. On the bike "feel" (quote marks as I don't know how else to explain "feel") plays a role, and an individuals legs have a roll in it. The human body is not a machine, no two are alike, and I believe that makes a difference.
As for gear charts, they are nice to look at, however they do not tell the entire story. On the bike "feel" (quote marks as I don't know how else to explain "feel") plays a role, and an individuals legs have a roll in it. The human body is not a machine, no two are alike, and I believe that makes a difference.
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