What gearing changes should I make to my Tarmac for better climbing in Maine?
#1
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What gearing changes should I make to my Tarmac for better climbing in Maine?
Hello, I recently moved to Maine from Illinois and there is a lot more elevation here. I was already advised to go with a smaller front ring in Illinois but I was ok with powering along at a slightly lower cadence, however one ride here has convinced me that I need to make a change. I have a 2016 Specialized Tarmac Sport (specs on bikeradar here) with a stock 52/36 up front and 11/28 in the rear. Suggestions?
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I recently swapped out my 14T cassette for one with a 13T high gear on my RB and it made all the difference for me. I notice the taller gears when climbing, but I love them on the flats. You have the exact opposite dilemma so it boils down to either adding more teeth in the rear or fewer up front. I would probably look for a cassette with 32T on the low end. Something like a 12/32 cassette. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck. Moving from Il to Maine has to be quite an adjustment in itself.
#3
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So you have hills where the 36/28 is inadequate? If so, an 11-32 cassette would help, providing that your RD has an extra 4T of wrap capacity. You might have to look up the exact RD model to be sure. The next step would be a 50/34 or 48/32 crank. Those don't require more wrap capacity. FSA isn't good at listing the chain ring bolt circles, so it's hard to say whether just new chain rings could be purchased or a whole new crank required. With a 48/32 you also have to be sure that the FD can drop low enough.
#4
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Most likely the smallest ring you can get on there is a 34t. That is not much different form a 36t. > Most bang for buck is a 11-34 cassette, a new chain and a GS rear DR. Replace the gear wire while you are at it.
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I think an 11-32 or 34 your less expensive option. I assume it's 11 cogs on the back so all the talk about needing gears with tooth counts close together is left over from the days of 5 speed's...... IMHO of course <grin>. 11 on the back give you plenty of close gearing for the normal range of cycling and leaves you with a couple to use as bail-out gears.
A new shimano 105 cassette only cost me about 30 bucks. You might be SOL though if you have the short cage DR. But a new 105 5800 GS rear DR or newer probably can be found for 34 bucks or less. Changing the chainwheels on might be more expensive if you can find some that fit that crank.
A new shimano 105 cassette only cost me about 30 bucks. You might be SOL though if you have the short cage DR. But a new 105 5800 GS rear DR or newer probably can be found for 34 bucks or less. Changing the chainwheels on might be more expensive if you can find some that fit that crank.
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I usually recommend the Roadlink & bigger cassette, but 52/34 is a lot of chain to take up.
Consider biting the bullet and change the whole thing- chainrings to 50/34 or 48/34 (what non-pro needs 52/11?)
11/34 cassette, mid-cage RD, and chain.
I run this on my (older) Tarmac. The 48/34 works very well with less double shifting and more time in the big ring.
Consider biting the bullet and change the whole thing- chainrings to 50/34 or 48/34 (what non-pro needs 52/11?)
11/34 cassette, mid-cage RD, and chain.
I run this on my (older) Tarmac. The 48/34 works very well with less double shifting and more time in the big ring.
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Old fart here who raced the Maine hills between Jackman and Waterville twice. As a very fit animal that loved to climb, I did it on a 42-19. Second time was also the hardest thing I have ever done. Now, I wold ride those hills on a triple, 50-38-24. (I;m late 60s.) After racing I took my 53-42 racing crankset and turned it into a 53-42-28 triple that I used for decades with the freewheel/cassette going cog by cog from a 13-19 5-speed to a 12-23,25 or 28 9-speed.
I am totally sold on triples. Now, the new bikes and crankset options are making them harder to do. Once this 1X fad plays out, I'm guessing there will be a new breakthrough in gearing. Smaller, lighter, better shifting cogs with much smaller and better looking rear derailleurs, all enabled by a new system of three chainrings in front that allow big gearing changes with one shift. (Very, very useful for the radical grade changes of the Maine landscape.)
We will see. Ben
I am totally sold on triples. Now, the new bikes and crankset options are making them harder to do. Once this 1X fad plays out, I'm guessing there will be a new breakthrough in gearing. Smaller, lighter, better shifting cogs with much smaller and better looking rear derailleurs, all enabled by a new system of three chainrings in front that allow big gearing changes with one shift. (Very, very useful for the radical grade changes of the Maine landscape.)
We will see. Ben
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Hello, I recently moved to Maine from Illinois and there is a lot more elevation here. I was already advised to go with a smaller front ring in Illinois but I was ok with powering along at a slightly lower cadence, however one ride here has convinced me that I need to make a change. I have a 2016 Specialized Tarmac Sport (specs on bikeradar here) with a stock 52/36 up front and 11/28 in the rear. Suggestions?
