compact cranksets? share your wisdom.
04-21-06, 09:17 AM
#26
Hardtail
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Az. & Ca.
Posts: 663
Bikes: Richey Everest, Supercomp, Richey custom handbuilt Road, and others.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by uga8589
Help me out. What is the advantage to using a compact crank? Sorry for the stupid comment
For the longest time the smallest cog available was a 13. But now-a-days hubs and frames that will accommodate an 11 are common. So it’s only reasonable that the big ring be reduced accordingly and still keep a completely adequate top gear ratio.
I trust that you all realized that my above post was completely tongue in cheek.
The big advantage of smaller crank gears is of course weight and or strength. The secondary advantage is potentially better shifting and a smaller Q.
The disadvantage is that there is a higher load on the chain and a potential for accelerated wearing of teeth. The better alloys and finishing processes that are making their way into cycling have for the most part offset this.
I predict that very soon we will see Maraging steel used in small cogs, chains and composite rings with steel teeth.
04-21-06, 10:10 AM
#27
Burnin' and Lootin'
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SoCA
Posts: 2,713
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by uga8589
Help me out. What is the advantage to using a compact crank? Sorry for the stupid comment
04-21-06, 10:38 AM
#28
Isaias
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 5,182
Bikes: Ridley X-Fire (carbon, white)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by tinybiker
the love of my life is my 48cm Bridgestone XO-1, which i'm currently in the process of giving a major overhaul. i'm interested in riding a compact crankset, but am having trouble deciding which one i should buy. obviously, the new Shimano R700 is a work of beauty, but it costs near $300. and with everything else i'll be upgrading on my bike, that's just outside my price range.
so: are there any thoughts out there for compact cranksets that are mid-level quality and are under $200? i'm not racing, but i do ride every day, with longer (maybe 50-80 mi) rides on weekends. the other caveat is that i'm a mere 5' tall and am hoping to find something with 165 crank arms. this is not the dealbreaker for me, though, since it seems to majorly limit my options.
any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks!
so: are there any thoughts out there for compact cranksets that are mid-level quality and are under $200? i'm not racing, but i do ride every day, with longer (maybe 50-80 mi) rides on weekends. the other caveat is that i'm a mere 5' tall and am hoping to find something with 165 crank arms. this is not the dealbreaker for me, though, since it seems to majorly limit my options.
any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks!
If you already have a Shimano BB (105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace) you may not need to purchase a new BB.
The R700 does come in 165mm for crank arm length.
Shimano Compact cranks get inner chainrings with tooth profiles that specifically address the greater shifting demands imposed by Compact's 16 tooth difference in chainring size. This special profile is designed to prevent the chain from falling off when shifting down to the inner ring. Combined with other Shimano advances in shifting technology, these rings enable the use of a standard front derailleur with compact cranks.
Compact specific chainrings mean that you don't need to worry about compact specific front derailleurs!
----
Features
- Hollowtech 2
- 50-34T Rings
- 110mm Bolt Pattern
- No Special Front Derailleur Needed
----
Specifications
Rear Speeds - 10
Chainring Combination - 50-34T
PCD - 110mm
Splined Crank - Yes
Crank Arm Length - 165/170/172.5/175mm
Chain - Supper Narrow HG for 10-speed
Bottom Bracket
--------------
Model No. - Included*
Chain Line - 43.5mm
Hollowteck Crank Arm - HOLLOWTECHII
Crank Arm Material/Finish - Aluminum/Anodized
Top Gear Material/Finish - Aluminum/Anodized
Low Gear Material/Finish - Aluminum/Anodized
Note : *Individual package (SM-FC6600) is available for after market.
Compact specific chainrings mean that you don't need to worry about compact specific front derailleurs!
----
Features
- Hollowtech 2
- 50-34T Rings
- 110mm Bolt Pattern
- No Special Front Derailleur Needed
----
Specifications
Rear Speeds - 10
Chainring Combination - 50-34T
PCD - 110mm
Splined Crank - Yes
Crank Arm Length - 165/170/172.5/175mm
Chain - Supper Narrow HG for 10-speed
Bottom Bracket
--------------
Model No. - Included*
Chain Line - 43.5mm
Hollowteck Crank Arm - HOLLOWTECHII
Crank Arm Material/Finish - Aluminum/Anodized
Top Gear Material/Finish - Aluminum/Anodized
Low Gear Material/Finish - Aluminum/Anodized
Note : *Individual package (SM-FC6600) is available for after market.
Last edited by NoRacer; 04-21-06 at 10:50 AM.
04-21-06, 02:12 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,900
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Before you pull out your credit card for FSA, check out Ritchey WCS compact cranks. Uses the Shimano octalink spline so you may not have to change bb. On net between 152 -159 plus shipping. Not carbon but look nice. Good luck.
04-21-06, 03:56 PM
#30
A little North of Hell
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,892
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 71 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
tiny
https://peterwhitecycles.com/carmina.asp
Stronglight Importer
https://74.8.32.132/nondealer/maim.phtml
click on stronglight in pull-down box
Stronglight Importer
https://74.8.32.132/nondealer/maim.phtml
click on stronglight in pull-down box
Last edited by Soil_Sampler; 04-21-06 at 04:13 PM.
05-04-06, 09:04 PM
#32
Burnin' and Lootin'
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SoCA
Posts: 2,713
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by coachmrpaul
I am looking at putting on a compact crankset as well. What is involved in the change over. Any special tools. Where can I find a "how to".
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=123238
what is your bike set up with now?
