I want to swap my gearing to a compact 50/34 with a 11-26 to start. I fear that a 34 maybe too low of a gear, how much difference is 34T to 36T? However, I want the compact setup to help with climbing. I do not have much experience with a compact setup since I only ridden with one a few miles. The way I see it is that on rolling hills and flats, I will always be on the 50T and only use the 34T for mountain climbs.

This sound right?

That's how it works for me.

Gearing is to me is a personal preference depending on ones fitness and rides I run a compact and works for me good for everything from the 22% grades to 50 mph downhill running 34-50 w/11-28 don't really need any thing else for rides we do.

Even with a 36T I prob will not even be able to use it on flat roads right?

I can run my 34 with 14 to about 18 mph with cadence were I like it.
As long as your cadence is were you want it thats whats important.
If your going to a compact you must fill the need for the gearing other wise you wouldn't be thinking about it.

I use a 48/39 with 12/27,10speed.works good for my uses..
Bud

You won't get the overlap you see with a 53/39, that's for sure. I switched a couple years ago and still have a back-up bike with standard chainrings.

I don't think you'll be missing much. My 34/25 granny gets me up just about everything.

My Rival gearing will tolerate 50x23 without complaining - that's pretty easy gearing for flats.

I'm running a 53/36 with a 11-28, before I switched to this setup I was running a 50/34 with the same cassette and truthfully I haven't seen much of a difference on hills, however I don't have any mountains around here. I'm still going up 18% hills without a problem.

Awhile back, someone around here (wish I could remember who, to give credit) posted this link: https://www.gear-calculator.com/#

It's a slick little gearing analyzer that's helped me visualize how any changes might affect my rides. Try some different combinations at your preferred cadence and see what kind of speeds and overlap you get. You can hit the compare button to see more than one configuration at a time, too.

There is no penalty. With a 50 on the front you'll ride a cog smaller in the back and give or take it'll be about the same.

Past that you can work out the gear inches pretty trivially.

36/26*27=37.4GI
34/26*27=35.3GI

So the difference between the two gears mathematically is around 6%. Would you feel that - probably marginal.

As an exercise, if you work out the ratios of the 20 gears you have, you'll see where the overlap is, how much it is, and where each gear fits in the scheme of things. It'll take you about 30 seconds in a spreadsheet, I think Sheldon Brown even used to have an online one, may still do.

Thanks for the tips, I will run a 50/34 with a 12-25 since that is the cassette I have right now with my 53/39 and go from there, I think a 50/34 11-26 should be the gears I need.

To those who went from a 53x12 to a 50x11 do you guys feel a big diff or what do you guys think about it? Tell you the truth, I and pretty much never on a my 53x12 or even 53x13, unless it is a steep decline.

Unless you like to bomb down hills you really don't need the 11 a 12 will be fine you would be better going the other way to 26 - 28 just so you have it.

JT - i disagree...i'm in 50x11 for pretty much anything over 30 mph. that happens a lot on pretty normal hills and i wouldn't consider it "bombing down hills," although i suppose others might not agree. i think i'd feel like i was spinning out too easily with only 50x12 as my highest gear.

never been up anything i couldn't handle with 34x25, but then again, i don't live in the mountains.

I was just on a ride today where I had to get off and walk because my 36 / 27 wasn't deep enough...

I know, total pu$$y, right?






You guys want to hack on my fitness before or after you see the profile of the hill?

I am currently located in Taiwan for work, the roads here are all mountain roads. There is not many big roads to sprint 35+ mph, especailly with the hectic traffic. Even when I climb mountain around here, I do not decend at 30+mph because the roads are narrow and they turn pretty often, as in there isnt a long road to decend at 40mph etc.

I will give a compact 50/34 with a 11-26 and 12-25 a shot.

I've been too lazy to switch back my 12-25 to my 11-26 lately, and honestly most of the time it doesn't make much difference. I can still hamster my way down a hill at 38-39mph before spinning out 50x12, and it's not been a limiter on fast group rides yet.

I live in a pretty hilly area, Steep too. You're either going up, or down, very few flats. I have a 50/39 with a 12-25 and I hardly ever use the two largest gears on the rear. Only for the very steep hills.

That's your right LOL yes for me 50x11 @ 30 mph I will be in that combo but I'd consider that a easy down hill pace cadence somewhere around 80-85 most likely I think. Bombing down I will get up to 49- 51 mph in 50x11 cadence will be a little over the 130 range, and I'm spun out at that point on a compact, I get up to 47 all the time.

OP sounds like you will be fine running 50-24 and 12-25 from what you say about road conditions I would not think of bombing down a road as you mention.

sounds good.

Does riding a compact really affect one to be "weaker" cyclist? I hope that I can train on a compact and become a stronger climber/rider then eventually move back to a standard, is this likely or do riders that move to compacts usuallly stay there?

Yet, I cant even make it up steeeeeeep mountains on my standard or I am going up like 5mph struggling.

It's not going to make you a weaker cyclist. It'll help you climb with the fitness level you have now. The more you climb, the stronger you'll get. Also, being able to complete climbs you're currently struggling with will give you a psychological boost, adding to your motivation. I don't see a downside here.

You'll still use the small ring on the flats on those days when you're riding into a 20+ mph headwind. BTDT.

Cool, thanks a lot. I figured I will give the compact a try, I am getting a force bb30 crankset without bearings or bb, so I plan to swap my current force b330 standard crank with the compact and if I feel like swapping back in the future I can do so. BTW, I think I should stay with a 12-25 or 11-25 if I keep the 34T upfront.

To clarify, if I want to swap cranks, all I need to do is unscrew the crank bolt, tap the spindle of the crank out and insert the compact crank spindle right? Is it that easy or am I missing something? am I able to do this without a work stand? Need to grease the spindle contact point with the bearings or use loctite? I read that it is recommended to use loctite or a compound to prevent noises coming from the bb30. thanks

And drop FD and adjust for the compact crank simple enough.

Its more convenient in a lot of ways, because I found after switching to a compact I would stick in the big ring for rollers, rather than jumping down to the 39, and I find I tend to stay in the big ring longer.

Other thing to watch out for after the switch is down shifting the front -- if the FD isn't properly adjusted -- can lead to you dropping the chain pretty easily. Don't ask how I've learned that....

As others have mentioned, the compact ideally keeps you on the bike longer, rather than walking up an incline, which will help out your fitness in the long haul. Besides, if you're not racing, what's the point of getting to the top first?