Road Cycling - What's Your Gear Combination?

I plan on building a bike (hopefully) and wanted to get some recommendations on gearing. I'm not sure if I waqnt a dual or triple in the front. What are the benefits of only running a dual?

I will be riding mostly small sloping hills (central park loop) & a few half steep ones so I don't need a huge bailout gear. But I really want a combo to gain max speed (the reason I am building a road bike). My crank size will be 172's.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

Well, I guess if speed is what you are after and you want to stick to standard front and rear setups, then a 39/53 with a 12-23 would give you a decent enough range. If you are stronger, then maybe a 11-21 in the rear. The fixed gear chaps will have a few comments I'm sure!

CRSO-

When I bought my LeMond Tourmalet (with a triple) last year, my full intention was to buy it for the frame, and upgrade to a double this year. I just bought a used DA/Ultegra mixed group, (DA for the crank/bb, ultegra everything else). I live out in Princeton NJ, and we have quite a few largish hills, and some very steep ones (18% grade).

With a 53/39 in the front, and a 12-25 in the back, I have been able to climb everything I have tried (including some of the longer steeper ones) and I am definitely not in stellar shape. I would suggest a 12-25, or even a 12-23. The 12-23 has the 16 tooth gear, which seems to be a real hotspot for most people. (I have a 12-23 on one wheelset, and a 12-25 on the other.. use the 12-25 about 20% of the time, if I am climbing something real steep, and the 12-23 the other 80% as I love that 16 tooth gear..)

I suppose it depends on your weight, fitness, age, zodiac sign (maybe). I use a 30-42-52 triple up front and a 12-23 cassette. I'm not small, and I'm not young, and the hills around here, though generally a mile or less in length, can be steep. For some of them my climbing in the 30/23 combination is neither fast nor graceful.

I suppose it depends on your weight, fitness, age, zodiac sign (maybe). I use a 30-42-52 triple up front and a 12-23 cassette. I'm not small, and I'm not young, and the hills around here, though generally a mile or less in length, can be steep. For some of them my climbing in the 30/23 combination is neither fast nor graceful.

You're biking. And that is all that counts.

if you want speed, a 53/39 with a 12x25 should do it for you. My Kestrel was built up with that combo and I was able to out run most of my group on long sweeping decents. The double with a 39 chainring gets you into a good climbing gear quickly...I like it much better than a 42. I just built up a bike for climbing and went to a compact crankset... 48/36 and still running my 12x25 in the rear. It's very nice for powering small hills in the 48, but I run out of gears on the decents so I'm going get a 11x23. :rolleyes:

i second the 53/39 12-25 ...

but I run out of gears on the decents so I'm going get a 11x23.

Hear hear, although I have the 11 in back, already. Next time I'm ready for
a major upgrade, it will be to get 53 in front.

Hear hear, although I have the 11 in back, already. Next time I'm ready for
a major upgrade, it will be to get 53 in front.

Hear, hear, hear, HERE!! I got hammered (well, maybe not 'hammered') on this forum a couple of weeks ago for suggesting that it was preferable to have an 11. One guy claimed that he had no trouble riding at 45mph with a 52/13, :eek: which, after doing a geeky roll-out in my loungeroom, I calculated to be ~143rpm.

Anyway, I'm still using 8-speed (old 600 STIs go for ever) and I'm using 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21.
It's not vital to have an 11, but it can be handy if you're in a big bunch with a monster tail wind. I prefer not to go over 105rpm.

I plan on building a bike (hopefully) and wanted to get some recommendations on gearing. I'm not sure if I waqnt a dual or triple in the front. What are the benefits of only running a dual?

I will be riding mostly small sloping hills (central park loop) & a few half steep ones so I don't need a huge bailout gear. But I really want a combo to gain max speed (the reason I am building a road bike). My crank size will be 172's.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

Didn't you just buy a Santacruz one hour ago?

It all depends on your riding style and cadence. Higher gears do not necessarily mean more speed.

I have hit 38 mph in a 53X13 on flat terrain and I was not completely wound out. So for me a 13 is a big enough rear cog. I would never really have the need for an 11 or 12.

I also tend to sit and spin on hills so in any area with long climbs such as Trail Ridge Road in Colorado, I like to have a triple.

You sound like you are more low cadence and prefer bigger gears so something like a 53/39 with a 11-21 or 11-23 might be more your style.

