Gear setup recommendation for beginners
 

Hi All,

I've started to bike about 3 month ago because my company sponsored a private challenge. I bought a used road bike a helmet and started to commute with it. Now I commute 3-4 times a week on my bike and go on longer 50-80-mile trips during the weekend.

I have a 2003 Litespeed Antares bike with a 39/53 crankset and a 9 speed 12-25 cassette. During the first month I got used to this setup during my long commutes. Now I can climb almost any hill in San Francisco and I enjoy how fast this bike is on flat surface. My only problem with this setup is when I have to climb a very steep hill, or ascend for long-long miles on a moderate one (especially if I'm not fresh). It's hard to keep my RPM up and those climbs add up quickly on a 70-mile ride.

I'm an absolute beginner and I have no idea about my possibilities. I was thinking about replacing the largest rear gear (25) to 27 one. But I don't know how much it'd help. If I switch my chainrings to a 34/50 setup I fear that I loose the awesome speed of the bike.

What's your recommendation?

As you can guess, going from 25 to 27 will be about the same as 23 to 25 ....not much, but is it enough for you ? You can also go up to 29 or whatever is available. Cassettes wear out, so replacing it is the cheapest route. You will also need a longer chain. And if you make a drastic change, you may need a longer cage rear derailleur to handle the extra chain.

You could swap the crankset, but could be a bit more expensive. Depends how picky you are about brand/model and buying new vs. used. A 50x12 big gear is pretty big enough in most cases unless you really feel the need to keep pedaling down steep hills. Better to give up a seldom used top gear in favor of one you will use more often.

You can look up gear calculators if you want to plot out the options.

I ride in the Bay Area and run 50/34 and 28/11.
I don't often spin out going downhill, but it would be much more common with a 12t small cog.
I can't imagine climbing for longer than a couple minutes in 39-25!
If you do a lot of long climbs and descents, it might be worth changing out both. Otherwise, a crankset is pretty expensive so maybe just swap out the cassette? 39-28 is almost as good as 34-25. Best on the knees to keep the cadence up, or so I've heard.

Btw, on road wheels, 12.77*(mph)/(rpm of cranks) = gear ratio:

Say I can climb my typical hills at 8 mph, and I need to spin at least 75 rpm on the climbs → 12.77*8/75 = 1.36 gearing (that's 34x25 or 39x28 or 29)

Or say I'm willing to spin up to 120 rpm to hit 40 mph downhill → 12.77*40/120 = 4.25 (50x12 will almost do it).

The best way to find out is to keep doing what you're doing -- ride the steepest hills you can find, up the ante, and if you need higher or lower gears, your body will tell you.

My 9 speed Klein has a 12-28 but not sure you can find them anymore. I'm a fan of 53-39 but in your area you may want to consider a compact.

Unless you are extremely strong, I don't see any disadvantage of going 50/34 front and 11-27 rear. You will never spin out at 50-11 unless going down a steep hill or sprinting.

53X12 is a shorter gear than 50X11. So, if the 53X12 provides adequate top end there is no reason a 50X11 won't do the same.

However. If installing an 11-28 cassette you will have a couple larger gaps in your gearing than you are currently accustomed to. This may or may not be an issue to you.

And, when I made the move from 39/53 to 34/50 I found the 16 tooth chainring difference to be unsatisfactory. It was too large and would necessitate me shifting almost all the way up or down the cassette before changing the front and then needing to make 3-4 shifts at the back to get to the next gear that I was after. I much preferred the 14 tooth gap of the 39/53. Which generally equates to a two cog change in the back for me. My ultimate solution has been a 36/50 combo in combination with either 11-26 or 11-28 cassettes. I prefer the 11-26 for any reasonably quick rides and all but the steepest climbs. But, if out toodling around at a more moderate pace with my wife or friends and encountering any really steep climbs the 11-28 is nice to have.

It sounds as though you are doing quite well for a beginner and you will only get stronger and faster. Good job!!

Yeah. Pretty much, that's how it works.

The cheapest solution is to keep riding until you get strong enough that it's no longer a problem. The second cheapest solution is to get a 12-28 cassette. You can find a Tiagra cassette for under $50, but you may need a new chain too.

Wow. Thank you so much for the answers I really appreciate them. I think first I will check out my options upgrading the cassette to a 12-28 and based on the price tag I'll decide. If that's not enough I can go further.

Thank you guys.

So my local bike shop recommended to keep the 39/53 chainring and use a Sram 9 speed 11-28 cassette. I think it will give me enough flexibility for now. What is the downside of the 11-28 cassette over the current 12-25 one?

None, really. There will be bigger gaps in between the gears, but it's not a big deal and I think you'll be glad to have the 39x28 bailout gear.

Thank you so much everyone! I start to believe that this is the friendliest forum on Earth. :)
[MENTION=37853]bbattle[/MENTION]: haha! Thanks. I guess the factory gear setup and the hills in SF left me no choice but improving.

When I got my compact w 28/11 I was concerned I might spin out. Ever. I never want to have to spin out once. Well, the other day I hit 49 mph and still didn't spin out. So it really is not concern.

I have no problem with the 16 tooth gap. It's about three cogs, so I wait until I have to shift anyway, and shift the ring and 2 cogs at the same time. 2 cogs is only one finger swipe. So push with both hands and there you are.

It's not a big deal. Having to shift the third time was simply an annoyance to me. My rear up shifts come one cog at a time. And, I don't like shifting both deraileurs simultaneously, as I've experienced an increased likelihood of dropping the chain when doing that in the past.

Best way I know to demonstrate the difference: http://www.gear-calculator.com/#KB=3...5&UF=2130&SL=2

Here's a sample (50/34 vs 12-27)...
http://www.gear-calculator.com/#KB=3...5&UF=2099&SL=2

Your posting that reminds me that when I first tried 34/50, I probably did so in combination with a 10spd 12-25. Which would have made the situation even less ideal and more annoying.

What are you implying is more ideal, less annoying?

I chose 27 because 30 would mean larger differences between each cog. And 12 instead of 11 because some people say they don't use the 11 tooth cog.

I wasn't commenting on your cog selection. I simply remembered that I was on a 12-25, which would have had even closer ratios and less overlap between rings than the 11-26 I used in my gear calculator link or 11-28 cassettes I previously mentioned.

Everyone is different, I can't stand missing the 16t and 18t.

It is much more likely you will use the 11 with a 50/34 front than with a 53/39, especially if you are someone concerned about spinning out. Personally, I never have to worry about it. :)

Do any of you believe it's important to have a number of gears around 45, 50, 55 and 60 gear inches?

In 30+ years, I have never bothered to figure what gear inches I have.

I get gears with as low & high as I need, and the middle gears take care of themselves.

I swapped out from 11-26 to 12-28 simply to have the 28 for the really tough climbs in my area, but 99% of the time I probably don't use it. Much like 99% of the time I didn't use the 11 or the 26 on my old cassette, I stay in the middle of the cassette. I swapped mainly to see if I would like it based on what others in my area run. I don't want to go up hills slower in a slower gear, I want to go up them faster ... so the only solution for me is ride more hills and get more fitness :D