Giant Defy 2019 question
12-20-18, 09:21 PM
#2
Senior Member
I don't have an answer for you. I recently read a post that explained the results of less teeth or a couple more teeth are minimum.
The Defy is a road bike. Can you tell us why you're looking to change out the 50/34 ring set.??
The Defy is a road bike. Can you tell us why you're looking to change out the 50/34 ring set.??
12-21-18, 07:27 AM
#4
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changing the cassette will do even more and often cheaper. Simply getting a cassette with a 32t large cog will give the same gear inches as getting an entirely new sub-compact crankset thsts 46/30.
30-28 is 28.3gi
34-32 is 28.04gi
but regardless, I find such a change in ratios to be noticable. If someone is challenged with getting up hills and struggles to slowly mash their way up, then a change like this can increase their cadence a bit and put less resistance on their legs.
12-21-18, 07:32 AM
#5
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^ this is the first step. 34T inner ring is plenty small for anything except fully loaded touring. It may be that reducing the outer ring from 50T to 46T can benefit the OP. I don't know anything about the Defy, but is the front derailleur band mounted, or braze-on mounted? That can affect the raising and lowering of the FD to match the chainring size. There are offset braze-on mount adapters, right? IDK.
12-21-18, 04:50 PM
#6
Senior Member
going from 34t to 30t is a pretty significant change. Thats going from 32 gear inches to 28.3 gear inches, assuming a 25mm road tire and 28t large cog.
changing the cassette will do even more and often cheaper. Simply getting a cassette with a 32t large cog will give the same gear inches as getting an entirely new sub-compact crankset thsts 46/30.
30-28 is 28.3gi
34-32 is 28.04gi
but regardless, I find such a change in ratios to be noticable. If someone is challenged with getting up hills and struggles to slowly mash their way up, then a change like this can increase their cadence a bit and put less resistance on their legs.
changing the cassette will do even more and often cheaper. Simply getting a cassette with a 32t large cog will give the same gear inches as getting an entirely new sub-compact crankset thsts 46/30.
30-28 is 28.3gi
34-32 is 28.04gi
but regardless, I find such a change in ratios to be noticable. If someone is challenged with getting up hills and struggles to slowly mash their way up, then a change like this can increase their cadence a bit and put less resistance on their legs.
Hopefully by spring I'll hopefully have a new bike, primarily for road. I'm looking at the 2019 Giant Defy. It comes with a 50/34 and an 11/34 cog. I like the thought of having a 48/32 up front. A 50/34 seems just a tad intimidating to me, but I wouldn't shy away from it on the Defy(advanced 3).
Last edited by BirdsBikeBinocs; 12-21-18 at 04:56 PM.
12-21-18, 08:20 PM
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I'm not sure about the newest model, but the 2017 Defy has a 32 tooth cassette already. The 2019 may be 34. So, even with a 34 tooth chain ring, you've got a pretty small gear already.
12-24-18, 12:00 AM
#10
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03-21-19, 09:34 PM
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Isn’t spinning easier on the joints than grinding especially on the climbs?
“ In this modern era or power meters and cadence, one has no excuse not to be spinning around 90rpm when they are going for it. The top sprinters spin around 125rpm and on the track its more like 150rpm. Many noobs or even ‘experienced’ riders still grind their knees away at 70rpm in a sprint or on a hard climb thinking that torque equals power.