Perhaps a new 11x30 or 11x32 cassette would help?
#9
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The shimano 11-32 has decent spacing, but for some reason they put wide spacing of 11-13-15-17... on the 11-34. I wouldn't care for that.
My Campy 12 setup has a closely spaced 11-34 with a 48/32 crank. It's a straight block up to the 17, then 19-22-25-29-34.
My Campy 12 setup has a closely spaced 11-34 with a 48/32 crank. It's a straight block up to the 17, then 19-22-25-29-34.
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#10
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Depends how fast you are going. Im using a 11-34 for commuting and I never notice the missing 14t and 12t compared to a 11-28. 50/15 is plenty for 25 mph and the 11-34 allows me to stay in the big ring for longer. I quite like it. Less wasted (too) tall gears in exchange for a more useful lower gears.
Last edited by Racing Dan; 03-29-20 at 01:20 PM.
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If you have a short cage 105 rear derailer, by the time you change that and a cassette, it might be near the price of a Shimano GRX 48/31 crank. Might need a new b-bracket with it. Do some research on the crank spacing to make sure it works with the current 105 front derailer and b-bracket.
#12
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I recently swapped out my 14T cassette for one with a 13T high gear on my RB and it made all the difference for me. I notice the taller gears when climbing, but I love them on the flats. You have the exact opposite dilemma so it boils down to either adding more teeth in the rear or fewer up front. I would probably look for a cassette with 32T on the low end. Something like a 12/32 cassette. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck. Moving from Il to Maine has to be quite an adjustment in itself.
#13
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Thread Starter
So you have hills where the 36/28 is inadequate? If so, an 11-32 cassette would help, providing that your RD has an extra 4T of wrap capacity. You might have to look up the exact RD model to be sure. The next step would be a 50/34 or 48/32 crank. Those don't require more wrap capacity. FSA isn't good at listing the chain ring bolt circles, so it's hard to say whether just new chain rings could be purchased or a whole new crank required. With a 48/32 you also have to be sure that the FD can drop low enough.
#14
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Thank you for the reply - I'm not sure if my 105 RD would work, I'll have to look into that - is the GS a significant upgrade other than knowing for sure that it will fit the 11/34?
#15
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I think an 11-32 or 34 your less expensive option. I assume it's 11 cogs on the back so all the talk about needing gears with tooth counts close together is left over from the days of 5 speed's...... IMHO of course <grin>. 11 on the back give you plenty of close gearing for the normal range of cycling and leaves you with a couple to use as bail-out gears.
A new shimano 105 cassette only cost me about 30 bucks. You might be SOL though if you have the short cage DR. But a new 105 5800 GS rear DR or newer probably can be found for 34 bucks or less. Changing the chainwheels on might be more expensive if you can find some that fit that crank.
A new shimano 105 cassette only cost me about 30 bucks. You might be SOL though if you have the short cage DR. But a new 105 5800 GS rear DR or newer probably can be found for 34 bucks or less. Changing the chainwheels on might be more expensive if you can find some that fit that crank.
#16
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Thread Starter
I usually recommend the Roadlink & bigger cassette, but 52/34 is a lot of chain to take up.
Consider biting the bullet and change the whole thing- chainrings to 50/34 or 48/34 (what non-pro needs 52/11?)
11/34 cassette, mid-cage RD, and chain.
I run this on my (older) Tarmac. The 48/34 works very well with less double shifting and more time in the big ring.
Consider biting the bullet and change the whole thing- chainrings to 50/34 or 48/34 (what non-pro needs 52/11?)
11/34 cassette, mid-cage RD, and chain.
I run this on my (older) Tarmac. The 48/34 works very well with less double shifting and more time in the big ring.
#17
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Thread Starter
Old fart here who raced the Maine hills between Jackman and Waterville twice. As a very fit animal that loved to climb, I did it on a 42-19. Second time was also the hardest thing I have ever done. Now, I wold ride those hills on a triple, 50-38-24. (I;m late 60s.) After racing I took my 53-42 racing crankset and turned it into a 53-42-28 triple that I used for decades with the freewheel/cassette going cog by cog from a 13-19 5-speed to a 12-23,25 or 28 9-speed.
