Thanks.

Another word about group sets as you had previously mention the Shimano 105. Just in case, the group sets for Shimano go like this if I remember correctly.


Claris, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura Ace

As I stated before, my Specialized came with Tiagra 9 speed. I then bought a Felt Z3 that came with Ultegra 6800 which was an 11 speed at 11-32. Yes, there is some large spacing between some of the gears, but it is not that noticeable. That 32 is "in case of emergency, shift here" type of gear. When climbing Mt Mitchell in North Carolina and you have 16 miles of uphill, believe me when I say you will be glad you had that 32. I should say, at least at my age and weight. Besides, no one really cares if you are spinning a 27 or 32 when everyone is suffering like a dog. It is just about getting to the top.

I also totally understand if you are mainly a flat lander and rarely see any climbs over 1/2 mile or over 6%. I would say you would be fine with 11-27 or 11-28 in the rear. From what I have seen though over the last few years, the main manufacturers have moved to a sweet spot so to speak and are basically gearing their bikes for the average cyclist, not the avid young gun. This is why most have moved to the 50-34 crankset. It is a compromise and better fits the average rider.

One other thing is the wheelset. On my Felt, I blew out the Fulcrum's that came with the bike. Garbage. At our weight of say over 200lbs, you really need a stronger rear wheel. I had one built by a local wheelwright for right around 200 and it has held up without a hitch and again, I have over 6,000 miles on that rim. Mine is a 32 spoke count and think about that for a minute. My entire weight is being held by just 4 spokes at the road surface at any given rotation of the wheel. Kind of scary but us heavier guys need those extra spokes!

Good luck with your search.

john