Okay, so it’s not my gears as much as it is my “engine?” So far most of what I’m hearing is either change either the front or the rear or both OR train better. I really appreciate these points of view & will think it over while im training in these specific areas. I’m a huge fan of training & obviously didn’t have to change any gear when I ran. I just had to work on my engine. Thanks again!

Great advice, old’s’cool. Thanks a million.

Okay, Homebrew01. Great points that I am hearing loudly & clearly. Thank you

“Basic training. Do what you can do and a lot of it.” I think this will be my training mantra. I also really like the points you’ve made with vintage gearing and how speed was achieved. Thanks, 63rickert. Definitely a good perspective I think I’ve been needing.

ThermionicScott, thanks for showing me that it works! It’s greatly appreciated! I’m thinking of maybe modifying my training & maybe also modifying my gears. I’m going to start with the training & see where it takes me first. Thanks again!

It doesn't quite work out that way.
11T is the smallest a standard cassette goes. If you're in 13T and they're in 11T, that's a max of two gears away. Several cassettes start at 12T, which would put them only one gear away.
If you have about basic pedalling skills, a 53:13 will take you to 32+ mph. That's a decent speed. Even for a group ride, you need to be pretty good to keep that up even under good conditions.
If going faster is your goal - and you have the legs to do it, fitting another cassette with a smaller smallest sprocket will do that for you w/o replacing the chainrings. A 12T smallest will get you within 1 mph of "their" speed at a set cadence. An 11T will make your theoretical max higher than "theirs".
Going to a compact crankset is unlikely to change that. Most cassettes that start at 13T goes 13-1-4-15. The difference in gain ratio between running such a cassette from a 53 or 50 is really small. Even if you have one that goes from 13-15, replacing the cassette is a better option than replacing the crankset.
If your sweet spot is between gears, either train some more or look into "half-step gearing".
Sounds like you should get some pedals and shoes with a retention system, then work on pedalling technique rather than bicycle technology.

Thanks again, dabac! I’ve got a lot to ponder & a lot to learn, but with what you & the others have shared with me, I’m getting there! I’m thinking king that I will start with modifying my training first. I’ll juat have to see where that leads me before I make any adjustments.

Thanks again, Salamandrine. I really do appreciate the different perspective!

Thanks for all the advice Homebrew01! Now that I now what to focus on, I can save myself some money & put more time into some sweat equity!

Hi davester,

Let me clear up the confusion I've caused you & try to make my post sensible for you.


I talked about my speed when I've ridden in a group & when I've ridden alone. In my original post, I said, "...I realize I will never gain the leg strength I need to hit my top speed..." I have been a runner since I was 10. I have damaged the growth plates in both knees. I know my limitations & whether I am running, cycling, swimming or in the gym training a client or doing my own workouts, there is a limit that I have to recognize so I don't cause myself further injuries. I am actually rehabbing from one now. So, when I am in my top gear (my large front chainring is actually a 53t and my smallest rear is a 13t) & I am in a sprint, trying to beat MY best time, it is hard for me to be able to maintain that pace long enough to beat my previous best speeds, hence the term I called "wussyitis" as I am accusing myself of being a whiner although I actually do hit it again & again until I beat my time while ignoring the limitations I've mentioned. It is who I am. There is a long straightaway that I use for this & my times have been getting faster. The first time I recorded myself on both my cycloputer & on the Strava app, I was at 24mph & did that speed for 1/4 of a mile. I've beaten that speed by hitting 32.7mph & I want to extend the distance I can ride at that speed, even though "your current top gear is 29 mph, which would be very difficult if not impossible to sustain on the flats of Florida where you apparently live." This is for me. It is my goal. I'm not trying to be a pro, I'm not competing with anyone other than myself when I do this. It is simply a goal that I have as I beat my previous ones. That is what this post was made for. I wanted to know from experienced cyclists if this is possible & if my ideas are feasible.


For the rest of the trail that I ride on there are other long & flat straightaways & I have different goals for different segments of it. I also am trying to beat my overall time, whether I ride for 14, 20, or 26 miles. In the segments in which I am not trying to sprint, I shift to lower gears when the resistance I have is too great for me to maintain what I had thought of as my "pace" or my "stride." I now know that this is referred to as the "cadence." Also, when the resistance I am experiencing is too low & my cadence increases, I shift to a higher gear to keep that same cadence. "And that is all there is to it." I have mentioned this phenomenon in different replies in this post, but thank you for taking the time to explain this anyway.


I have also mentioned that when I am riding in a group it was pointed out to me by one of the other cyclists that while we were gabbing away at 20mph, I was in my top gear while that person said "I still have three or four gears" &, "we're at the same cadence." While talking about this with him & the others in the group as we kept our moderate pace, the difference in our gearing was mentioned. They also concurred with each other that sprinting in my top gear would be difficult to do for any real distance while for them it is easier because or their gearing. While I am my chief competitor, I will NOT be the slow guy. I don't care what that may imply about me.


So, WHEN I am at a sprint, I want to be able to maintain it for a longer period at a faster speed, for me & me alone. When I am riding in a group I want to be able to keep up with the cadence knowing that if we decide to sprint or at least speed up, that I will be able to do this without running out of energy as quickly because, I know myself well enough to know that bad knees & back & shortness of breath can be damned, I will push through it. I am willing to explore the idea of changing my equipment or my training in order to do this. This is how I am. No, I am not the fastest. No, I won't be. Yes, I am competitive. With myself, mostly, but with others as well. No apologies. And yes, I grasp the concept of when it is time to change my gears, even when I don't care to & would prefer to stand up & hammer it out because I can or because I know that I can't & am stubborn enough to defy my own limitations just to tell myself that I did it. If this makes no sense, I understand. If it seems careless or irresponsible or that it is an unhealthy approach, I understand. All that I can say is "All the way!" It's an Airborne thing...


Thank you for the chart. I am sure this will be a great learning tool for me and, like I can calculate Stroke Volume & the Alveolar Air Equation among other formulas, I am confident that I am am able to understand that concept as well. I hope that this paraphrased explanation makes more sense to you.


Ride safely

Phil_gretz,
Thank you. I’ve gotten a lot of really informative replies & it is greatly appreciated as I try to learn as much as I can before making any changes. I will absolutely be using a gear calculator now that I know there is such a thing, & thank you for pointing out that the ring I have been lookin at is a 10 speed. I would have hated to find that out later!

Okay, stupid question for my own clarification: when you say to stay out of the big ring & learn to spin, if I’m riding for 20 miles or so, do it all on the small ring?

Thanks again, Salamandrine
Im really liking this forum, its like having both technical & mechanical coaches to talk to while learning how to ride the way that I want to!