"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - 11T or 55T for some extra speed?

I tend to mash Gonchar style when I TT and have been running out of gears. Currently have a 53/39 front and 12-25 rear. What would make more sense, an 11-21 corncob or a 55T front?

Well, the smaller the gears, the more the drivetrain losses to friction...

Use a gear calculator. Try this one http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

55X12 gets you 120.5 gear inches. 52X11 gets you 124.2. Of course there are other concerns that just the highest gear I suppose.

Hmm tough call...is this a dedicated TT bike? Some of the TT guys around here run both at 54t and an 11-23 cassette...I don't know if they really use all that gearing but they have it. That said if you go with the bigger ring you should probably also go to a 42t small ring so maybe the 11-21 is the better (cheaper?) option. If it isn't a dedicated TT bike I would go cassette for sure.

I tend to mash Gonchar style when I TT and have been running out of gears. Currently have a 53/39 front and 12-25 rear. What would make more sense, an 11-21 corncob or a 55T front?


Penguin - Why not BOTH?? You might pick up an extra mph or two on the descents with a 55/11. As long as you have the 39 your climbing shouldn't be impacted (I presume you can make do with a 21 or 23 in the back). I find myself wanting that 11 in the back on fast descents with the racers on weekends. A couple of the rides I do have one or two 35mph+ sections where that might help.

I have 12-25's on my bikes - and when I get a new wheelset it will have an 11-23. I don't hardly use the 25 these days, except for keeping it in the big ring on some climbs. When your 'F-me bail out' gear goes up a notch (say from 25 to 23) - I guess that's progress : ).

Keep hammering Penguin.

Use a gear calculator. Try this one http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

55X12 gets you 120.5 gear inches. 52X11 gets you 124.2. Of course there are other concerns that just the highest gear I suppose.

Right, 53-11 would give me a slightly higher gear to push than a 55-12, but there's a pretty big jump between the gear-inches on an 11 and a 12 and I'm wondering if that big a jump would be uncomfortable.

Hmm tough call...is this a dedicated TT bike? Some of the TT guys around here run both at 54t and an 11-23 cassette...I don't know if they really use all that gearing but they have it. That said if you go with the bigger ring you should probably also go to a 42t small ring so maybe the 11-21 is the better (cheaper?) option. If it isn't a dedicated TT bike I would go cassette for sure.
It's not a dedicated TT bike, and cost is definitely an issue. I wouldn't really be considering the 55T except that there's a big jump between the 12 and the 11 that I think might suck if I'm trying to keep my cadence relatively constant in a TT.

Go for 50x11, which equals a 55x12. This way you have the extra top-end you are looking for and don't have such a huge drop to the 39. Ever try shifting from 55 to 39? Danger, danger.

Plus the fact that you can go up the cogset to the 50x23 and get over just about anything.

I just wanted to say.....I can't drive 55!

neither.

i can only think of ONE race where an 11 came in handy when i was at the peak* of my racing powers. that was at the 1st full stage at Killington Sattge Race (RIP), which almost always ended in a sprint, on a long, long, long, long, long shallow descent. Not only did you have to time your sprint perfectly (tons went too early), and avoid all the riders crashing around you (125+field of over excited riders), you had to have enough gear to spin.

fwiw - i managed a 2nd and a 3rd there, so i wasn't totally cluess. :)



*(peak being a 3 who had the points to become a 2, but was too burnt out to race the next season, not exactly monster strong, but strong-ish ;))

I bought a bike from Team Saturn at the end of the season back in 1995. It was Scott Fortner's.
It came with a 55t on it.
I LOVED that gear.

If you can push it, go for it.

55 is for soul crushing.

And just consider the intimidation factor when you are sitting at the line with the biggest big ring. Put that 53 away and go home little man.

Go for 50x11, which equals a 55x12. This way you have the extra top-end you are looking for and don't have such a huge drop to the 39. Ever try shifting from 55 to 39? Danger, danger.

Plus the fact that you can go up the cogset to the 50x23 and get over just about anything.

