Bugster

Hi

Just looking at spoiling myself and getting a new bike, I am a larger guy so hills can be fun, not!!!. I am trying to stay away from triple so I know there is a 34/50 and 36/52 but wondering if there is a 34/52 crank set?

Cheers

Bug

fietsbob

Just change chainrings .. get the out of the box, 50-34 & then buy a 52t 110 BCD chainring .. I ran 52t in the 80's
13:52 before the cogs were as small as they are now

an 12:52 seems higher than useful .. 11:52 even more so..


because they ship so many for OEM builds stock combinations are cheaper than the custom choices ,
but that is easily changed. just takes Money thrown at the project.

hobkirk

Why avoid the triple? My Ultegra is 53 / 43 / 30 - doesn't that make you drool? Especially with an 11-34 cassette.

I have no experience with the 34/52 - I would think you can do it, although you might need to swap some cogs. The question is if the FD will handle the 18 tooth difference - the official limit is 16, I am quite sure.

Cheers back at you.

jimc101

If looking to do that, would get a 52/36 and swap the inner, these (the inners) are always much cheaper than the outer.

For the BCD, going on the info given by the OP this indicate he is looking at a 6800 crank, which has the 4 bolt pattern, not a standard 110BCD

cny-bikeman

the 52 is no great benefit, especially with todays cassettes that end with an 11 or 12 tooth cog. It just makes the top gears more useless.
A 52/12 at only 100 rpm is 33mph. I guarantee you can't hold that speed on the level in that gear, and you're better off coasting on the downhills. I also don't understand the aversion to a triple. I have no problems at all with mine, and most people don't. I would never consider a compact, as one has to choose between a wide range and small jumps.

jimc101

Shimano did, and they don't offer it as an option from 105(5800) up now. Do understand your thinking with the jumps and range though.

achoo

A compact with a 10- or 11-speed rear end has smaller jumps just as much range as a 7-speed triple.

Bugster

Thanks for the replies so a possible inner ring change looks workable

Th avoidance of a triple i trying to get a better bike, I have my heart set on a carbon but all teh triples seem to be running the lower end group sets sora or tiagra rather than 105 or ultegra

shelbyfv

I agree that replacing the smaller ring is cheapest but I'd be surprised if you could regularly spin out the 50/11. Some configurations are more common for a reason.

achoo

Yep. Shimano seems to have dropped triples in at least 105 and above. Hard not to see why, since 105 and up are all 11-speed now. A compact crank with an 11-32 11-speed cassette is going to have more range and spacing pretty close to what a 7- or 8-speed triple would have. When you retire and move to Florida you can then change to an 11-23 11-speed cassette and be able to get your cadence to exactly what you want +/- about 3 RPM.

Bugster

Ok so which is easier for hills and by how much eg a lot or hardly different

39/32

34/32

cheers

Matt Gaunt

I still think it's a shame they have dropped Ultegra triple. I run Ultegra triple (6600) on two bikes as I often climb some pretty steep stuff and don't fancy walking. I like the closer range of the 12-27 and 12-25 cassettes (as compared to the 11-28 or 11-32) and with a 52-39-30 up front, I can still get up those hills. We are talking in excess of 20% at times, so even a 34 up front and 27 at the back would require a significantly stronger rider than me to haul it up those slopes.

If you're not tackling anything super steep though, then I agree that a compact (or even a standard double with a wider range cassette) is probably the way forward and you don't need to worry about losing out on range.

loimpact

You don't need 52. 50/34 is plenty. I run 50/34 and 11-25 out back and have never needed any more. I can rip 40+mph on hard descents and climb w/ the best of them for most of what I do here. I could *possibly* (said lightly) see myself doing an 11-28 cassette if I keep this bike long enough to age significantly but otherwise, 11-25 is great. (I could jump to 11-32 but then I'd need a long cage RD and I don't think I'd ever use the 32 anyway).

Again, 52/36 is a trend.....it will fade. Most bikes that ship with 53/39 are ridiculous too. I don't know anybody other than racers that can handle that, especially with 11-25 out back.