I am totally sold on triples. Now, the new bikes and crankset options are making them harder to do. Once this 1X fad plays out, I'm guessing there will be a new breakthrough in gearing. Smaller, lighter, better shifting cogs with much smaller and better looking rear derailleurs, all enabled by a new system of three chainrings in front that allow big gearing changes with one shift. (Very, very useful for the radical grade changes of the Maine landscape.)
We will see. Ben
I am totally sold on triples. Now, the new bikes and crankset options are making them harder to do. Once this 1X fad plays out, I'm guessing there will be a new breakthrough in gearing. Smaller, lighter, better shifting cogs with much smaller and better looking rear derailleurs, all enabled by a new system of three chainrings in front that allow big gearing changes with one shift. (Very, very useful for the radical grade changes of the Maine landscape.)
We will see. Ben
#18
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Thread Starter
It would help, but I am also looking at changing the chainrings and/or the crank as well. The 36/52 is harder so in some ways it's training you to be faster than all the other people with smaller chainrings that you're riding with, but in the elevation I'm at now I won't be able to efficiently use all of the gears, and that's not smooth.
#19
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Thank you for your input, it is helping me decide.
#20
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Depends how fast you are going. Im using a 11-34 for commuting and I never notice the missing 14t and 12t compared to a 11-28. 50/15 is plenty for 25 mph and the 11-34 allows me to stay in the big ring for longer. I quite like it. Less wasted (too) tall gears in exchange for a more useful lower gears.
#21
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If you have a short cage 105 rear derailer, by the time you change that and a cassette, it might be near the price of a Shimano GRX 48/31 crank. Might need a new b-bracket with it. Do some research on the crank spacing to make sure it works with the current 105 front derailer and b-bracket.
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If you have a short cage 105 rear derailer, by the time you change that and a cassette, it might be near the price of a Shimano GRX 48/31 crank. Might need a new b-bracket with it. Do some research on the crank spacing to make sure it works with the current 105 front derailer and b-bracket.
edit... yeah I'm probably being a little harsh, and the OP should consider if they need the low gearing that would give.
For myself, I just think it might be too low a gearing, depending on what part of Maine the OP is riding in. As well, when going downhill, I like to pedal and have a little resistance even though I might not be adding to the speed of just coasting.
Last edited by Iride01; 03-29-20 at 08:19 PM.
#23
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Depends on how much top-end you need.
How fast do you ride, and what cadence range do you prefer to ride at?
How strong are the groups you ride in: when they're going tempo on the flats in calm conditions, what sorts of speeds are you looking at?
The 11-34 cassette doesn't cut off any top-end compared with an 11-28 cassette, because highest cog on both cassettes is 11-tooth.
52T is about 8% bigger than 48T. So, at any given speed, when you're in your highest gear, you'll be spinning your legs about 8% faster with a 48T.
How fast do you ride, and what cadence range do you prefer to ride at?
How strong are the groups you ride in: when they're going tempo on the flats in calm conditions, what sorts of speeds are you looking at?
48/34 & 11/34
The 11-34 cassette doesn't cut off any top-end compared with an 11-28 cassette, because highest cog on both cassettes is 11-tooth.
52T is about 8% bigger than 48T. So, at any given speed, when you're in your highest gear, you'll be spinning your legs about 8% faster with a 48T.
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A 200 dollar crank vs 30 dollar cassette + 34 dollar 105 5800 DR + 30 dollar chain........ I don't think so. Unless you know somewhere to get cranks cheap. Those are new prices. Personally, I wouldn't buy any used.
edit... yeah I'm probably being a little harsh, and the OP should consider if they need the low gearing that would give.
For myself, I just think it might be too low a gearing, depending on what part of Maine the OP is riding in. As well, when going downhill, I like to pedal and have a little resistance even though I might not be adding to the speed of just coasting.
edit... yeah I'm probably being a little harsh, and the OP should consider if they need the low gearing that would give.
For myself, I just think it might be too low a gearing, depending on what part of Maine the OP is riding in. As well, when going downhill, I like to pedal and have a little resistance even though I might not be adding to the speed of just coasting.
#25
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A couple years ago I had a friend who put together a 1x road drivetrain, 50T chainring and 11-32 cassette. He was badly bottomed-out on the hills. He didn't want to go to a wider-spaced cassette. I pointed out that his top several cogs were literally like-new sparkling clean, and that he was basically never putting power down at speeds above 30mph, so there'd be no problem with dropping the chainring down to at least the low 40s. He looked at me like I was crazy, and insisted that any big ring of less than 50T is obviously too small and "slow" for a road bike.
He did finally try the change a few months later. Unsurprisingly, he noticed no drawbacks.