Road Bike Racing - Gear Ratios- what you running?

building a new bike for racing. not too many hills.

what are you running with 39-53 chainrings?


:)

11/23 or 12/26 depending on what you mean by "not too many hills".

12/25... But I spin out often enough that I wish I had an 11/25.

52/39 up front and 14-25 out back. . .

I love being a junior. :(

you like 52x14? god i hate it i can't wait till i'm not a junior anymore

Usually depends on the course, but most of the time I'm running a 12-23 or a 12-25. I've had to use a 12-27 for a couple of races, and for one them (Green Mountain) it still didn't feel like it was enough.

I'm think I'm going to go compact next time and run a 11-23 - it should give me the same range as a 12-25 but with the closer spacing of the 12-23 (yes, I know a 50-11 is slightly faster then a 53-12).

I may also get an 11-28 for the really long days of climbing.

Seventy-Eleventy.

51/38 12-25 training

11-23 racing

52-38
11-26 sram for hilly races
11-23 dura ace for flat races

11-23 or 12-25.

52/39 up front and 14-25 out back. . .

I love being a junior. :(

lol

At least you can use a 14. When I was a Junior (and yeah, I walked to school, uphill both ways, in the snow, barefoot... or not, because in Holland we had beautiful coach buses with overhead lights, vents, reclining bucket-like seats, and a/c or heat - sort of like a plane) the limit was 53x15 for 17-18. 53x16 for 15-16, maybe. And I think it was 53x17 or equivalent for 12-14. The USCF kept rearranging the age groups. Anyhoo, the junior gears were great for working on leg speed and not blowing out my knees. I didn't know it back then but it helped me a lot going forward. I went straight to a 53x12 when I became a Senior and couldn't use anything higher than a 14 effectively for a year. But by 19 yrs old I was cranking sprints in the 12. More power to you, you'll be using the big gears soon enough.

(As a side thought, I think we should have Cat 5 gear limits, to promote better pedaling habits. It would also encourage upgrading.)

As for OP, I run a 53x39, 11-25. For racing I run an 11-23. Since I have a few flat races coming up, I'm thinking of slapping on a 56x44(?) for giggles (got the rings for the tandem). For a long time I ran a 54x42, 11-23 or 11-21, running a 45 or 46 inner ring for flatter races. With all the spinning up the climbs nowadays I can't believe I used to run a 42x18-42x21 as my bottom gear. Now a 39x25 sometimes seems inadequate.

cdr

Crit/training bike 53/39 11/23. Climbing/RR bike 50/36 11/23

50/34, 11-23.

I'll go with 53/39 up front when I upgrade.

the reason i ask is that i've just ordered a centaur group from lickbike and 2 of the guys there recommended running 53/39 and 13-26. i was a bit hesitant, but i'm a newbie racer and it was hard for me to compare gearing with my present 8 speed 39/53, 12-23.

on the course that i usually race on, there is a hill where i spin the 39/26 gear sometimes, and on the steepest downhill, i don't usually get into the 52-12 gear. have i made a good decision getting such short gearing?

53-39 with a 12-25. No mountains, hills or inclines :(

53x39 with a 12-25

I vote you get the new campy- 11speed-

12-23 (nine speed)

12-26 sram

50-34, 11-26 or 23-11 on the race rig. i rarely leave the big ring. I may be moving to 52x36 soon...

training bike is 52-42-30 with 12-25.

i loves high cadence climbing.

Red Mist, I have Centaur with 53/39 up front and 13-26 at the back. I think you have made a good decision. I never find myself wishing I had an extra high gear, although I am careful on the long downhills. Also, the 26 is helpful. We have a couple of really hilly races in my collegiate conference. I occasionally wish that I had got the 29 for those, but the 26 is pretty good. Not that I am a great racer or anything, but those gears suit me fine.

FWIW, I live in hilly Charlottesville, Virginia. I mostly race around there, West Virginia and North Carolina in collegiate. I will also run 13-26 for cyclocross this year.

