I'm looking into a new bike and am considering compact cranks. My current set up is 52/39 front, 12-25 10-sp rear; but, as I hardly use the 52/12 combo or the few gears close to it (not sure what the sizes are), I thought it would be better to go compact and have regular use of more gears.
It would be great to hear about others experiences with compact gear setups. What gearing ratios do you recommend? Also, are there any other differences/ advantages/ disadvantages compared to the more conventional gear sizes that you can tell me about?
I run a compact crank 50/34 with a 12-25 cassette and find that you spend most of time 'in the big ring' using the 17/19/20 or middle of the cassette for mostly flat riding.
The smaller chainring really comes into its own when climbing (I'm no climber by any means) and gives you extra low gears, almost like a triple.
I've never found yet that the 50/12 combo on descents is not quick/big enough and in the end may only cost about 5 kmh on the top speed. I've been told that 50/11 is almost a bigger gear than 53/12 in any case if your really worried about top speed go for the compacts with a 11/23 cassette.
I recently switched to a compact crank 50/34 from a 52/39 to better ride the rolling hills around my area. I also have a 12/25 and 12/27 cassette (for most riding conditions and hilly areas respectively) and switch between these. I am also thinking of buying an 11-23 or 12-23 for the really flat rides. I find the compact crank to fast enough to keep up with the crowd but the 34t front chainring really helps me keep up the cadence when the road takes a steeper turn. I guess it depends on what your ride is like but if it's a little hilly like mine and, if like me, you're not the best climber (although admittedly I could lose a few kgs which would help in that area :o :p) then the compact is a good investment.
I've been told that 50/11 is almost a bigger gear than 53/12 in any case if your really worried about top speed go for the compacts with a 11/23 cassette.
50/11 *is* bigger than 53/12.
The compact is good, but for the big jump between the rings should really be countered by a relatively tightly spaced cassette.
A 50/34 with a 12-23 will give you a top gear roughy equivalent to as 52/12.5 (so slightly lower than what you've got, but higher than a 52/13), but on the low end a lower gear than the 39/25 you've already got (roughly equivalent to a 39/26.5).
I ride 100% in rolling roads. No climb is longer than 5 to 8 minutes, but your rarely going flat. My new bike came with compact cranks (50/36) and at first I thought it was great, but I soon found myself in 36/12 or 50/23 whihc caused all kinds of chain rubbing and a lot of shifting to change up one gear or down one gear when your at those extremes.
I just went back to a 53/39 on the 11-23 cassette and thought-boy will it hurt to go up the steeper hills, but I have found 36/23 and 39/23 to not be that different in effort and I am now usually right in the iddle of the cassette regardles of bir or small chainring. This is just me-of course, but maybe others will experience the same thing. I can also go to a 12-25 cassette and have as low of a low and almost as high of a high gear.