The equation is torque x cadence = power. Imagine driving your car in 5th gear up a really steep climb - its too much strain on the motor, clutch etc. This is what most people do and then they start to equate hills with pain. Reality is that hills are as easy as riding on the flat. 150w on the flat is the same as 150w in the hills but most don’t”
“How to choose the right gear? You want gearing that lets you have at least 80rpm when you are riding up your fav climbs. I prefer 90rpm or 100rpm when Im going ‘full gas’. I have 50/34 compact cranks on all my road bikes with different cassettes sizes on my road bikes from 32 to 42. Some people laugh at my gearing selection but they are NEVER the guys who can climb as fast or far as me. They are also often complaining about sore knees or a tight back. Bloody noobs! Every pro knows that 90+ cadence is ideal for climbing your fastest”
When I worked in the bike industry, compact cranks (50/34) where very rare. Standard flat lander gearing (53/39) was the norm and we prided ourselves on running 21 tooth rear cassettes. It was a sign of ‘strength’ but looking back it was a sign of being ignorant of the ‘torque x cadence = power’ reality. Back then power meters were very rare and you needed a sports degree to understand the numbers but now all the technology is far cheaper and the basic concept of knowing ‘what wattage you are doing’ is so you can pace yourself
Page 30 of 124
properly depending on your goals for the next few minutes or hours. Today in 2015 someone can buy a bike, put a power meter and Garmin on and go ride around the suburbs and learn how cadence and power go hand in hand. If you ride to work at 200w with a cadence of 60rpm for 30 mins then you produce a lot more muscle fatigue than if you rode the same 200w at 90rpm for 30mins. So the person who wants to get back on the bike tomorrow will improve quicker than their friend who grinds and is more prone to fatigue due to the excess muscle torque they have to produce for the same wattage as their friend who spins efficiently at around 90rpm.
It’s the same in running, the least injured runners are the ones who have around 90rpm cadence. Most people get injured in running due to low cadence which increases foot impact. Most cyclists get tendonitis from riding under 90rpm consistently. I know I sure did. Chronic ITB issues forced me off the bike for many months. I was so strong I cracked 2 dura ace cranks and got warranty both times. I would snap chains, frames, free hub bodies and stems I would put so much torque on my bike from grinding my flat lander gearing around the hills. Now I don’t break anything as my pedaling is so much more smooth. My chains last longer and Ive not snapped a chain for years. My joints no longer ache and riding anywhere, any time for any distance is never an issue now as I can spin and pace to perfection via my power meter and proper climbing gear ratios.
“ In this modern era or power meters and cadence, one has no excuse not to be spinning around 90rpm when they are going for it. The top sprinters spin around 125rpm and on the track its more like 150rpm. Many noobs or even ‘experienced’ riders still grind their knees away at 70rpm in a sprint or on a hard climb thinking that torque equals power.
The equation is torque x cadence = power. Imagine driving your car in 5th gear up a really steep climb - its too much strain on the motor, clutch etc. This is what most people do and then they start to equate hills with pain. Reality is that hills are as easy as riding on the flat. 150w on the flat is the same as 150w in the hills but most don’t”
“How to choose the right gear? You want gearing that lets you have at least 80rpm when you are riding up your fav climbs. I prefer 90rpm or 100rpm when Im going ‘full gas’. I have 50/34 compact cranks on all my road bikes with different cassettes sizes on my road bikes from 32 to 42. Some people laugh at my gearing selection but they are NEVER the guys who can climb as fast or far as me. They are also often complaining about sore knees or a tight back. Bloody noobs! Every pro knows that 90+ cadence is ideal for climbing your fastest”
When I worked in the bike industry, compact cranks (50/34) where very rare. Standard flat lander gearing (53/39) was the norm and we prided ourselves on running 21 tooth rear cassettes. It was a sign of ‘strength’ but looking back it was a sign of being ignorant of the ‘torque x cadence = power’ reality. Back then power meters were very rare and you needed a sports degree to understand the numbers but now all the technology is far cheaper and the basic concept of knowing ‘what wattage you are doing’ is so you can pace yourself
Page 30 of 124
properly depending on your goals for the next few minutes or hours. Today in 2015 someone can buy a bike, put a power meter and Garmin on and go ride around the suburbs and learn how cadence and power go hand in hand. If you ride to work at 200w with a cadence of 60rpm for 30 mins then you produce a lot more muscle fatigue than if you rode the same 200w at 90rpm for 30mins. So the person who wants to get back on the bike tomorrow will improve quicker than their friend who grinds and is more prone to fatigue due to the excess muscle torque they have to produce for the same wattage as their friend who spins efficiently at around 90rpm.