53/39 I mostly race a 12-25, but this weekend I will run a 13-29 because of the finishing climb. I actually like the 13-29, it is heavy, but I rarely spin out the 13 and when I do my recovery rides it helps me spin with all of the hills in this area..

13-29, 11-29, 12-26, 12-25, 12-23, 11-23

Each one has its place

A 13-26 is a great all around cassette. It has a 16T and an 18T cog on it. Both of those are VERY usefull with a standard double. You might want to get a 12-23 cassette though in teh future if you keep racing. VERY few people need an 11T if they are honest with themselves. The 12-23 lets you keep the 16 and 18T cogs of your 13-36, but gives you a 12. If you're in a non hilly race and are in the 26, you're off the back and the 12 can be handy.

I run wussy old man gears: 50/34 and a 12-27. But I do a lot of climbs. Then there's the road to my house- 2 miles of 10% followed by 1/4 mile averaging 16% with the worst part 23%. The 34x27's so I can get home at the end of a long ride.

If I lived somewhere normal and rode normal stuff (for the bay area, still hilly), I'd run a 53/39 and 12-25 like everyone else.

54/39 and usually a 12-25 but i like to spin. With more hills I toss on the 11-25. When my DA needs replacing I will go with the SRAM 11-26.

ooh, i wanna play
53/39 12/25 like the rest of board :(

I just did a bunch of hill repeats around here (if anyone is familiar with Centennial, that goes up behind the Cal stadium, that's the road), and 39-25 was NOT enough.

OP, why is it hard to compare? A 53-12 is the same whether there are 7 or 9 more gears in back.


New cassette time might find me with an 11-26 SRAM, and possibly even a Rival group to replace the ultegra SL. It all depends

12-25 winter/training
11-21 corncob for crits

12/25... But I spin out often enough that I wish I had an 11/25.

+1

Once the pace line hits 32-35+ on the hammer ride, im wishing for more gear inches.

I have an 11-21 that i could probably get away with using now, since most of the climbs on my training routes are not killing me anymore.

I have a 12-27 and a 46/36 compact crank I like to use for riding out in Western MD and on Skyline Drive.

53X39 with 12/23. Like having the 18T, will never use an 11 in this lifetime and 39x21 gets me most anywhere, with a 23T bailout. For a dude that started ridin in the 6 spd era this is heaven.

53/39 and 12/27... I have only ran out of gear on a few tt's that had slight downhills, the gearing is nice on the long climbs... I am soon making the switch to campy and a 12/25... I hope I dont miss it.

How much of a difference does a 54t big ring make? sounds like it would be nice for tt's .

6 spd?
You bet Jurassic!

6? You had 6? Lucky!

I started on 5.

I was riding 8sp until April 2006 when i upgraded to 9sp.

Now I hear theres gonna be 11.

Guess i'll be ponying up for some used 10sp.

When will it end?

6 spd?
You bet Jurassic!

Don't think too many on the Forums have a SunTour 2 prong Freewheel tool, and a Regina Alloy freewheel floatin around somewhere (yea the cogs are AL).

ooh, i wanna play
53/39 12/25 like the rest of board :(

I just did a bunch of hill repeats around here (if anyone is familiar with Centennial, that goes up behind the Cal stadium, that's the road), and 39-25 was NOT enough.
OP, why is it hard to compare? A 53-12 is the same whether there are 7 or 9 more gears in back.


New cassette time might find me with an 11-26 SRAM, and possibly even a Rival group to replace the ultegra SL. It all depends

Pshaw! Back in my undergrad days I'd ride up Strawberry Canyon on my old Schwinn with 30 pounds of books in my backpack, a Top Dog in one hand, a triple cap from Cafe Roma in the other, and a slice from Blondies in my other! And my lowest gear was a 42-25.

Kids today!

53/39 I mostly race a 12-25, but this weekend I will run a 13-29 because of the finishing climb. I actually like the 13-29, it is heavy, but I rarely spin out the 13 and when I do my recovery rides it helps me spin with all of the hills in this area..

Nah you wont need a 29 on Roan Mt :)

I presume that's what you are doing ;)

I've used an 11-23 for that race the last couple years and wished a few times I had a 25 or 27.