05-04-06, 11:18 PM
#33
In Transition
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: here and there
Posts: 382
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The FSA energy is the best bang-for-buck in a compact. With the right choice of BB it will come in lighter than cranks costing twice as much. Significanlty lighter than the gossamer but not available in a 165 to my knowledge.
05-05-06, 12:31 AM
#34
Tandem Vincitur
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern California
Posts: 3,317
Bikes: BMC Pro Machine SLC01, Specialized Globe, Burley Rock 'N Roll tandem, Calfee Dragonfly tandem.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
On my road bike I run a 39-53 crankset and a 11-20 straight-block in the back. Even so comming down Highway 9 from Skyline I find my self compleetly spun out some of the time. Their is no way I would ever loose that big ring. (LOL, for thoes of you that know that decent.)
05-05-06, 12:41 AM
#35
"Great One"
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Might as well be underwater because I make less drag than a torpedoE (no aero bars here though)
Posts: 4,463
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by ravenmore
I've actually been thinking of ditching my compact that came with the bike - too limited on the high end.
05-05-06, 02:21 AM
#36
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Ritterview
Originally Posted by WorldWind
On my road bike I run a 39-53 crankset and a 11-20 straight-block in the back. Even so comming down Highway 9 from Skyline I find my self compleetly spun out some of the time. Their is no way I would ever loose that big ring. (LOL, for thoes of you that know that decent.)
I break up Big Basin (Hwy9) into three sections. There's the top 1/3rd which is the steepest, but also has the tightest curves. There is a fast 1/2-mile straightaway at the bottom of this section between the big left-hand sweeper and the tight right-hander 270-degree turn. If you crank as fast and as hard as you can around the left-hand sweeper (lean body into corner to keep bike upright so you don't clip a pedal), you can exit at 42-45mph and use the whole straightaway to get up to about 52-53mph... even faster if you find a car to draft off, but most of them are Sunday drivers crawling along at 35mph.
The middle-1/3rd after the 270-degree right-hander is the straightest, but not as steep. You can pretty much ride the entire middle section in a tuck, 40-45mph, maybe 50mph if you sit on the top-tube and get low. The bottom 1/3rd is pretty much a warm-down ride.
Personally I think the best part of a compact-crank really is the smaller gears you can use. I've got a 38x24t low gear that's great up to a 7-8% grade. I'll put on a 13-26t cluster for a monster mountain ride around here that's got some 10-12% sections. Even with a 38x26t gear, in some sections, I'm still struggling at 40-rpms or so... getting off and carrying the bike might be more efficient...
05-07-06, 01:30 PM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 365
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
6 Posts
Originally Posted by bbattle
+1 FSA Gossamer
50-34 with 12-25 gives me more high gears than I can use and almost as much as a triple. Big ring for the flats; small ring for the climbs. No complaints. Actually little difference between 53-12 and 50-12(34.5mph vs. 32.6mph or 1.9mph); if you can spin either at 100 rpm, hats off to you.
On the low end, 39-25 vs. 34-25 is 1.6mph at 100rpm for 700 x 23 tires. [12.2 mph vs. 10.6mph]
It's about 1.5gears lower on the low end and a gear lower on the high end. Since I can't spin out the top gear except maybe on some descents where I'm just trying to stay alive, I don't miss anything. And since I'm an old newbie, the extra 1.5 gears on the low end is greatly appreciated.
The Shimano compact is a narrower 50-36; you can also get compact gearing in a 48-34 or 48-36. A straight block with these would give you very fine gearing changes.
Or if you spend your time always on the flats, get a 53-43 double with an 11-23 cassette.
50-34 with 12-25 gives me more high gears than I can use and almost as much as a triple. Big ring for the flats; small ring for the climbs. No complaints. Actually little difference between 53-12 and 50-12(34.5mph vs. 32.6mph or 1.9mph); if you can spin either at 100 rpm, hats off to you.
On the low end, 39-25 vs. 34-25 is 1.6mph at 100rpm for 700 x 23 tires. [12.2 mph vs. 10.6mph]
It's about 1.5gears lower on the low end and a gear lower on the high end. Since I can't spin out the top gear except maybe on some descents where I'm just trying to stay alive, I don't miss anything. And since I'm an old newbie, the extra 1.5 gears on the low end is greatly appreciated.
The Shimano compact is a narrower 50-36; you can also get compact gearing in a 48-34 or 48-36. A straight block with these would give you very fine gearing changes.
Or if you spend your time always on the flats, get a 53-43 double with an 11-23 cassette.
I had no need for a 53T ring, and went to the compact 50/34 double. After riding for a bit I noticed that I wanted to tweak things a bit to make my ride perfect for me. Swapped out to a 48/36. Went for the first ride today and absolutely love it. The 48T is perfect for flats and rolling hills, and the 36T is great for climbs or lazy rides. Even though it doesnt seem like a lot switching from a 50 to a 48, I def. noticed a difference. Makes things much more comfortable and riding more enjoyable.
05-07-06, 01:46 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lake Forest IL
Posts: 1,422
Bikes: Giant OCR 2, Flyte SRS 2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My bike came with a 53-39 with a 12-25 on the rear. I do not push big gears to well so I switched to a 50 on the front. a very easy swap on my FSA crankset. I also changed the rear to 12-27. Gives me more usable gears on the high end on the big ring. Not a full compact but much better for my riding style.
Kenal0
Kenal0
05-07-06, 08:34 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 1,173
Bikes: Felt F2C, Scott Spark 40, and Custom Fixie
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by superdex
Google is (y)our friend:
__________________
"Strong, light, cheap. Pick any two." — Keith Bontrager
"Strong, light, cheap. Pick any two." — Keith Bontrager