It’s the same in running, the least injured runners are the ones who have around 90rpm cadence. Most people get injured in running due to low cadence which increases foot impact. Most cyclists get tendonitis from riding under 90rpm consistently. I know I sure did. Chronic ITB issues forced me off the bike for many months. I was so strong I cracked 2 dura ace cranks and got warranty both times. I would snap chains, frames, free hub bodies and stems I would put so much torque on my bike from grinding my flat lander gearing around the hills. Now I don’t break anything as my pedaling is so much more smooth. My chains last longer and Ive not snapped a chain for years. My joints no longer ache and riding anywhere, any time for any distance is never an issue now as I can spin and pace to perfection via my power meter and proper climbing gear ratios.
Last edited by Royal79; 03-21-19 at 09:54 PM.
03-22-19, 04:08 AM
#12
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We still don't know why the OP wants to make the switch. Every rider is different. if the OP is struggling with a 50-34 then dropping to a 46-30 might make sense. As far as I know once the Contend was introduced (2016-2017?) "Defy" became the Giant name for its CF endurance bike. Since it has a CF frame it will have a braze-on derailleur. most braze-one have some vertical adjustability so it shouldn't be an issue.
OP. I am one of those people who will not watch a video to get information that would be better absorbed in print. particularly a seven-minute video which might contain 25 seconds of relevant information. Take a minute to explain your thinking in your own words, if you would, please?
OP. I am one of those people who will not watch a video to get information that would be better absorbed in print. particularly a seven-minute video which might contain 25 seconds of relevant information. Take a minute to explain your thinking in your own words, if you would, please?
03-22-19, 04:44 AM
#13
Senior Member
I stink on hills. That said, if I headed back to New Mexoxo small small of 34/32 would work fine on my slightly heavy bike. I run 48/34 front.
03-23-19, 08:30 AM
#14
Senior Member
Durianrider is infamously didactic. He has very firm opinions and insults those who don't agree with him. He also seems to be a pathological liar. I would take everything he says with a grain of salt.
07-07-19, 02:11 PM
#15
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Isn’t spinning easier on the joints than grinding especially on the climbs?
“ In this modern era or power meters and cadence, one has no excuse not to be spinning around 90rpm when they are going for it. The top sprinters spin around 125rpm and on the track its more like 150rpm. Many noobs or even ‘experienced’ riders still grind their knees away at 70rpm in a sprint or on a hard climb thinking that torque equals power.
The equation is torque x cadence = power. Imagine driving your car in 5th gear up a really steep climb - its too much strain on the motor, clutch etc. This is what most people do and then they start to equate hills with pain. Reality is that hills are as easy as riding on the flat. 150w on the flat is the same as 150w in the hills but most don’t”
“How to choose the right gear? You want gearing that lets you have at least 80rpm when you are riding up your fav climbs. I prefer 90rpm or 100rpm when Im going ‘full gas’. I have 50/34 compact cranks on all my road bikes with different cassettes sizes on my road bikes from 32 to 42. Some people laugh at my gearing selection but they are NEVER the guys who can climb as fast or far as me. They are also often complaining about sore knees or a tight back. Bloody noobs! Every pro knows that 90+ cadence is ideal for climbing your fastest”
When I worked in the bike industry, compact cranks (50/34) where very rare. Standard flat lander gearing (53/39) was the norm and we prided ourselves on running 21 tooth rear cassettes. It was a sign of ‘strength’ but looking back it was a sign of being ignorant of the ‘torque x cadence = power’ reality. Back then power meters were very rare and you needed a sports degree to understand the numbers but now all the technology is far cheaper and the basic concept of knowing ‘what wattage you are doing’ is so you can pace yourself
Page 30 of 124
properly depending on your goals for the next few minutes or hours. Today in 2015 someone can buy a bike, put a power meter and Garmin on and go ride around the suburbs and learn how cadence and power go hand in hand. If you ride to work at 200w with a cadence of 60rpm for 30 mins then you produce a lot more muscle fatigue than if you rode the same 200w at 90rpm for 30mins. So the person who wants to get back on the bike tomorrow will improve quicker than their friend who grinds and is more prone to fatigue due to the excess muscle torque they have to produce for the same wattage as their friend who spins efficiently at around 90rpm.