Or how about a FSA 53-39-30 triple, with a 12-25 or 12-23, this would allow you the benefit of having the best of both worlds. Who knows you might love the option. I did on my latest bike of 4 that I have. And I have to say that I love it. I could ride like it's a road bike and then I could ride it like a bike built for climbing the steepest hills there are if needed. Now that's having it all. And one of the things I notice is that when you are on the 39 chainring you can go all the way to the 12 without having to worry about the chain clanking on the 53 chainring at cross chain position like a double would cause the chain to sound off.

I plan on building a bike (hopefully) and wanted to get some recommendations on gearing. I'm not sure if I waqnt a dual or triple in the front. What are the benefits of only running a dual?

I will be riding mostly small sloping hills (central park loop) & a few half steep ones so I don't need a huge bailout gear. But I really want a combo to gain max speed (the reason I am building a road bike). My crank size will be 172's.

Any recommendations?

Thanks


I have a Shimano 105 STI 9 speed. 30-42-52 front and 12-25 rear. Used to run a 12-23, but I switched it out for the 12-25 hoping the extra couple of teeth would alleviate a bad knee - it worked along with physio.

I don't use the granny that much, but its there when I do need it.

I also don't use the 52-12 combo much either, except for long downhills or long flats with a tailwind. I find I am in my middle ring the most using the smaller rear cogs or in my large ring using the larger rear cogs.

My touring bike has a 48-40-30 front combo with 12-32 rear. I find this setup not quite enough.

What I think is best for me is a 50T ring with a 12-25 rear. But I don't know if you CAN get a 50.

My recommendation - get a triple and with enough range of gearing to handle anything - say at least 12-25 rear.

Digger

i have a 39/53 and 12-25. the advantages of a double are cleaner front shifts and a better chainline. it can be pure misery to tune a triple perfectly. the other thing to consider is that the shift from garanny gear to the big chain ring is an incredibly long sweep. you either have to have very long fingers on your left hand, or you have to reload halfway through the shift.

if you want enough gearing "to handle anything," go for lower gearing in your cassette, like a 12-27. a 39x27 combination almost exactly the same gear as a 30x21. with regular triple gearing, that means that you get two -- count 'em two -- more low gears than with a double and a 12-27 cassette. in my opinion, those two gears that you get from a triple don't make up for the sloppy shifting and the extra weight... even if you're 60 years old and overweight.

i know the small sloping inclines and declines of that central park loop. a 53/39 in front with a 11-21 in the rear is good for a strong rider. the small inclines are a cinch with the tight rear gearing. it feels very smooth to click and subtly go to the next gear.
you shouldn't need more than a 39/19 as a bailout for that type of riding

On a 53T chainring the speed difference between an eleven cog and a twelve at any cadence under 100rpm is 3mph or less (as the cadence decreases the speed differential declines).
Research has shown that even professional level athletes will usually settle in at cadences in the 85-95 rpm range. People such as myself that are well below professional level will normally do most all of their cycling in the 65-80rpm range.

i have a 39/53 and 12-25. the advantages of a double are cleaner front shifts and a better chainline. it can be pure misery to tune a triple perfectly. the other thing to consider is that the shift from garanny gear to the big chain ring is an incredibly long sweep. you either have to have very long fingers on your left hand, or you have to reload halfway through the shift.

if you want enough gearing "to handle anything," go for lower gearing in your cassette, like a 12-27. a 39x27 combination almost exactly the same gear as a 30x21. with regular triple gearing, that means that you get two -- count 'em two -- more low gears than with a double and a 12-27 cassette. in my opinion, those two gears that you get from a triple don't make up for the sloppy shifting and the extra weight... even if you're 60 years old and overweight.

And that's exactally why I went with the double 12-27 combo for the mountains I live in. Furthermore if you do the math with a compact crank such as fsa makes you can have all the range of typical triple set ups and with an 11 on it even get a higher gear then a 39-12 while still retaining the smooth double shifting. I have'nt had the money for it yet but when I do I am gonna get the fsa compact. and for mountain centuries I'll just swap it out bing bang boom go...

On a 53T chainring the speed difference between an eleven cog and a twelve at any cadence under 100rpm is 3mph or less (as the cadence decreases the speed differential declines).
Research has shown that even professional level athletes will usually settle in at cadences in the 85-95 rpm range. People such as myself that are well below professional level will normally do most all of their cycling in the 65-80rpm range.

I'm definately less than professional, but my cadence average is around 90 (when pedaling), so I'm not sure I buy your argument.

I don't know the route in question, so my suggestion my be worthless. But I'm a new (this spring...650 miles in) heavy (220 lbs) rider and I have 52-42-30 12-25. I find I can make it up most of the hills around here (generally 1/2 mile or less, 12% or less) in 42-25, so I might suggest the 11-21 with the 53-39 cranks if speed is the concern.