Fifty Plus (50+) - Big Ring question

Since I've been riding Ruby Roubaix, I've noticed I stick pretty much to the middle ring. Occasionally, if ther'es a long enough hill, I might pop down to the small ring. But rarely have I ridden in the big ring. Do most roadies spend a lot of time in the big ring? Am I missing something? I keep meaning to give it some pedal time, but I keep forgetting. Maybe tomorrow. Meantime, should I be riding most of the time on the big ring to maximize my experience?

The rings are 50-39-30, btw. 12-27 on the back.

Depends on whether or not you are comfortable with the cadence and speed you are riding at.

Ie: If your traveling as fast as you want to and the cadence is Ok then stay on the middle ring. If you want to travel faster then its up to the big ring. Takes more energy though to sustain that speed over distance. Its like the transmission in your car. Don't worry about it, just use the gears necessary for the job at hand.

If you don't need the big ring for the speed your travelling, don't kill your knees. Stay on the middle.

If you are riding in the higher gears of your 2nd ring, then you could switch to the middle gears in the big ring, as they are about the same. See how high you can go & still maintain your cadence without mashing.

The lower gears on the big ring are well down into the range on the middle ring. There's a lot of overlap. No need to stay on the middle ring exclusively. But then again, there's no need to use the big one if you aren't spinning out while in the middle one.

Good advice above, Deeg. You only have one set of knees and one spine. Don't let 'em blow up.

50+ is slightly different from other more performance oriented forums. Dont get caught up in the "status" thing of being in the big ring all the time. (ugh.....me heman bike rider.....strong.....go fast) Use the equipment on the bike to YOUR ADVANTAGE

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The rings are 50-39-30, btw. 12-27 on the back.

'stock' - OTR bike? sure itz notta 53? you do a swap?

that 39 is as close as it getz to 'Leatherman' on a bike, specially with a 12/27.

big ring is for comicbook heros :D

visualize whorled peas
or go to http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/ , put in your numbers, I groove on 'gear inches' rather than gain ratio for my gear units.
print out the ittybitty chart and tape to your stem.
That there gear-inchworms is the 'apparent' size of your rear wheel in whatever 'gear' you happen to be in.
So when it sez "78", it means a 78 inch diameter wheel.
So when youz pedalin along in your 39-15, youz actually toolin along with about a 69 inch rear wheel. Try it in a 53-17 (82 inches) and then a 53-15 (92) and so on...
soon enough you'll prolly be able to 'visualize' what a 53-12 might feel like, or a 30-23... a lot sooner than you can visualize those whorled peas...
and den, all-of-a-sudden, one day, you'll ride up to one of doz steep pitches that litter most of Sandy Eggo, and KNOW that you'll really whan to pop it into that 48 inch gear when yo hit the start of that climb...
den you'll be a comicbook hero :D

50+ is slightly different from other more performance oriented forums. Dont get caught up in the "status" thing of being in the big ring all the time. (ugh.....me heman bike rider.....strong.....go fast) Use the equipment on the bike to YOUR ADVANTAGE

True that. I stopped by the Road Forum tonight for some reason. Lotta testosterone. Lotta wannabes. Lotta people who probably won't be riding when they're 50+, I'd reckon.

You mean the shiny one? People use those things? :lol:

My big ring only has 50 teeth and I only use it on long flat stretches or long downhills.

I also have a robaix, I live in a hilly area, I probly do 90% in the middle ring, 8% in in the granny,hit the big on long down hills when I'm feeling ambitious. In high school I had a 10speed and really didn't know what the little ring was for. Youth is wasted on the young.

Heed the advice above and you'll be fine.

I'm mostly a spinner so it's the middle ring for me, except for long downhills or tailwinds.

You mean the shiny one? People use those things? :lol:

My big ring only has 50 teeth and I only use it on long flat stretches or long downhills.

Well MY big ring only has 46 teeth:eek:, and it's got over 12,000 miles on it with nary a speck of dust:). The middle ring covers just about everything. I usually coast/spin downhill after a climb, so I rarely use the big ring even for that. I just replaced my middle ring, and it looked like someone took a grinder to it. The big ring is still so pristine, I was embarrassed to have the shop guys even see it!:o

Since I've been riding Ruby Roubaix, I've noticed I stick pretty much to the middle ring. Occasionally, if ther'es a long enough hill, I might pop down to the small ring. But rarely have I ridden in the big ring. Do most roadies spend a lot of time in the big ring? Am I missing something? I keep meaning to give it some pedal time, but I keep forgetting. Maybe tomorrow. Meantime, should I be riding most of the time on the big ring to maximize my experience?