Most folks would put a 42 or 44 on there with the 54 or 55. I bought a Campy TT crankset a few years back, when i had a dedicated TT bike, with a 54/44 on it. I love that crank. My sweet spot for the crank in a flat TT was a 54x13 gear.

I'd prefer both but not all the time. I like the 11 tooth cassette because it puts the more useful 12t and 13t cogs more inboard of the dropout and gives a straighter chainline when on the big ring. Being a rather big guy, i put a lot of strain on stuff. Some of the pacelines i've ridden in this year have had me spinning out a 53x12. Its been there i've wished for a bigger chainring.

Some of the pacelines i've ridden in this year have had me spinning out a 53x12. Its been there i've wished for a bigger chainring.

Either your pacelines are damn fast, or you don't spin very fast 53/12 @100rpm is 35.5mph

I love the Forums..."I was going along in my 53/12 at about 130 RPM's when I couldn't spin any faster...my job at the library keeps me from riding more than twenty or thirty days a year so I can't spin higher than that...I'm thinking of going to a 55/11 so I can don't have to go abouve 130 RPM's..."

If America actually has as many "monster" cyclists as we do here on the Forums, the Tour de France next year will be an "Americans-only" even.

I never thought he'd be in here.

Is the 55T chainring diameter different enough from 53T to need to re-adjust the front derailer height when you change it? If it is, this would be a pain worth considering. I'd probably go with an 11-23 cog instead of the chainring change.

By the way all of you talking about lining up at the start and only needing it in 1 road race and riding in fast pacelines, read the OP's post - he is talking about a set up for TTs.

Alan- 53-12 @ 90RPM is 30mph, and I'm probably right about there or a little faster for the last km of a 10mi TT. Most of the time I'm in my 13 or 14T at around 85-90rpms. Last night I didn't want to bring my cadence any higher and tried to click into a higher gear 1/2km from the finish, and to my suprise there wasn't one!

I think I'm leaning towards a 55T at this point...if it's got eventservices blessing its good enough for me. A 50T + a new rear cassette would make sense too but that's a bit more money than I could afford...I'm basically looking at either a new front ring or a new rear cassette, I can't afford both. Doc and Voodoo brought up a good point too...it'd just be friggn cool to be pushing a 55T :D If anyone else has anything to say about a larger front chainring (positive or negative) I'd love to hear it.

I love the Forums..."I was going along in my 53/12 at about 130 RPM's when I couldn't spin any faster...my job at the library keeps me from riding more than twenty or thirty days a year so I can't spin higher than that...I'm thinking of going to a 55/11 so I can don't have to go abouve 130 RPM's..."

If America actually has as many "monster" cyclists as we do here on the Forums, the Tour de France next year will be an "Americans-only" even.


+1

classic comedy, that. :D

I spun out my 52x12 behind a van. But it was 40mph. Sorry abh, no video to prove it. :)

I believe chucksbikes.com still has cheap 55/44 chainring sets -- they have 'em marked down to $12 right now. You can probably swing that and the cassette.

I bought a bike from Team Saturn at the end of the season back in 1995. It was Scott Fortner's.
It came with a 55t on it.
I LOVED that gear.

If you can push it, go for it.

I hope it wasn't as stuffed as the Kestrals him and Brian Walton had at the end of 93.

Its highly unlikely that anyone on this board could realistically push a 55x11 except maybe decending off mt Everest with a tailwind.

If you really want to go ghetto for now (just to try it). Ask your LBS is they have a spare 11 laying around and slap it onto your existing cassette. 11 to 13 is a doable jump.

Mark

+1 55 chainring for higher efficiency. The smaller the cogs the more you lose to friction.

Saturn rode Trek 5500s in 94.

I'm not sure why people are so uptight about a 55t.
But then I notice that they're uptight about a lot of things that they don't approve of.
Thankfully, approval isn't required.

Uptight. LOL. Valverde was pretty uptight about his 55 when he couldn't get the gear going in the last 100m last Sunday.

These go to 11.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Styx/2347/nigelcolor.jpg

Stay away from the 11 Nigel

I have a 56-11 on my TT bike...yea it actually does get used. Always on a downhill and/or tailwind stretch though. The great thing about it is I can think to myself "The longer i can keep turning this, the more likely I am killing it" basically because almost no one else has a gear that big.

