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05-15-04, 01:48 PM
First off, to anyone out there considering this switch.. DO IT!! :) I couldn't be more pleased!
I was a bit worried to switch from a triple to a double, as there are a few steep (13-16% grade) hills around here, and thought I would struggle getting up them (and my normal routes usually take me up at least one of these hills!). Well, I went out the first day, on very flat ride, with the new 39-52 front, and a 13-25 cogset in the back. It is AMAZING the jump in quality when moving from Tiagra in the front to Dura Ace! At one point, I thought something was wrong.. I was cruising along at about 22mph, pushing away at those pedals, and something just didnt seem right.. I couldn't place what it was.. then it hit me- SILENCE.. all I could hear was the wind, and the tires on the pavement.. no clicking/sound from the gears.. I also found that over 18mph or so, there was much less drag with the Shimano 7701 wheels over my Ksyrium Elites. My average speed increased about 3/4 of a mile per hour on the flats, with this new combo (keeping my heart rate the same as it was before, on a day with no wind).
So today was the true test. The new gears felt great, but how would they work when I attack the hills. I wont lie- I had to work a little harder not having that granny gear, but every one of the big/steep hills I hit, were do-able with the 39-25 (in fact, on a couple hills that had killed me in the past, I was able to push up in the 39-23). I was debating between the 12-27 and a 12-25, but this just sealed the deal- I'll go with the 12-25 (seeing as I climbed the hardest two hills in the area with the 25, no problem..).
So, now it is time to switch out the shifters and front derailuer.. btw: I had heard in the past that you had to switch up a bunch to move from a 3 to a 2... my stock Tiagra front deraiuler, and shifters worked just fine on a 2 ring DA crankset.. all I had to switch out for this test was the BB and crankset. It just took a little adjusting, and everything worked fine.
I was a bit worried to switch from a triple to a double, as there are a few steep (13-16% grade) hills around here, and thought I would struggle getting up them (and my normal routes usually take me up at least one of these hills!). Well, I went out the first day, on very flat ride, with the new 39-52 front, and a 13-25 cogset in the back. It is AMAZING the jump in quality when moving from Tiagra in the front to Dura Ace! At one point, I thought something was wrong.. I was cruising along at about 22mph, pushing away at those pedals, and something just didnt seem right.. I couldn't place what it was.. then it hit me- SILENCE.. all I could hear was the wind, and the tires on the pavement.. no clicking/sound from the gears.. I also found that over 18mph or so, there was much less drag with the Shimano 7701 wheels over my Ksyrium Elites. My average speed increased about 3/4 of a mile per hour on the flats, with this new combo (keeping my heart rate the same as it was before, on a day with no wind).
So today was the true test. The new gears felt great, but how would they work when I attack the hills. I wont lie- I had to work a little harder not having that granny gear, but every one of the big/steep hills I hit, were do-able with the 39-25 (in fact, on a couple hills that had killed me in the past, I was able to push up in the 39-23). I was debating between the 12-27 and a 12-25, but this just sealed the deal- I'll go with the 12-25 (seeing as I climbed the hardest two hills in the area with the 25, no problem..).
So, now it is time to switch out the shifters and front derailuer.. btw: I had heard in the past that you had to switch up a bunch to move from a 3 to a 2... my stock Tiagra front deraiuler, and shifters worked just fine on a 2 ring DA crankset.. all I had to switch out for this test was the BB and crankset. It just took a little adjusting, and everything worked fine.