The rings are 50-39-30, btw. 12-27 on the back.
Is that a 105 set up, Gary? I have the same triple and same cassette on my Bianchi.

I think it depends somewhat on where you are riding. If going through the burbs with stop & go, slow down, speed up etc., I'd pretty much stick to the middle ring.
If you are out "cruising" on level ground with few stops, I'd go big.
Reason being-
1-Big with gears 6-7 probably gives you a little better chain line then middle w/ gears 9-10. You could pretty much just eyeball this to verify if true for YOUR bike.
2-Bigger ring & cogs = a few more teeth to support the "load" on the chain, + chain "pivots" slightly less on larger dia. sprockets. That theoretically should prolong drive componant life.
3-If you are "cruising on M-10, you don't have as much flexibility to quickly go up 1 more gear in case the headwind decreases.
Just my $.02

MTB has 44/32/22 on it and even on the road I find the 44 big enough and only use 44/11 downhill. OK the road bike is faster, but I have 52/42/30 and 11/28. I ride in that 42 more than any other. IF I get to a flat bit then I will move up into the 52 but flat bits only happen on the coast. Then downhill I get into the 52 and get speed up and coast. Crosschaining may occor in the 42 with the 1st or second gear but I find that I get more crosschaining in the 52 on 6th, 7th and 8th gear.

This is still why I like the 50/34 compact double. I actually get to use all the gears and I get the benefit of not having to setup the triple front derailleur.

It also makes the bike easier to pick up and put on the rack.

90% middle ring, 7% large ring, 3% small ring (but I sure need it for that 3%). LBS wrench looks at me after looking at the bike, "You do almost all of your riding in the middle ring, don't you?"

I use the large ring for downhills.

I have no hills and ride my 52 95% of the time. I never focus on what gear I am in or really my speed. I only watch my cadence and HR. I keep my cadence at 85-90 usually and if I fall below 80 I shift, if I go above 95 I shift. Simple as that for me.

I'm sure it all depends on the terrain and lay of the land we ride in and the cadence we use-hence the need to know gear inches. I wonder how much of DG's routes are hills, therefore the need to ride in the 39.

In the area in the Piedmont Carolinas it is mostly rolling hills and we can use either 53/39's or 50/34's. We ride a lot in the large chain ring-but it also depends on the type of riding you're doing. There are times when folks were pushing so hard I run out of gear on a 53/12. On the other hand, last night I went out for an easy 20 miler and spent a lot of time in the 39 into the wind.

The key is to just monitor Heart Rate and Cadence and use whatever gears puts you in the zone you want to ride in.

Heed the advice above and you'll be fine.

I'm mostly a spinner so it's the middle ring for me, except for long downhills or tailwinds.

+1

I usually switch to the big ring for longer flats without strong headwinds. Of course I have had a couple "senior moments" when I didn't realize I was in the big ring:o

Since I've been riding Ruby Roubaix, I've noticed I stick pretty much to the middle ring. Occasionally, if ther'es a long enough hill, I might pop down to the small ring. But rarely have I ridden in the big ring. Do most roadies spend a lot of time in the big ring?

I got a compact crank set with 50/34 chain rings. I'm pleased with it. 50 seems high enough for me and 34 is plenty low . . . . and I don't have to mess with a triple crank. There are a few times when I would like a 52 but I can live without it for the low 34.

Big Ring - Does Not Compute

It's hilly enough here that I use all my gears. 52-42-30 and an 11-32 cassette. But the big ring by far the least. One thing you can count on though, when it's big ring time, its a big time.

When I was riding rear cogs with 5, 6, or 7 gears, I used the big ring much more often. Today, however, I find that I rarely move to the big ring.

I seldom use anything except the big ring. I like pushing big gears, I've been doing it for years and it suits me.

As far as it making me a "heman bike rider" or a "wannabe". I just don't see it.

Plus for the talwinds. If you like going fast sometimes, try the big ring with the tailwind. It's fun. Forget about what roadies say about the big ring. Just do it.

I shift into the big ring and a small cog if I'm about to encounter a "serious looking" roadie or group of roadies at a stop. :) Makes for fewer disapproving stares!

Another vote for "overlap".
On a long flat, I'll shift down in the back and up in the front when I have a really easy spin going in the middle ring and a smaller rear cog. It feels about the same though it does drop my cadence (and my HR) to keep the same pace. When I start to bog down and find myself cross-chaining, I'll go back to the middle ring. As I said earlier, I have 27 gears on the bike, I try to use them all. But, yeah, it's based on HR, cadence and feel.

I shift into the big ring and a small cog if I'm about to encounter a "serious looking" roadie or group of roadies at a stop. :) Makes for fewer disapproving stares!

