merckxxx

I am currently running a compact 50 34... I am thinking about doing an event where a 52 or even 53 would be great to have..for a big chain ring.....(i would have to adjust the front derailure..some).. (it is a course that has a really technical climb of about 3 miles.. narrow road.. and steep some pitches..with bad pavement..(so i need to keep the small one @ 34).. . then its about 40 miles of rolling hills and flats.. but the descentto the finnish.. is about 2 miles..on a wide.. smooth road..with big sweeping corners.. i would like to have the firepower of the 52-53 chain ring to rocket off that descent with.. .. is this type of rig doable? or is distance the chain has to move up to add more teeth to the big ring on a compact crank.. to great.... ?

have you ever done this kind of thing before.. ?

demoncyclist

I'm not sure that anyone makes a 52 or 53 for a compact, as that would negate the whole concept of a compact crankset. The other issues are adjusting the FD height, the bigger difference in teeth between the inner and outer rings, and chain length. WHat are you runnign for a cassette? If you don't have an 11T on there now, I would suggest that as a better alternative, since you most likely wouldn't have to adjust anything when swapping cassettes.

merckxxx

thnaks demon.... for the answer thats what i suspected...... I am running a 11- 26.. sram.. 10 cassett.... I am a big rider 6'0 ..185 .... i can usually make it over this climb close enough to the leaders to snag back on to the leaders..during the long flat.. rolling part.. .. my idea was that when i get oin that descent with my added weight and the type of descente this hill is.. being able to mash a bigger gear.. i could ride the smaller guys.. off into the dust.. ..

HillRider

Any 52 or 53T chainring with a 110 mm bolt circle could be substituted for your 50T. Among other dealers, Harris Cyclery has them ( https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/chainrings/110.html). Possibly your LBS has some also as 110 was a common road crank bolt circle years ago and most of those cranks came with 52T big chainrings.

As mentioned, you would have to readjust your front derailleur height and the front shifting would be less precise than it is now but, it will work. Just plan you front shifts well before your absolutely have to have them as shifting under high load will be very poor.

thirdin77

FSA makes such rings.

You can see them on FSA's site or on BTI-USA.com.

DaveSSS 

I'm old and manage to do the Colorado mountains with a 34/25 low gear. Must be some dandy climbs if you need a 34/26.

What you're saying is the leaders will be spun out in a 53/11 and you can't muster up another 5-8 rpm to keep up. Somehow I doubt that's going to be a make or break deal. I wonder if all the standard crank users have an 11-25 or 11-27? More likely 11-23, 12-25 or 12-27. If all they have is a 53/12, they've got less top gear than you do. The key of course, is to keep up on the climb.

The 52 compact ring is usually intended to be used with a 36 little ring, otherwise the shifting might be lousy and you'll be shifting through 3-4 cogs after every chainring shift.

JTGraphics

FSA Pro Road 52t-S10 Black Chainring 52 Tooth 110 BCD
Here

HillRider

I've ridden in the Western mountains and found the climbs very long but not particularly steep so a relatively modest low gear is sufficient. You will be climbing for a long time but not with particular difficulty unless you are trying to maintain a racing pace.

However, here in the effete East, the climbs are not that long but the grades will make your head swim and there is no such thing as too low a gear. This is truly the home of the triple crank and 27 or 29T large cogs.

Pittsburgh has an annual ride called the "Dirty Dozen" that climbs 13 (ok, a baker's dozen) of the steepest hills in the area. The shallowest climb is 22% and the hardest is 37% and cobble stones!

Parts of West Virginia have plenty of really difficult climbs and Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky can claim some really impressive ones too.

However, I also question if a 50x11 isn't a sufficient high gear for anyone below (or even at) the Pro-Tour level.

Panthers007

New England isn't bereft of impressive climbs either. There is a wonderful mountain road in Northern New Hampshire that bisects the White Mountains. It's called the Kangamangus Highway. Halfway up and screaming down, it goes from Lincoln, NH to Conway, NH at a length of 28 miles - all through the White Mountains National Forest.

It's worth the trip.