Originally Posted by
BirdsBikeBinocs
I don't have the answer for you. What happens when you go to the 32 up front and run a smaller ring on the cog.??
I would think there is a combo on your rings that would work for you. You just have to find it and be prepared to lock in before you need it. Sometimes it's all about knowing what gear you need in advance and timing it just right. You say it's a short burst so I'm not so sure changing rings will solve your issue.
No offense here, I don't know you but, another way of looking at this would be strength and endurance. The stronger you are you can drop the chain down the cog out back and use strength to get you where you want to be.
Also, you have a great group set. But, the cog has 11 gears, I do believe, so it's relatively wide. From what I've read about that cog, it doesn't get much better. Lots of bike companies will put on an Ultegra group set and use that 105 cog in the back. They last forever and people love them. So I don't think you have to worry about cross chaining for short bursts on the cog. The chain, well.... I don't know.
These are my thoughts. Others with much more experience will chime in soon, I would suspect.
48x11 at 80rpm is 27.7mph on 28mm tires.
old 53x12 gearing, what was run by some back in the day for racing, is 28mph at 80rpm on 28mm tires.
you arent giving up anything. If riding gravel, I've found a 46t large ring is excellent. 46x11 at 80rpm is just so fast for me on gravel and unsustainable for a long time due to resistance that I don't need more.
with 40mm tires, the 46x11 gearing at 80rpm is 27.5mph.
as a tire gets bigger/wider, speed increases relative to a smaller tire at the same rpm.
so with gravel tires, a wider tire offsets a smaller crankset, to a degree.
all the more reason why 50x11 with 40mm tires is overkill. Thats 30mph at 80rpm.
hardly anywere close to spinning out, and going 30mph. At 90rpm you are going over 33mph.
its simply rare that riders need such a setup. I've found very few who need 50x11 with a 40+mm tire on gravel. There are people that do need(benefit) it, and they are the elite among us.