Which brings to mind a clear lucite small ring, so we might disguise the fact of having a triple!

I'll patent it tomorrow.

Around where I live there is a lot of offroad with steep hills. 15% climbs are the norm. If you ride around those hills on the road- Then you still have 15% hills. Then if you go East- you have the marshes. Pretty flatland with just a few pimples to warm the legs up. My road rides take in the hills for the first part but I rarely see any other riders out there. Perhaps the odd Mountain biker taking the easy route to the offroad but that is all. Second part of my rides normally take me out over the marshes and this is where you see the pace lines and Roadies out for a bit of fast riding.

My LBS sells Road bikes with equal numbers of Triples and Normal doubles being fitted to the bikes- He also does a good deal of retro fitting of Compact doubles- to replace the Normal double cranksets.

I took up road riding last year and I knew I wanted a triple. There is no way that I can go up the hills in anything less than 30/26 on the bike. It would be great to see some of the flatlanders attempting the hills in 42/23.

A lot of macho guys would say a 50T is not a Big Ring. I use a 56............but that's a recumbent with 20" wheels. My hybrid has a 46. Neither are true Big Rings.

I'm sure it all depends on the terrain and lay of the land we ride in and the cadence we use-hence the need to know gear inches. I wonder how much of DG's routes are hills, therefore the need to ride in the 39.

In the area in the Piedmont Carolinas it is mostly rolling hills and we can use either 53/39's or 50/34's. We ride a lot in the large chain ring-but it also depends on the type of riding you're doing. There are times when folks were pushing so hard I run out of gear on a 53/12. On the other hand, last night I went out for an easy 20 miler and spent a lot of time in the 39 into the wind.

The key is to just monitor Heart Rate and Cadence and use whatever gears puts you in the zone you want to ride in.
+1 +1 Heart rate and cadence. Spin to protect your knees and keep your heart rate up to get the most out of your ride.......
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This is still why I like the 50/34 compact double. I actually get to use all the gears and I get the benefit of not having to setup the triple front derailleur.

It also makes the bike easier to pick up and put on the rack.

Also +1 I hardly ever used the big ring until I switched to at 50/34 compact double and now I spend a lot more time on the big ring than on the small.

'stock' - OTR bike? sure itz notta 53? you do a swap?

that 39 is as close as it getz to 'Leatherman' on a bike, specially with a 12/27.

big ring is for comicbook heros :D



Yep, it's a 50. Here's the specs: 2007 Specialized Roubaix (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22199)

I've got a 28/38/48 with a 7 14-32 on the back. If I want to go over 18-19 mph, it's big ring time.

I'm actually thinking about dropping my "big" ring from 46 to 44. At 44, I would spend a lot more time up there, and be able to use the smaller cogs more frequently.

Let the flaming begin...

With a 12-27 cogset, I can see why you spend so much time in the middle ring. I would suggest using the outer ring any time you are tempted to use the 39 with one of the two outer cogs. To get the same ratio, you will need to use a slightly larger rear cog, thereby reducing wear on your entire driveline.

If it were my bike, I would tighten up the rear cogset to something like 14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-25, which would give me a perfectly adequate 96-inch top gear and good tight ratio progression on down, with a very knee-friendly 32-inch granny on the bottom. I currently carry a 50/14=96" top gear on the Bianchi and on the mountain bike (48/13 with 26" wheels) and a 47/13=98" top on Capo #1 and feel no desire whatsoever for anything higher. In fact, I am going with 49/14=94.5" on Capo #2, and I have a 45/13=93.5" top on the UO-8.

The big ring is masculine, virile territory DG...........it's rewards are great and demands are steep. The middle ring is a good cruising ring. Experiment. The first time you look back and see a slavering Rottweiller vectoring on your leg, you will discover the big ring's benefits. Unless San Diego develops some sweet downhills or some awesome tailwinds or you decide to hang with the hardcore mutates, most of your needs will be met by the middle ring with a simple right hand shift.

Thanks everyone. Once again, I learned a lot! :)

I live in Reno with lots of hills and rarely go into the big ring. Stay with the middle ring and keep spinning rather than pushing high gears and your knees will love you.

should I be riding most of the time on the big ring to maximize my experience?


Absolutely! With your bike you should be spending all of your time in the 50-12. The rest of those gears are just for ballast. Actually, 50 is kind of a wimpy chainring size. Unless you are a girly-man (and coming from California that's possible) you should be riding in a 54-12 all the time. That's what the rest of us all do.

Absolutely! With your bike you should be spending all of your time in the 50-12. The rest of those gears are just for ballast. Actually, 50 is kind of a wimpy chainring size. Unless you are a girly-man (and coming from California that's possible) you should be riding in a 54-12 all the time. That's what the rest of us all do.
12? why not 11?

