crazyb

Does anybody still ride with a 53-39? I see a lot of threads comparing triples to compacts, but rarely a mention of a full size double. Am I the only one left?

Dudelsack 

You may be.

Pretty flat in SE Ioway?

Bandera

No, I run a 53/39 13-25 on my Vitus.
It was equipped 53-42 13-21 when new on the same terrain, gravity must have increased since then.

-Bandera

OldTryGuy

No, have on 12-23 normally, 12-25 when hilly and a 11-28 never used yet.

Paramount is 42/52 with 170mm with CAAD8 and most often used Propel 39/53 with 172.5mm

qcpmsame 

I'm using a compact, 50/36 right now, but I'm seriously considering the mid-compact set up with a 52 big ring. Its flat here in Florida, some rollers but nothing to call a hill. I would like a bit more top end for the long flats we have in some places and for the down grade runs in the rollers.

Bill

elboGreaze

I run 50-34 , 12-27 . Don't think I would want to go with a 53 . Crazyb , what's your big cog in the back, 28 ?

tsl

Nope.

For my flat to rolling terrain, the standard with a 12-23 out back works best with my power output and preferred cadence.

I own a compact for the Litespeed. I use it, along with a 12-27, for one ride a year that has over 10,000 feet of climbing. Otherwise, the thing drives me nuts, so it says in the drawer for 51 weeks of the year.

My two commuters are triples, but that's because they need to haul 60 pounds of groceries uphill every week. Although I do like the granny ring in the snow too.

Bikey Mikey

I use a 50/34 front and an Ultegra 12/25 cassette.

rubic

On my commuter, I use a 53/39 with a 12/25 cassette from the old days. My commute does not involve many meaningful hills. On my weekend bike, I have a 50/34 with an 11/28 rear. That gets it done for the serious hills. Truth be told, I am considering an 11/32 rear to accommodate my aging body. Yikes! Way back when, I considered a 53/39---12/23 as a pansy gearing selection.

OldsCOOL

When doing fast 20's and most fogline rides I bolt up the road double. This summer will be my first season on a compact. Oh, and this has been with a 14-28 freewheel.

VNA

Six months ago I switched to 50-34 and 12-28 compact--make things easier particularly going up steep hills which are everywhere on my rides!

Sure 30 years ago on those same hills I used 42-21 and god forbid 42-23!

cccorlew

I so very much wish I had some use, other than as an artistic statement, for a 53 tooth chainring.

revchuck 

My most-used bike has a 53/39 crankset and a 12-23 cassette. It's all I need for where I live in southwest Louisiana. I keep it in the small ring unless I'm rolling at 20 mph or higher, which is usually downhill or doing intervals or on a group ride or in a race. That 39t small ring is awesome. I'm taking the compact off my steel bike and replacing it with a 53/39. That'll leave me with one bike with a compact, for when I go somewhere hilly.

Terex

53-39/12-27 on both of my main bikes in NJ.

Riding at above 7k ft. in altitude in NM, I've got the stock 46/36 on my CX bike with road tires.

OldsCOOL

That's the way to do it. My vintage steel 22Lb'er will always have the generic suntour equippe but the C-dale (criterium) has an ISIS BB with two cranksets. Easy and quick swap with minor tuning to fit the ride du jour.

mapeiboy

My steel bike has 53/42 , 12/27 setup . Its sitting in the basement for the last 10 years for good reason . my carbon bike has 50/34 , 13/29 , which is a lot easier on my aging legs .

rydabent

Just remember that most people just ride what their bikes came with. Im sure that there are tens of thousands riding with 53-39 bikes.

I would suggest that it is only the people like us here on a bike forum that think about things like that. Im pretty sure that over 90% of cyclist just ride what they have forever.

OldsCOOL

For real. I'm still plenty satisfied with a 6sp ***GASP*** freewheel.

RonH

My 2001 Litespeed has a 53/39 with a 12-23 cassette.

volosong

My TT bike has a 52/39, might be a 53. I'm not exactly sure. Doesn't make much sense to go with a compact on a bike designed to be ridden fast on flat roads. I left that bike as it was delivered to me. All the rest I've either switched over to a 50/34 or built them up from the frame with a compact. Except for the TT bike, all are wide-range cassettes, (Ultegra 6700 12-30 on most of them with and a Ultegra 6800 11-32 on the new KOBH).

Cougrrcj

Not only do I still ride with a six-speed freewheel, but I spend 99.9% of my time on the 38t ring ring of my triple. No mountains around here and my normal ride rarely has any 'hills' (coming out of river valleys) of more than 100' elevation change.

Why a triple and 6-spd freewheel? My bikes are too old for the more modern rear clusters, and I'm just old school. What is weird is that this bike (75 Fuji S-10S) came with a really oddball 51/39. I found that my favorite gear was the 39/14 but that was a cross-chain gear, so when I upgraded to the triple front, I made sure that there were a couple of gears in my favored 75-85gi range.

My other bike, while newer, is still the 52/42 double it came with and also a 6-spd freewheel. I don't need more gears.

jyl

weekend bike 53/39 and 12-21
commute bike 53/either 39 or 42, can't recall and 14-26
I don't have a road bike w/ a compact double. I am building a roadbike w/ a road triple + straight block.

OldsCOOL

Good to see the C&V guys in here.

Cougrrcj

Why not? My bike(s) and I are both Vintage!

crazyb

I run a 12-25 10 speed in the back.