I just use a 12 - 27 9-speed now. I don't feel like changing cassettes around and that one works for me even in flat crits, it's got the whole range that I need. And if the crits are a bit hilly then it's all that much easier to stay in the big ring.




When will it end?

http://www.troutmusic.com/Images/color-infinity.gif

Don't think too many on the Forums have a SunTour 2 prong Freewheel tool, and a Regina Alloy freewheel floatin around somewhere (yea the cogs are AL).

I have both. I even have a Stonglight crank extractor too.

53-39 up front... 12-27 in the back (berkeley hills)... gonna pick up an 11-23 for flat races soon

was in 39/21 going up wildcat canyon for some reason though...

53-39 up front... 12-27 in the back (berkeley hills)... gonna pick up an 11-23 for flat races soon

was in 39/21 going up wildcat canyon for some reason though...

cause you're a bad*****?

get back to me after South Park Drive or Centennial..............

50/34 w/ a 11-23

the reason i ask is that i've just ordered a centaur group from lickbike and 2 of the guys there recommended running 53/39 and 13-26. i was a bit hesitant, but i'm a newbie racer and it was hard for me to compare gearing with my present 8 speed 39/53, 12-23.

on the course that i usually race on, there is a hill where i spin the 39/26 gear sometimes, and on the steepest downhill, i don't usually get into the 52-12 gear. have i made a good decision getting such short gearing?

Which is it ?

Anyway, if your current gears meet your needs, stick with them. If not, adjust accordingly. The gears the rest of use doesn't help you for your choice.

Which is it ?

Anyway, if your current gears meet your needs, stick with them. If not, adjust accordingly. The gears the rest of use doesn't help you for your choice.

i meant to say "i spin the 39/26 gear sometimes". i was curious to see what everyone was running. it might help me decide what to use.

i meant to say "i spin the 39/26 gear sometimes". i was curious to see what everyone was running. it might help me decide what to use.

The confusion is that you say you spin 39/26, but you only just ordered 39/26. You currently have a 39/23.

Apples to Oranges. The reason our gears don't matter is because our fitness is all over the map, our ages are all different, and our locations are all over the map. Someone in Florida will use different gearing than someone in the rockies.

The confusion is that you say you spin 39/26, but you only just ordered 39/26. You currently have a 39/23.

Apples to Oranges. The reason our gears don't matter is because our fitness is all over the map, our ages are all different, and our locations are all over the map. Someone in Florida will use different gearing than someone in the rockies.


you're right, i am a bit confused :) i have an 8-speed 12/23 on a bike which atm is doubling as a race bike/commute ride. the new ride will have a 10 speed cassette and i've ordered, at the suggestion of the place from which i'm buying, a 13/26 instead of my original plan to order an 11/23. it seemed to be somewhat short gearing to me.

yes, it's true that gearing will be different for everyone because of fitness, and type of course being raced. i was curious if anyone at all was running this gearing on mostly flat courses, or if the store was out of 11/23 and trying to close the deal by making the suggestion for a different cassette.

you're right, i am a bit confused :) i have an 8-speed 12/23 on a bike which atm is doubling as a race bike/commute ride. the new ride will have a 10 speed cassette and i've ordered, at the suggestion of the place from which i'm buying, a 13/26 instead of my original plan to order an 11/23. it seemed to be somewhat short gearing to me.

yes, it's true that gearing will be different for everyone because of fitness, and type of course being raced. i was curious if anyone at all was running this gearing on mostly flat courses, or if the store was out of 11/23 and trying to close the deal by making the suggestion for a different cassette.

Could be. My low gear is 39-25 for the toughest hills around here. For mostly flat, even a 23 is probably not needed. If a 23 works for you now, there's no need to change to a 26 that you won't use. You might be able to make the argument that with 10 cogs on the back, it's ok to "waste" having a 26 on the back so that when you're in the big ring, you can use the 23 or 21 (or whatever) without cross chaining quite as much as if your lowest was already a 23.