MacAttack

Is one of these better for a 39 year old new bike rider, average fitness, who wants to be careful with his knees?

36,46
12 to 25 Cassette

OR

34,50
11 to 26 Cassette

Thanks.

ericm979

"new rider, average fitness"?

50/34 and a 12-28.

MacAttack

Well I have 2 bike choices, so the 12-28 isn't an option. the 50/34 only comes with 11-26.

ptle

Go with the 50/34. It gives you lower gearing on steeper hills where your knees will need it.

valleycyclist

I would go with the 50-34/11-26. That one will give you a lower low gear and a higher high gear than the other option.

You may want to consider a cyclocomputer with cadence and always try to keep your cadence around 90. That will be good for your knees. You should also consider getting a professional to make sure your bike fits correctly. An incorrect fit can mess up your knees just as bad as improper gearing.

cooleric1234

I hate to sound mean, but this is a basic mathematics question. It's simply a matter of calculating the lowest ratio. Compare 36/25 to 34/26 and choose the smallest number.

Beaker

"it depends"...as others have said I'd go with 50/34 and 11-26 - that's what I ride FWIW, and it's a great setup. You don't say anything about what kind of hills you're hoping to climb or distances you're travelling so it's tough to gauge, but yes, having a lower gear is better than a higher one.

On the other side of the equation, 46x12 is a very low top end, whereas 50x11 is a great top end for fast descents (when you feel ready for that). The 36/46 chainring setup sounds more like cyclocross than a road bike combo.

Let me be the first to point you two the late/great Sheldon's gear calculator:

www.sheldonbrown.com/gears

MacAttack

So one is a difference of 8 and the other is 11. Would that be a noticeable difference when going uphill? I'm a newbie, so I don't know if 8 vs 11 is a big deal or not. Thanks.

ciocc_cat

What is your preferred riding style and type of terrain? Sadly, many bikes are over-geared on the high end (you'll almost never use the big ring/small cog combination unless you're in great shape or descending a looooooong downhill).

Beaker

It's the ratio not the difference that is important. 34 divided by 26 is a smaller number than 36 divided by 25. You would definitely notice the difference uphill.

colombo357

Where do you live? How steep are the hills?

MacAttack

Live in Oregon near Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, Mt Adams, so I can find any kind of hill I want.

gregf83 

How much do you weigh and how much power can you put out for an hour?

Palomar01

Don't ride much in hills do you?

Seriously, I have a 50/34 11-25 gearset and live in very hilly terrain. Believe me, I use the 50-11 combo all the time on descends unless it's a tiny hill. Even then, I spin out on top. Don't like freewheeling downhill because my legs get stiff.

FlatSix911

Go with the 34,50 Crank set / 11 to 26 Cassette ... This is called a Compact Double
(the Compact Double has almost the full gear range of a Triple without the weight)

echappist

what he meant is that you tell the LBS to take off the old cassettes, and swap in a new one (11-28). you can do this all by yourself or pay them to do it for you. usually, for a bike that's expensive enough, they'll only charge you the labor fee.

urbanknight

Another vote for 50/34 with 11-26. I have a 50/34 with 11-28 because I like to climb a lot and I also like my knees.