stockae92

I am looking for opinion on semi compact vs compact crank for non-racer

I like riding hilly route and don't look for the max descent speed (not all the times)

I am riding 11-28 11 sp in the back.

If I don't think I will be maxed out the 50x11 @ 80 rpm for 28mph on the flat, would compact be the crank option for me?

Or semi compact has benefit other than having the 52x11 on the descent?

kingston 

If you can sustain 28 mph at 80 rpm on the flat you need a big chainring, otherwise get the compact crank.

kc0bbq

Even if you were a racer on hilly routes the compact is still fine.


Unless your max cadence is 80 or lower you won't run out of gears with a compact for speed. Unless, for some reason, your max cadence isn't very high even a 13 cog is good for more than 36mph at 120rpm.

Wested

I switched from a mid-compact to the full compact, also with a 11-28. It's really nice having the failsafe gears for big hills, and I tend to coast down descents anyway. Very happy with the change.

datlas 

Compact.

/thread

Homebrew01

Nothing to do with racing or not.

Get the gearing that YOU need based on YOUR terrain and YOUR fitness and comfort level.

ypsetihw

just went from a compact to a semi (because I got a ridiculous deal on a lightly used Dura Ace crankset) and it is harder, noticeably so. around here it is very flat, and on the compact I used to be in the big ring all the time on a 50x12-28, with the 52/36 I have to use the small ring MUCH more often. I couldn't spin out the 50x12 even when sprinting (although I can spin as high as 140rpm for short bursts, but still).

if you're not racing, stick with the compact, unless, like in my case, you have some reason to change.

KonaRider125

If you have a good amount of steep hills in your area get the compact crank and at least a 11-32, a Roadlink and a 11-36 is even better.

American Euchre

Being in the small ring most of the time isn't such a bad thing. The small ring is quite a bit quieter than the big ring, for one.

I really don't know what gearing I need. I find myself in the low gears/big ring or high gears/small ring combination and neither seems ideal.

I think a 50/36 setup might be pretty good, paired with a 11-34 or 11-36 12 speed cassette rear. Who knows, maybe we'll have that option in a few years time.

ReneV

I ride both very hilly and rather flat terrains, but mostly the former. I started out with 50/34 and 11-32 but felt that I was spinning out on occasion (upwards of 120rpms). I'm now using 52/36 and 11-32, and never worry about the gears.

My point: although it doesn't provide an easy answer, I second Homebrew01's advice.

kbarch

Emphasis adjusted.
Even fit racers and those comfortable mashing may chose a compact setup if the anticipated routes are steep enough.

ypsetihw

yeah I find that the small ring gives me up to about 19-20mph with comfortable candence and not terrible cross chaining, which is good enough for most of my solo riding unless I'm out doing threshold stuff or have a good tailwind. the big ring is perfect for drafting as our group usually does 22-24 as our rolling pace. the only thing I find annoying is shifting to the small ring and back up to the big when coming to a stop unless I want to mash a cross chained gear.

69chevy

My gearing as well.


Almost a perfect range.

cthenn

Personally, I use 50/34, 12-28 in hilly Northern California. I can even make it "mountainous" if I want to. I hardly ever spin out in the 50x12, because at those speeds, I'm perfectly happy enjoying the ride. As was pointed out, it depends on your fitness, and what you consider "hilly". I always think it's better to try and keep the cassette nicely spaced, and then choose your crankset accordingly. With my routes, I'm using a lot more of the 16t-25t than I am the smaller cogs, so I'd much rather have the best spacing in that range. I personally hate wide cassettes, there are too many gaps for me, but that is another thread! Try to find out what kinds of gear ratios you use on your typical rides, and then you can make a more informed decision. I'd much rather have a cassette like mine (12-28) with minimal spacing, and use a compact crankset, rather than go with something much wider to accommodate a 52/36 for climbs. I wish I was strong enough to need more than a 50x12 on the flats, but I can't imagine that's a big problem for a lot of riders!

RushFan2112

I'm in the same boat as cthenn - literally - as I live in the same city. I would describe the riding in the East Bay as hilly to mountainous. In fact, I usually find myself on Mt. Diablo at least once a week. I run a 50/34 up front and 11-32 in back. 34x32 is a hell of a bailout gear but I do find myself using it from time to time. If I lived somewhere with fewer hills I would probably run 52/36 and 11-28.

American Euchre

Shifting up to the big ring after a stop is a bit of an inconvenience.

I wonder if I have slightly unrealistic expectations of how quiet a drivetrain can be. With 10, 11 and now 12 gears in back, we are well beyond what would have been considered cross chained lines back when 6 and 7 speed cassettes were the norm.

SpeshulEd 

I have always been a fan of a compact up front and an 11-25 in the back, mostly for the weight-weenieness of it. Smaller up front, smaller in the back...saving those grams!

There have only been a handful of times when I spun out of 50/11. In those times I certainly wished I could have been faster, but those moments were fleeting when I got back to level ground.

American Euchre

It's been a couple decades+ since I rode in the east bay. Then, my "bailout" was either a 42/23 or more likely a 39/23. Back then, it was "good enough" and adequate since, well, it had to be.

These days, riding primarily flats, I'd want to have at least a 34/32 or maybe even 34/34 just in case, since I'm not used to doing a lot of sustained climbs every ride.

Most of my riding is on flats, but there are short climbs where a 34/21 and 34/24 seem adequate over relatively short distances. I don't know what the grade is, but it sure feels like a "climb" to me!

A couple of loops have short rollers as well, and I occasionally use the 34/27 there as well.

cyclezen

so, of course, this answer works...

but hey, I can suggest a really crazy, crazy, unthinkable idea, regardless of the crankset anyone rides - get a 2nd cassette... no, no, not that! unthinkable!
whether you ride a 53/52/50/46 big ring (or even a 54) one cassette in the 11/28 or similar isn't the happiest combo for all rides. And iff'n you don;t really do a lot of regular big vert climbing, then the 28/32/bigger cog may not be used hardly at all.
I keep my eyes open on group rides and notice a few things. One obvious thing is that most cassettes I see with 28s & 32s have pristine, almost new 28 & 32 cogs. The 11s & 12s are just as clean/pristine. The stuff in the middle looks like **** and has gone thru hell. So why not have a cassette for those rides when you spend time on the middle cog range. For anyone who hasn't tried a close range cassette - it is a thing of beauty and makes riding any rolling terrain smooth and fun.
12-23, 11-23 or 11/12-25 AND that cassette with stump puller cogs for the heavy climb days...
changing a cassette is like a 5 min job... having the climbing cassette on a spare wheel is too crazy ??? maybe not

kbarch

Or you could have a spare wheel with the alternate cassette already on it, so changing your gearing can be LESS than a 5 minute job.
Of course, it depends where you're starting. The OP already has a 28, and wants easier climbing, so swapping to a cassette with a 32 cog wouldn't be quite as beneficial for climbing as swapping to a crank with a 34 ring, but it would be more beneficial than swapping to a mid-compact.