lupo68288

Hi, another Question I have is what Crankset suits better for racing, mostly flat but sometimes hilly)?
I currently have the 50/34 but I'm looking for a new bike and my bike store configurated the aero bike with a 52/36 crankset.
What are the differences and what crankset would you recommend for me?

Thanks in advanced

GhostRider62

The difference is when you get dropped in the 50x11, you will blame it on not having 4% more gearing

Personally, I do not like 50/34 and if 52/36 is too much for flat racing, look elsewhere for a solution

Maelochs

No one knows your power output, riding style, or the exact terrain you are riding or plan to ride. No one who doesn't know those things can give good advice.

If you are extremely fit and strong, you would probably use higher gearing, but if not, .... the question might be this: When you are riding at race pace, how often are you in the top two or three gears, and how fast are you pedaling?

If you can pedal at 80-90 rpm and keep up with the other racers, and still have an extra gear or two to go fast on downhills or sprints , and are never spinning your highest gears faster than 100 or 110 rpm, you are probably fine. However, there are different kinds of races, which demand different strategies and styles .... some races you might have to cover ever break---that it, speed up to catch every group of riders which ride away from the peloton (the large group) while in other events you might need to be able to hold a very high pace steadily for a long time. The gearing you need for each depend on your training and your personal ability.

I would assume from your posts that you ride some but don't race a lot? In any case, if I were you I would ask the people you ride with, the people in your riding club, who know how fast you spin and how fast you ride. They would have more pertinent information.

Glad to have you here posting, and sorry I could not be more helpful.

lupo68288

In my Training I'm spinning like 80-90 rpm, Strava says that my power Output on a 89.01km long ride with 250m elevation gain and an avg speed of 29 km/h I'm pedaling 151 W (average). In training (on a full alu bike with 50/34) im often in mid to high gear (downhill highest gear). But in flat races (20m elevation gain) I'm on my highest three gears.

Maybe this inforation can help you a little bit to give me like a direction in which I should go

shelbyfv

52-36. As you noticed, race bikes don't normally come stock with 50-34.

Maelochs

I agree with @shelbyfv. Go with the higher gearing and you will grow into it ... you will still have gearing to go as you get stronger and faster.

lupo68288

Thanks for your answer. I checked in the configurator and I can only buy the bike with 50/34. But I have a 52 chainring at home. Is it possible to take the 50/34 and replace the 50 chainring with a 52 chainring so I have a 52/34?

Maelochs

If they are the same brand, should be simple. If they are the same BCD (bolt circle diameter?) then also simple. Before you take anything apart, measure from the center of one chain ring bolt to the center of the next. if the two rings have the same bolt spacing it is an easy swap.

Be warned the front derailleur probably has a listed maximum capacity of 16 teeth---16 teeth difference between big and small. I Think the derailleur should be fine .... but I would ask someone who actually knows.

wheelreason

53/39 with a 12-25 on the back.

wheelreason

Golf.

Iride01 

You really won't know until you know what gear ratios you use the most during the times you race someone. And then also know what you needed for that little bit of extra advantage getting to the line.

Racing? What kind of race? There are different types of bicycle racing and they take a slightly different strategy and considerations, then that too will make some difference as to what you should gear your bike for.

genejockey 

My experience with 50/34 is that I end up shifting the front a LOT more often than I do with either a 52/36 or 53/39.

GhostRider62

54-34 sounds like Shimano.

I know that on my old DA9000 crank, it was not cheap changing the chainrings.

Black wallnut 

Probably not, depends on BCD. 52-34 might also be too big a jump. Swap out the crankset for a 52-36 or 53-39. However if you are getting a 12 speed with a 10x y cassette your crankset options might be different.

Bottom line recommendation is 53-39 paired to a 12x28 cassette and learn to spin. Try not to feel embarrassed when you get dropped by a youth running 52x14 final gear.

jonathanf2

I'm curious if one is using a dedicated bike for flat crit racing, why not dump the FD and go with an aero chainring 1x setup? What's even the point of having a 2x setup if you're just going in circles around a business park?

t2p

yepper - over $100 for an Ultegra or DA big ring

and how many guys are spinning out on a 50-11 (or whatever) ... ??? ... especially in a fairly level area ... that’s around 120 gear inches - more than a 53-12

Broctoon

For amateur racing on variable terrain with some hills but nothing too steep, I think a mid-compact (52/36) is just right. Start with a 12-28 or whatever cassette you have. If you run out of legs on climbs, it's easy to replace the cassette with one that goes up to 32 or even 34 teeth. If you find you're never in the biggest cogs, change to an 11-25 or 12-25, and you'll get smaller steps on some shifts.

I like to be near the middle of my cassette most of the time, with occasional forays into the top and bottom ends. I find a mid-compact crank and 11-32 cassette (11 speed) let me achieve this. Most of my time on the bike, I'm using my big chain ring and one of the four or five cogs right in the middle. Full disclosure: I'm not a racer, though I have entered a few races.

Eric F 

Depends on the rider. When I was racing, I sprinted in a 53x11. I wasn't blessed with blazing leg speed, and my best weapon was to crush a big gear starting from 200-250M.

Eric F 

You're pretty much right on target. It really comes down to what you're going to need at the extremes. If you don't have a low enough gear for whatever climb you're facing, you're dropped and no longer able to compete. If you don't have a high enough gear for the sprint, or a really fast section of the course, you're dropped and no longer able to compete. Don't let your gear be the reason you aren't there for the finish.

tomato coupe

The difference between a 50/34 and a 52/36 is so small you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

cyclezen

not being snarky...
but if you knew what gears (gear inches or development) you used in which situations/terrain (bridging, sprinting, hard tempo, punching up & over rollers, longer climbs, etc) you might encounter in the type of 'racing' you envision (racing to me means a USCF/Cycling USA sanctioned event); You would know exactly what gear range you want/need ... The decision of which front rings depends on all that AND what the range of rear block of cogs are.
It's not magic, just knowing what you need now and where you need to build in the immediate and very near future.
Ride On
Yuri

genejockey 

Not my experience.

tomato coupe

Really? You can tell the difference between these set ups when you're riding?

genejockey 

Yes. That's why I said it.

tomato coupe

What difference is it that you notice?