seypat

Don't forget about the 86BCD Stronglight 99 crank from way BITD that could be configured as a 2X or 3X and could take a 32t? small ring. It also looks very similar to the Stronglight 93 that the non Campy racers were using. The French had the gearing.

GhostRider62

With Campy Super Record, you were limited to 42x24 due to crank bolt circle diameter and rear derailleur but a 13-21 and 53/42 were common until C Record came out in 1985 IIRC. I had a 53/39 and 13-26T freewheel on the C record carbon 9 bike. During those years I watched many pro races in person. A 21T or maybe 24T was about as low as you would see in the mountains. In 1990 timeframe, I got my second carbon bike (Kestrel) but jumped ship to Shimano 7400 8 speed with 12-28 cassette. I remember watching Indurain on the steepest part of Alpe d'Huez and his chain was towards the middle of what looked like a 12-21. Once into the Negative 7 years, lower gearing became very common.

Melliman

In the mid-80's, my Ciocc was standard equipped with a 52/42 chainrings and a 13/21 freewheel. I lived in Rockland County, NY which would not be considered "flat". Out-of-the-saddle riding was a necessity - especially on the climb up Bear Mountain - and you got strong very quickly, and not by choice. Today if I see a slight incline, I downshift.

grolby

Yep, I agree 100%, but it’s easy to think what you’ve got is fine until something better comes along. Only 10 years ago, I had a 39x25 low gear and I thought that was plenty low, thank you very much. Now I have a 34x28, and it still feels pretty stiff when the going gets steep.

seypat

I still ride with a 52/42 or 40 crankset in front and a 28 low on the back. If the going gets tough, I shift onto the 28t ring that's mounted next to the 42/40 2nd ring.

PeteHski

So your lowest gear is just the same as a modern compact double eg 50/34 with an 11-34 cassette.

ThermionicScott 

If you still have a link to that page, I’d love to read it!

eljayski 

I've been serious about cycling for right at a year, now. Good timing since the Golden Era of Low Gears began only a couple or so years back. My Kirk has a 0.94:1 granny gear (32/34)and the Ribble soon will also, when Shimano gets around to shipping the 36t rear cog for 105 Di2 (34/36). My riding encompasses lots of hilly terrain and I wouldn't want to be stuck with the old cassettes with the largest cog having 29 (or fewer) teeth.

bikemig 

I wish I'd kept a record of that webpage. The gearing was interesting and pushed the envelope for the day.

seypat

I don't necessarily use the triple for the range. It reduces my overall shifting over the compact double or a 1x. Not much of a problem with friction or electronic shifting, but with a Shimano brifter, it makes a big difference on an all day ride that constantly goes up and down. My right forearm gets so tight from whacking the right brake lever that I can't squeeze the brake lever. It becomes a safety issue. Lucky for me that Microshift came along so I never have to use a Shimano brifter again.

ThermionicScott 

lolwut? Low gears have been available forever.

PeteHski

Not as standard fitment on road race bike doubles. The now common 50/34 front and 11-34 rear is quite recent, as in last 5 years.

PeteHski

I still think front shifting relatively sucks, even electronic. So the less front shifting the better for me. Modern electronic rear shifting is lighting fast and slick, so bring on 1x14! In the meantime 2x12 electronic is pretty damned nice. Certainly the best road setup I’ve experienced. I still have one bike on mechanical Shimano brifters and they are a bit clunky in comparison, but I still don’t crave a triple.

Hilly century event last weekend, 940 rear shifts and 54 front shifts. Effortless with electronic shifting.

spinconn

Reading all these comments brings to mind a different question. When racing on a flat course, as in the Netherlands perhaps, what spacing and range do modern pros use with the 12 speed cassettes they have available? Without giving it more thought, I am not so sure of what I would choose.

BillyD

Pfftt, neither one of them got anything on A&S.

BillyD

That’s a looker right dere. My size, too.

GhostRider62

I am sure you have this but the best place I know for anything PBP is the BC website. The only people that I can think of who might know about PBP gearing in the old days would be Jan Heine, Bill Bryant, and Harriet Fell (Sheldon Brown site guardian). Any of the pictures of Harriett in 1975 that I can recall were in the big ring although I would love to see the picture of a whole chicken in her handlebar bag, take about Keto. You can find a few photos of triple cranks here and there on early PBP photos (before 1971) but they were not the norm. Tubulars and double cranks and occasionally fenders.

https://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/pbp/main.html

ThermionicScott 

That's a very limited definition of low gears, but I suppose this is the roadie forum. If it's not available in Dura Ace or Record, it might as well not exist.

ThermionicScott 

I do love the BC Randonneurs site. So much neat info collected in one place. Long may it live!

PeteHski

Dura Ace was the last of the higher end Shimano groups to offer an 11-34 cassette. I think it was only introduced on 12 speed DA

GhostRider62

I had a 50/34 and 11-32 11 speed about 9 or 10 years ago but hated it, reverted back to 53/39. Now on 48/35 and 10-33 12 speed wishing I had DA 52/36 11-30 12 speed instead. But I only have to deal with 10% long climbs, the 12-15% ones are short.

I think cycling used to be macho in terms of gearing, nobody wanted to use the small ring. Now, we can't get small enough. I think history will show 46/33 SRAM was a mistake and Shimano and Campy were correct.

PeteHski

I’m reasonably happy with the SRAM 48/35 and 10-33 cassette for all-round use. But I would have appreciated a 46/33 for the Alps and a 10-36 cassette. I think you are right about the macho mindset. But I’d rather climb faster at a healthy cadence than be forced to grind at 50 rpm on the steeper pitches.

Eric F 

A 12-speed 11-25 cassette would give you 1T spacing from 11-19, and the 2T spacing for 21-25. That sounds pretty ideal for a flat course.

waters60

When I was at UVM in the late 70s my bike had 52-42 Nuovo Record and 5 speed 13-21 Regina cluster. Going up Smuggler’s from the south I bent the 21 cog and had to turn around and go back to a point where I could turn around and hit it in my 19. I would love to have some of that youthful energy these days!

Iride01 

I might be mistaken, but I think back as short as 15 years ago it was common for some of the favored riders on a team to change to lower geared bikes from the team car about the start of certain of the tougher climbs. Modern 11 and 12 cogs on the rear have made that unnecessary for the most part.

Also, when you ride a bike day in and day out for all the 20,000 miles/year or there 'bouts a pro cyclist rides, one just tends to not need the lower gears we mere mortals need.