Barrettscv 

What is your ideal cadence range?

Retro Grouch 

Our personal experience is obviously different. I think that difference is due to where one's favorite flat road gear falls on the cassette. I doubt we are going to reach an agreement.

gregf83 

Depends what I'm doing. In a crit I probably average around 100. For all my riding it's closer to 90.

Here is a plot from my last crit:

Here is a plot for the rest of the year:

Barrettscv 

Impressive. What is the normal speed range during the race? Is it an absolutely flat course?

gregf83 

It's a pan flat 4 corner course so it's reasonably fast. Last race was avg 43kph. I'm old but not everyone is.

Barrettscv 

A sustained 25 to 30 mph is well beyond what I and most other 50+ cyclists can hold. I'm happy just to keep up with most cyclist out for a fun & fast ride.

I still think a standard crankset with a 12-25 might outperform a compact during an flat Crit race for most. I can see that you can spin at 120+ rpm for short bursts, and really don't need a 53t chainring for the few moments you spend above 30 mph on a flat course.

Homeyba

I have a compact on one of my bikes but I'm not a big fan of it. Especially after getting unceremoniously ejected out of the back of the peleton because I couldn't spin fast enough. I may look like a Fred out there with my triple but it works very well for me.

Stealthammer

I agree with you both that a triple may often be the optimum solution even if you race locally (regardless of how "Fred" if appears), and I think alot of people are simply overthinking their own needs to justify their "upgradeitis". How you are actually going to use the bike and what type of roads and conditions will you be riding topographically should determine the choice of cranksets not what is "trendy", "hip", or new, or what looks "Fred".

Both of my bikes are perfectly outfitted for where and how I ride them, because I will probably never choose to take my Salsa Campion aluminum road bike that has an aggressive "racing geometry" and a 39/53t standard crankset out for a longer, more hilly, and relaxed-pace rides. Nor will I likely choose to take my Cannondale Synapse carbon fiber road bike with its more "relaxed geometry" and a 34/50t crankset, out for a fast paced ride in a pack or a paceline.

If I could only keep one bike though I think I would convert the Salsa to a triple so that I could use it anywhere.

Barrettscv 

I also find a triple to be the perfect set-up for a wide range of cycling. I'm using a 50, 39 & 26t chainring set with an 11-23 ten speed cassette for Midwestern riding.

I have the same top speed range as a compact, but the 39t middle chainring can also be used from 15 to 27 mph with small 8% changes in cadence. That's very useful on a flat but windy ride. The 26t small chainring with a 23 cog can be used on the steeper 15% to 20% climbs found when I participate in hilly century rides.

BluesDawg

Some folks prefer standards, others prefer compacts, others lean towards triples. Some even like a single chainring. The great thing is you get to spend your money on whichever you choose.

asmac

OK... I'm getting there and thanks to those who replied. I gather that the "road" part of the spec deals with chainline. Do I have at least that part right? The whole crankset & fd spec was and is the most confusing for me mostly because I was going to a flat bar and therefore mtb shifters which (I was led to believe) determined a non-road fd.
So, please be patient if I ask yet again: Will my SLX fd which works very well with my touring (road) crankset work equally well with a MTB crankset? Am I making a mountain out a molehill re the chainline issue?

Barrettscv 

Chances are that your SLX fd will work with your touring triple. It will certainly work with your flat bar shifters.

While MTB triples are offset further away from the centerline than touring triples, the derailleur has enough range to adjust to a reduced chainline.

What crankset, frame and rear hub are you using?

If your crankset has a internal bearings, you can always select a wider bottom bracket to push the chainline away from the centerline. This is a good idea if you have 135mm wide chainstays spacing and MTB or touring rear hub.

Daspydyr 

I just picked up my first road bike. Its a Dura Ace 39/52 with 25/12 cassette. I need some help on the climbing. Can I replace the 39 with something like a 34? Anyone?