Absolutely! With your bike you should be spending all of your time in the 50-12. The rest of those gears are just for ballast. Actually, 50 is kind of a wimpy chainring size. Unless you are a girly-man (and coming from California that's possible) you should be riding in a 54-12 all the time. That's what the rest of us all do.

Thanks, Retro. Say, have you put me on your health insurance policy yet as you said you would? :D

Yep, it's a 50. Here's the specs: 2007 Specialized Roubaix (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22199)

very interesting
seems Spec made that change from a 52/42/30 and 53/39/30 from prior years models with triples, and now also includes the Roubaix elite with that new 50/39/30 setup.
Mine is an 06 and came with 52/42/30. Now, for 07 it also have the new 50/39/30.

I gotta say, over the years I've really gotten used to and like the old-fashioned 52/42 chainring combo, and now appreciate the additional 30 bailout ring.
I'm gonna have to throw that 50/39/30 combo into Sheldon's gear calculator and see what it 'offers' and why Spec made the change.
I also like 'compact' gearing (50/34), but not sure that I would like that quasi-compact w/granny 50/39/30 in a triple.
gonna ruminate on that a little...

I've been very happy with the 30-40-50 on my Campy Racing Triple crankset.

When I used to ride a triple, I probably spent about 80% of the time on the middle ring, 15% on the large, and 5% on the small.

But since March I've been on a standard Dura-Ace 10-speed double (53/39, currently with a 12-25 cassette). Now, I find myself using the big ring about 75% of the time (less on hilly rides, more on flatter ones).

Thanks, Retro. Say, have you put me on your health insurance policy yet as you said you would? :D

Absolutely! You've listed me as the sole beneficiary in your will haven't you?

In general, it depends on terrain, desired speed, and what shape your knees are in. But I would suggest that you go to Sheldon Brown's site and check out the gear calculator. Plug in your numbers and you'll see the overlap which should help explain it. So -- if you can achieve the same effective ratio on two different chainrings, which should you use? The one which lets you switch the least. If we overgeneralize and say that the big ring is used on the flats and downhills, and that the smaller ring is used for uphills, if you were going mostly downhill but encountered a brief uphill, you'd probably want to stay in the big ring. And vice-versa.

I'd second the advice of keeping your cadence fairly high, though. It's real easy to push too big a gear (use the big ring) and get some tendonitis as a result. Sometimes, going faster in the big ring is an illusion compared to spinning with power - you could be going faster spinning with a smaller gear.

A lot of macho guys would say a 50T is not a Big Ring. I use a 56............but that's a recumbent with 20" wheels. My hybrid has a 46. Neither are true Big Rings.

. . . and a lot of not so macho guys would agree. My big ring used to be a 63 (and I liked using it a lot), but that bike was wrecked and I didn't care for the frame choices that would allow me to continue use of that drive train (small ring was a 52, LOL, and the rear was 11-34).

My new rig is set up with a 56-42/11-34.

My personal observations: I still yearn for that very long gear. It was great going downhill at 40+ mph and still being able to pedal almost liesurely, and, on flat ground, you could pick gear ranges that would vary your style from high cadence to something more relaxing without giving up a lot of speed.

The flip side is that the new drive train is more modern, smoother shifting, and, most important, necessitated by a frame design that is much lighter (carbon) and more aero than my previous bike. (old drive train was old technology made by TA, "square-edged teeth", OEM C'dale shifters - new setup is new Dura-Ace with top-line shifters).

I really enjoyed those long gears when I had them, and the big ring was a great conversation piece, whether in a bike shop or on the road. These days, my 40+ mph riding is accomplished by "ducking and tucking" - nothing wrong with that, and it is probably as efficient or more so than pedaling - I'm not certain just yet. Top speed on my late C'dale was 52 mph. So far, I've reached 48 on the new bike.

For cruising, I tend to switch between gear combos that require me to spin or those that allow me to lay back and take it easy. 56-11 is still plenty long for that.

I have never spent any time on a triple, so cannot comment in that area.

One thing is certain, however. The new bike is a dream when the road turns uphill. I never realized how much energy I expended on long steep climbs using 52-11 on an aluminum bike that probably weighed 26-27 lbs. before adding a rear rack and trunk bag that probably added another 7 lbs (no rack or trunk on the new bike - just the largest under-seat bag I could find).

The racers are in town this week - they raced in Reading, PA during the week (and reached speeds of 60+ mph), will be racing in Philadelphia today. I wonder if anyone knows what typical drive train setups they favor. I have never been a spectator at a real race - probably should do that sometime.

Anyone know what the fast riders use in the way of drive trains?

Caruso