It’s the same in running, the least injured runners are the ones who have around 90rpm cadence. Most people get injured in running due to low cadence which increases foot impact. Most cyclists get tendonitis from riding under 90rpm consistently. I know I sure did. Chronic ITB issues forced me off the bike for many months. I was so strong I cracked 2 dura ace cranks and got warranty both times. I would snap chains, frames, free hub bodies and stems I would put so much torque on my bike from grinding my flat lander gearing around the hills. Now I don’t break anything as my pedaling is so much more smooth. My chains last longer and Ive not snapped a chain for years. My joints no longer ache and riding anywhere, any time for any distance is never an issue now as I can spin and pace to perfection via my power meter and proper climbing gear ratios.
“ In this modern era or power meters and cadence, one has no excuse not to be spinning around 90rpm when they are going for it. The top sprinters spin around 125rpm and on the track its more like 150rpm. Many noobs or even ‘experienced’ riders still grind their knees away at 70rpm in a sprint or on a hard climb thinking that torque equals power.
The equation is torque x cadence = power. Imagine driving your car in 5th gear up a really steep climb - its too much strain on the motor, clutch etc. This is what most people do and then they start to equate hills with pain. Reality is that hills are as easy as riding on the flat. 150w on the flat is the same as 150w in the hills but most don’t”
“How to choose the right gear? You want gearing that lets you have at least 80rpm when you are riding up your fav climbs. I prefer 90rpm or 100rpm when Im going ‘full gas’. I have 50/34 compact cranks on all my road bikes with different cassettes sizes on my road bikes from 32 to 42. Some people laugh at my gearing selection but they are NEVER the guys who can climb as fast or far as me. They are also often complaining about sore knees or a tight back. Bloody noobs! Every pro knows that 90+ cadence is ideal for climbing your fastest”
When I worked in the bike industry, compact cranks (50/34) where very rare. Standard flat lander gearing (53/39) was the norm and we prided ourselves on running 21 tooth rear cassettes. It was a sign of ‘strength’ but looking back it was a sign of being ignorant of the ‘torque x cadence = power’ reality. Back then power meters were very rare and you needed a sports degree to understand the numbers but now all the technology is far cheaper and the basic concept of knowing ‘what wattage you are doing’ is so you can pace yourself
Page 30 of 124
properly depending on your goals for the next few minutes or hours. Today in 2015 someone can buy a bike, put a power meter and Garmin on and go ride around the suburbs and learn how cadence and power go hand in hand. If you ride to work at 200w with a cadence of 60rpm for 30 mins then you produce a lot more muscle fatigue than if you rode the same 200w at 90rpm for 30mins. So the person who wants to get back on the bike tomorrow will improve quicker than their friend who grinds and is more prone to fatigue due to the excess muscle torque they have to produce for the same wattage as their friend who spins efficiently at around 90rpm.
It’s the same in running, the least injured runners are the ones who have around 90rpm cadence. Most people get injured in running due to low cadence which increases foot impact. Most cyclists get tendonitis from riding under 90rpm consistently. I know I sure did. Chronic ITB issues forced me off the bike for many months. I was so strong I cracked 2 dura ace cranks and got warranty both times. I would snap chains, frames, free hub bodies and stems I would put so much torque on my bike from grinding my flat lander gearing around the hills. Now I don’t break anything as my pedaling is so much more smooth. My chains last longer and Ive not snapped a chain for years. My joints no longer ache and riding anywhere, any time for any distance is never an issue now as I can spin and pace to perfection via my power meter and proper climbing gear ratios.
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