Ware

Technically, I haven't purchased this, but it's on reserve. Should be in next Tuesday




Getting rid of my 50/34.

My rationale for spending another ~200 dollars on my bike:

- I feel like I'm always in the wrong chainring on the compact.
- I have to go +/- 2 cogs to keep the same cadence when I shift between rings.
- I feel out of sync with everyone else on group rides.
- I'll get a bit more top end, which I shall truly enjoy, where I live.
- I don't need the 34/25 here.

midgetmaestro 

x 2

Dura Ace 7400 Groupset (never used. w00t)

acaurora

- I feel like I'm always in the wrong chainring on the compact.
- I have to go +/- 2 cogs to keep the same cadence when I shift between rings. You're going to have to do that with the full size double as well... at least, if you want to maintain a consistent level of power.
- I feel out of sync with everyone else on group rides. Care to elaborate? Personally I don't think you should be worrying about that
- I'll get a bit more top end, which I shall truly enjoy, where I live. That's definitely something that I have noticed too, switching from a compact
- I don't need the 34/25 here. When you hit the big hills, believe me, you wish you kept it

mzeffex 

for what?

Ware

Hey, thanks for the response. As for the group ride thing, I should have listed my points by level of importance, as this one is the most minor. However, since I mentioned it, I will display by excellent reasoning. Theoretically, i should be able to get a similar cadence for a given speed as anyone (most people around here) using a standard double, except when we get up around 30 mph; so, that must not be it. I think the problem largely stems from shifting up front more often than others, and when no-one else is doing so.
For instance, on last Sundays ride, when a much more experienced friend noticed my compact, she mentioned a number of things. One of them was that she had only popped onto the big ring maybe once up until that point in the ride. By that time, I had switched back and forth 4 or 5 times (we were mayyybe 25 mi. into the ride). Sure, that only comes out to once every 5 miles or so.. but it happens at inopportune times. To illustrate, this past Tues. night we were running laps at a park in prep. for a crit coming up this sun, I on my compact, others on standards. There is one short, yet fairly steep climb on the course, and with my gearing, i need to drop to the 34 just as the hill goes from gradual to steep, while everyone else stays in their 39. I lost a second or two every time that happened.

As for needing the compact on big hills: We don't have big hills here. If it's long, it's not steep. If it's steep, it's not long. Also, I can throw on a cassette with a 28t bailout (largest tooth on my current cassette is 25t), and get some of that leverage back.

Also, shouldn't I just have to drop/add 1 cog when i shift upfront with a standard? Seems like the 2 toothe reduction in difference between rings equate to approximately 1 cog? If not, then damn.

You said you noticed increased top end when you switched from a compact.. so you now have a double. Do you regret the change?

acaurora

To address your first question as to how "far" you need to shift for maintaining constant power, at least, for me, I still go shift twice in the back before shifting in the front. It is all "feeling", definitely, and because of this it may be different for you.

With a compact vs a full double, to me, I've found that a full double makes climbing the steep hills (which I tend to go on) harder in that, obviously, your cadence drops, and therefore makes it difficult to be at a comfortable cadence going uphill with a normal 11-28 cassette (I have not gotten around to getting a different cassette, and would rather not actually). At first, I was seriously considering changing cassettes or swapping the standard double for a compact when I first got my Tarmac. However as I kept going on the rides, I got accustomed to the lower cadence, and now I do not particularly mind it. I have gone on many rides with steep grades, and only a few times has the grade become so high that my cadence becomes very low, but at that point I just start climbing out of the saddle, and that generally works. There are times though that I yell at myself "why didn't you stick with a compact?!", though they are very rare. There is a place known as Mt. Diablo in the bay area that has a real killer grade (although extremely short) right before the summit, and I was able to get up it in my double without any issue. Climbing all 4000 ft on Diablo isn't that hard, it's just the last part that requires you to climb out of the saddle, regardless of if you have a compact or a full double.

However, the important factor here is endurance though. With the full double I have to put a lot more effort to climb due to the full double's size, and thus it uses more energy. I know that if I cloned myself, and pitted myself on my full double versus my clone on the same exact bike but with a compact on a steep grade, my clone with the compact would probably have more energy after climbing it than I would. I have yet to go on a ride, though, where this difference in energy is noticeable enough to make me switch cassettes/to a compact, though.

The higher top end definitely does help, but that is primarily for me whenever I am descending or riding with a tailwind. Helps with acceleration too.

I hope this helps, although now that I am reading what I wrote, it is kind of confusing actually...

Ware

Not confusing at all, actually. Thanks for your input. With you in DC, and I and NE, though, our terrains are quite different.

After utilizing the search function a bit, I've got a bit of thinking to do before next Tuesday. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... (cont.)

acaurora

DC? I live in California...

Ware

Whoops, that you do. Don't ask, I don't know.

At any rate... a similar statement could probably be made.

droobieinop

First, I realize that this is not the place for all this discussion, however I have recently purchased both a 52T FSA 110 bcd chainring, Dura Ace 7800 chain and an Ultegra 6700 11-23 cassette.

I live in northeast Florida and things here are basicly flat, I found the compact 50/34 was way too low for me when I tried micro adjusting my front and dropped onto the 34 by accident. To solve that issue I swaped out the 34 for a 40, which got me up Sugarloaf in Clermont with my 12-23. Now I'm getting strong enough to need more gear, but instead of investing in a crankset I've found a 52T ring (couldn't find a 53). I had a 12-21 Dura Ace straight block that I thought might help my future racing. After a really fast ride this week, where I found myself in my 52/12-13-14 most of the time, I decided to get the 11-23 instead. I'll just have to work around the missing gears.

For more on gearing and what gears you have, how fast you will go etc, visit https://sheldonbrown.com/gears/ and all will become clear.

My future shopping list has a new saddle, Ultegra SPD SL pedals and a set of American Classic Sprint 350's.

NickDavid

Trek TTX 9.5 (no pics yet)

zrossiter

icoblentz

midgetmaestro 

My dad was in love with the Trek 1000 that I own, so as a birthday present I rehab-ed it and then gave it to him. It came to me with scratched up sti's and a crap crankset, so for just a little bit of $ I picked up the d/a group and compact. I didn't start a thread about it because I forgot to take "before" pictures but it looks pretty sweet now.

Ware

Thanks. I've still got a bit of time, so I'll look into swapping chainrings. My cassette already has an 11 tooth cog, though. Alright, I think if I want more input, I should continue this in another thread.

^oZ

RippedUp

Roof + bike rack.

Tsuru

Some cages, mine are... fatigued.

Tsuru

I'll tell ya, one thing about Nashbar and being in Ohio.... we get our orders QUICK! love it.

midgetmaestro 

drool.

calamarichris

And when my Fed Refund finally hits my account tomorrow:



Bit-by-bit, she's coming together...

icoblentz

You bet, ordered Monday night with standard shipping and its arriving tomorrow.

jacobsdad

Going to try these new shoes>>>https://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...criptions=True.

Going from Sidi to Lake. They feel good on, but the real test will be the riding/pedaling feel.

bikeybikebike

POW! Just some consumables here. I would have passed on the pedals if i could find the plastic inserts that go in the middle if the older SPD-SL pedal bodies. I'm probably most excited for the crud fenders!

graphs

Just picked up the Sugoi Helium jacket. I've been needing something wind and waterproof for a while, this fits the bill perfectly.