Hey all,

I just just picked up a new bike with a 53/39 ring up front and 11-26 cassette in back. Looking to make some ratio changes because I'm coming from a Triple 30/42/52 with a 8 speed 12-26 in back. I don't need to hit those really low ratios but I do spend more time spinning up hills than I do mashing at 35+mph.

i've got a force crank (bb30) and rival rd. what are my options? Should I get a compact 50/34 up front or would it be cheaper to get a 12-32 cassette in the back? I'm not sure if the RD is compatible with the 32t. Just looking for more info!

thanks! and yes, i know i should just HTFU on hills but I prefer spinning to mashing for now.

if I get a compact up front, I won't need a new FD right?

cassettes are usually cheaper than new cranks/rings as long as you don't have to change RD. Do you know whether you've got a mid or short cage RD?

get the compact. Odds are very good your current RD will not handle the 32 tooth cassette.

And the spacing and shifting will not be as good as with a more closely spaced cassette.

Depending on how much lower gear you need, you could go with an 11-28, and see if that's enough for you, but it won't be a big difference.

Yeah, I have the regular RD...short cage. I was looking at ratios for a 11-28 but it seems like the right choice is to get a compact crank..and I'll get more useable gears out of it. A 11-28 only gives me 2 more teeth to work with.

Just to clarify, when I said I'm coming from a triple and 8 speed, I meant on my old bike. The new one has 10 in the back so its the same spacing.

thanks for the advice..TO EBAY!

Correct. Just an adjustment. I would go compact up front and an 11-28 in back. If that doesn't work for you, keep going with maybe an Apex RD and a 12-32 in back.

Since it's a new-ish crankset, maybe you can sell it on Ebay and recoup most of the cost of the compact.

it seems that you were climbing in the 30 granny ring before, since if you had been doing it in the 42 middle ring you would find your double's 39 acceptable right now.

I would start with a 50/34 compact and re-evaluate. I run a 11-32 on my MTB, but I wouldn't use that wide spacing on my road bike unless I regularly climbed very serious hills. My wife's bike came with a 11-32 Apex and she only uses her 32 cog when she's lingering on the 50 ring. Your 12-26 cassette should be a good balance of climbing and reasonable jumps between cogs.

I don't think I'll need to change the cassette if I switch to a compact. From the looks of completed listings, I'll break even on the swap. From everything I've read, going to a compact just makes more sense in general for fewer redundant gears. I don't race so it's all for fun....for now.

Previously I've been climbing with a 52/26 and then spinning the 30/26 when I got lazy. 34/26 as a fall back shouldn't be any problem.

Thanks for all the thoughts now if only it weren't raining in NY today...bah

can you get it up to 35mpH?

it was more for hyperbole making the point that I don't go that fast so I didn't need the high end ratios as much as I do the lower ones. So no, unless I'm going downhill.

no one can really tell you what you 'want', they can only tell you what might work for them...
you need to decide which gears you want/need
use this very nice visual gear calculator to enter both your old triple and any new variations you might be considering. Comparing the gear charts to each other - based on old to new - will let you know if you're gonna get gears which you think you want/need for the way you ride.
The greyed gears are available, but not recommended because of cross-chaining...

Sheldon Brown's gear calculator does the same thing, only not as nifty drag&drop and visual...