As for penguin, if it's your road bike, dont fuss with the chainrings and get an 11.

Just remember Classic, more is more.

Just ask Floyd.

Just remember Classic, more is more.

Just ask Floyd.

the tiger is back!! havent seen you on here in ages - good to see :D :D :beer:

Either your pacelines are damn fast, or you don't spin very fast 53/12 @100rpm is 35.5mph

Yes they are fast when on a stretch of road that can be that fast. Fortunately not that fast that long. I'm on the rivet every time the pace is that high.

Spinning out can mean different rpms to different cyclists. I'm a gear masher, not a spinner. Anything over 100 and im looking for an upshift. I dont feel like im making power at high cadences. Key word is on "feel". My sweetspot is 85-95 on big gears.

Sheeseh youse doods are a tough crowd!

Penguin, if cost is a factor, use the 11. If you get into a hilly TT where you may need to go to the 39 forget about it...I think most derailleurs allow a 14 cog step, so 53-39 is smooth, but with a 55 or 56 you have to run a 42 or you run out of Derailleur room (someone can correct me it this is wrong). The jump from a 12 to 11 is larger, but it will not be likely to negatively impact the feel for your TT unless you can't handle droping 6rpms at once. When I TT I always have the 11 on and though I do not use it as much as say you others who grind the hell out of the TT gears (I run a cadence around 105), it is useful for downhill stretches, it is easy to switch cassettes out in a matter of a minute or two, and you wont have to deal with shifting issues.

Henk Vogels once told me "there just isn't a good reason to start a race without an 11 tooth cog mate" or something along those lines. I agree...
No lie

I carry mine in my back pocket.

I love the Forums..."I was going along in my 53/12 at about 130 RPM's when I couldn't spin any faster...my job at the library keeps me from riding more than twenty or thirty days a year so I can't spin higher than that...I'm thinking of going to a 55/11 so I can don't have to go abouve 130 RPM's..."

If America actually has as many "monster" cyclists as we do here on the Forums, the Tour de France next year will be an "Americans-only" even.

Clockwise from top left: Watts, HR, MPH, Cadence :D

OK, there may have been an almost imperceptable downhill involved.

Penguin, if cost is a factor, use the 11. If you get into a hilly TT where you may need to go to the 39 forget about it...I think most derailleurs allow a 14 cog step, so 53-39 is smooth, but with a 55 or 56 you have to run a 42 or you run out of Derailleur room (someone can correct me it this is wrong).

Hi Doc,

I ran a 56/39 at one point last year with an old style Dura FD. It shifted like do do. It did shift though. You will run out of room if you cross chain and start hitting the top or bottom of the FD depending on how you have it set up.

Penguin, I'd try the 11 first. The jump isn't that bad from the 12, I have spun the 53/11 out on some RR descents. If you want to try a 56 I've got one you can have, PM me with the details to mail it. It's a lightweight, non aero ring, but it'll give you a feel for what you're trying.

Clockwise from top left: Watts, HR, MPH, Cadence :D

OK, there may have been an almost imperceptable downhill involved.


Only 1,000? I hope that wasn't a sprint workout...;) How much do you weigh?

And of course, the max speed could be from a downhill on the same ride but whatev:D

Only 1,000? I hope that wasn't a sprint workout...;) How much do you weigh?

And of course, the max speed could be from a downhill on the same ride but whatev:D

The watts number came from a little attack on a climb, the sprint numbers are a bit higher.

I can only wish I could hit that speed on a sprint...

I believe chucksbikes.com still has cheap 55/44 chainring sets -- they have 'em marked down to $12 right now. You can probably swing that and the cassette.

Thanks for the heads up on those rings. They 'look' to be old school, which suits my old steel bike just fine. :)

Henk Vogels once told me "there just isn't a good reason to start a race without an 11 tooth cog mate" or something along those lines. I agree...
No lie

LOL. Thank Henk for me for that piece of advice. I'll remember it next time my VO2 max gets to 80+, someone pays me to race for a living and the team supplies me with my own lead out train.:rolleyes: