oldfart

I recently acquired a road bike with a 53/39 chainring, 12-25 cassette combination (Ultegra). I can't handle the hills, and want to make life easier. It looks like I can get a "compact crank set" which gives me something like 50/34. It would be the easiest solution (I wouldn't need to change the bottom bracket, spindle, or front derailleur it seems). I'm pretty sure if I wanted to go triple, I'd need to change a lot of things around. If I changed the cassette, would I need a different rear derailleur?

any comments?

sydney

If you have an octalink BB, it's possible to change to a compact crank and have to change nothing else.Large cog spec for the 9 speed ultegra RD is 27 teeth, but it almost always handles a 30, and sometimes a 32.

PinkFloyd

Where do you live that has such killer hills?? Are you riding alone, with a buddy or trying to keep up with a group? How often are you riding and for what distance?

If you just started into this, give yourself plenty of time to "build your legs" before you start thinking about changing gear. Are there any routes you can take that are a bit less vertical until you get in shape for the steeper stuff?

When I first got into this last summer, it was short rides with another 40-something in similar condition. The longer, faster-paced (for me, anyway) club rides that I do now would've been very frustrating for me then. I simply wouldn't have been able to keep up. I still can't hang with those "A" riders, but I'm sticking with it and trying to improve just a little each month.

How's your stand-up technique? I had some problems doing steeper hills on the road bike (even with a 12-27 cassette) until one of the other big guys in our club gave me some stand-up pointers which helped me make it up the steeper hills. Made a huge difference.

Tequila Joe

Yup, and you might need to get a longer chain depending on how big of a cassette you go.

T.J.

blandin

You may have to change to a compact front deraileur although many have had success without doing so. When I put a compact crank on my KHS Flite 2000 I also put the IRD compact FD on just to make sure and it works great.

Steelrider

See you didn't mention if the bike you acquired was used or what its current setup is. If it is an 8spd, you may have to change to a narrower 9spd chain depending on the compatibility of the cranks that you end up getting - I'm sure Syd can weigh in on this. Octalink seems to be harder to find now, with most of the compact makers either going Isis or outboard bearing, but the Ritchey WCS is still out there, Octalink, and pretty reasonable. As for the fd, you're likely to be able to just move it down if clamp and adjust down if braze on and it should be fine.

jgeezer

For some more money you can go to a road triple. I did on a Cannondale SR400. The equipment was Shimano 105 components. It took swapping out the front and rear derailleur but it does the job.