Barrettscv 

No, sorry. The smallest chainring that will fit a standard crankset is a 38t. Not worth changing. You could fit a 12-30 cassette. Or you could change to a compact crankset with 50 and 34t chainrings.

asmac

It shifts fine as is (slx fd, sugino-ish touring triple, salsa vaya (135mm spacing), deore hub) but I was hoping to push down the gearing a bit more with an external bearing mtb crank. I mentioned earlier that the frame spec is for a ROAD crankset and I want to be sure before plunking down the cash. I really can't visualize the chainline issue (if it is an issue) and my bike-building experience is limited to my current setup...

Barrettscv 

You can use a road crankset or a touring or MTB crankset on the Vaya.

The best chainline will be achieved with a MTB or touring crankset, which are a better fit with the 135mm rear hub. However, a road crankset will also work with few problems on a Vaya.

If you can find one, this crankset might fit your needs: Shimano Deore FC-M590 48-36-26t. The crankset will take a 22t small chainring and it's a great all-around performer.

eja_ bottecchia

You don't need to change.

I ride a standard crank on my Colnago and on my Bottecchia (53/39 with a 172.5 crank and a 12-27 rear cassette). Last Saturday I rode up to Mt. Baldy, California. I did most of my climbing on the 39/23-27 range. I am an old, overweight, asthmatic-diabetic guy.

If i can climb up to Mt. Baldy on that gear range, you can certainly ride flat terrain with your present gearing set up.

I would spend money n good, responsive wheels and leave the gears as they are.

Good luck!

Daspydyr 

I bought an older 2006 Obrea. Dura Ace 7800. I am commited to improving the engine but would like some help for a Special Olympics/REI ride coming up. There is a 10 mile 6%grade that chills me bones.

NOS88

IMO the Dura Ace 7800 is the best shifting DA. It is silky smooth and very, very quick. You got yourself a nice ride.

bruce19

After many conversations and consideration of the comments here I decided to forgo a larger rear cog and go all in on the compact crank set. My gf and I got Ultegra 50/34 cranks installed and went for our first ride with our club yesterday. We had two new ride leaders and they created a route that was 53 miles with 4300 ft. of climbing. During the ride I found that I used the big ring more than normal in certain situations. I also found that the shifting was smoother than before and I was spinning more. This is a good thing IMO. I also found that although I wasn't particularly faster on climbs I was certainly fresher at the end of the ride. I've got some learning to do with regard to the gearing but I really did like it and will probably be selling my Dura Ace 53/39 and her FSA 53/39.

FormerFF

One thing I've noticed about riding a compact is that you have to be a little more careful about shifting the front derailleur. That 16 tooth jump is a big one, and if you're still in a fairly large rear sprocket it's possible to blow a shift.

billydonn

Ultegra 12-30 is now readily available on eBay. It's about $80ish as I recall.

volosong

I've been running with the Ultegra 12-30 for a couple months now. One on my D/A 7900 compact and another on my Ultegra 6703 triple. Love the thing for climbing. Wish I had a little more on those wind-aided,-3% grades when using the compact. ~$80 is a good price. I had to pay $105 for each, but that might be because I was able to snag them early when nobody else had availability.

Not sure if the 12-30 will fit a 7800 standard. That's a close call. You could run the 12-28 or 11-28 instead. Either of those will surely work and may give you low enough gearing for your climb. A 39-28, (or even a 39-27), can certainly handle a sustained 6% grade, even for us old folk. Ultegra cassettes work just fine on D/A drivetrains. A lot more cost effective too.

fietsbob

That 16t jump . i only attempted when i was at the crest of the hill ..

I put together a wide step 36, 52 based on a campag triple 144 t outers, in the mid 80's
So I got a shiny campag cross 222mm sized chainguard to fill the empty outer position
and flipped over the regular outer 52t.. to be in the middle..

oldbobcat

12t freewheels didn't start appearing until the early '80s, well after Merckx retired. 54t Record chain rings were always available, though, although I doubt he used them.

Compact gearing is for guys who need more low end but for some reason (and there are several good ones) don't want to use a triple. If you have enough low end gearing on your standard set to make all the climbs you want to make, then I see no reason to switch. On the plus side, chains run through larger cogs with less friction, noise, and resistance, resulting in marginally more power to the rear wheel and less wear on chains, cassettes, and chain rings.