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What is the gearing on your bike?

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What is the gearing on your bike?

Old 10-06-14, 08:16 PM
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scarleton
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What is the gearing on your bike?

So, there are lots and lots of gearing options on a given bike. As a Clydesdale, did you put thought into the gearing of your bike? If so, why and what is the gearing?

I have a Surly Pacer with Ultegra 6800. When I had it built 1000 miles ago I opted for the lowest crankset (50/34T) with the largest range cassette (11-32). At the time, being around 300lb I thought I would need the lower gear to climb hills. What I am quickly discovered is that it is geared too low, so I am considering either changing the cassette to a 11-28 (the cheaper options) or changing the crankset to highest gearing, 53/39T.

In both cases the low end would be the same. So the question is do I want a smoother transition in the middle with the 11-28 cassette or a higher top end with the higher geared crankset.
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Old 10-06-14, 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by scarleton
So, there are lots and lots of gearing options on a given bike. As a Clydesdale, did you put thought into the gearing of your bike? If so, why and what is the gearing?
50-39-30 x 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-26

One tooth jumps feel great through the 19 cog riding flatter terrain and are worth jumping through hoops (triple cranks, bigger first position sprocket, more cogs in back) to avoid changing cogs or wheels before rides. Keeping the big cog and starting with a 12 I'd loose the 18; 11 would drop the 16 which definitely wouldn't do. I tried a 14-23 10 cog straight block for a while - the 20 between 19 and 21 was slightly noticeable, 22 not, and the extra cogs were a hassle to skip over changing rings.

50x13 is a 45 MPH sprinting gear which is more than plenty for me. It's a comfortable down-hill or strong tail wind 30 MPH cruising gear; if I was in a situation where my power was enough to cruise faster it'd be steeper down-hill where I can go about as fast tucking. Eddy Merckx dominated the spring classics (like riding 130km off the front to a stage win and finishing the Tour de France with yellow, green, and polka dot jerseys) with a 52x13 big gear and none of us have Eddy's legs.

There's a lot to be said for learning to pedal faster


The 50 means one less cog to shift going up to the big ring so it's one shifter wiggle not two - following 39x14 the next gear is 50x17 not 53x18. The chain line is a little better and quieter moving to the big ring because I'm riding one cog closer to the dropout than with a 53 ring, like 50x18 instead of 50x19.

At 145 pounds I could get over anything in the Colorado Rockies with 42x28 or 30x21 and enjoy most of it. 30x26 comes close enough to allowing the same cadence at the same power but slower climbing speeds that go with 200 pounds. With more weight I'd run a small ring with fewer teeth to keep the one tooth jumps through the 19 cog. Having shrunk substantially this year I considered 12-23 to defer shifting to the big ring, although 13-26 has a better chain line after shifting up to it and if I need a burst of speed I can hit 30 MPH in 39x14.

I rode 50-34 for too long; there was way too much front ring shifting with the limited speed on the 34 ring which has cogs acting like ones two teeth bigger on a 39 ring and isn't silent on the small cog as with the middle ring on a triple so shifting to the big ring must happen three gears sooner on a compact than a road triple with the same cassette.

Before that I built my bike with a triple because given 50-40-30 x 13-21 8 speed without changing cogs I had a 13-19 straight block for plains rides east of Boulder, CO and low like 42x28 for mountain rides west.

Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 10-07-14 at 09:11 AM.
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Old 10-06-14, 08:56 PM
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I've just recently start paying attention to it. My chainrings are 50/34. I just swapped out my cassette from a 12-30 to 11-28. Interested to see what difference it makes in the next ride.
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Old 10-06-14, 08:58 PM
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I have different gearing on different bikes. On the bike I ride most, I have a 50/39/30 triple with a 12/25 cassette. I like the triple not for the range (I could easily get a similar range with a compact double and a big cassette) but because it allows me a low enough gear for climbing while retaining nice close ratios at the back. Most of the time I am spinning in the middle ring of the triple and going up and down the cassette, I shift at the front much less frequently than I would with a compact double.

On the bike I used to race I have a standard double, again with a 12/25 cassette. For non racing use I sometimes swap that out for a 50/36 compact. I like the 50/36 much better than the usual 50/34.

I'm surprised you think you need a higher top end. On 50-11 at 100rpm you're going more than 36 mph and won't spin out until you're over 40mph. Short of a full-on sprint or fast downhill in a racing scenario, most people would be happy with that.
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Old 10-06-14, 09:07 PM
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Originally Posted by chasm54
I'm surprised you think you need a higher top end. On 50-11 at 100rpm you're going more than 36 mph and won't spin out until you're over 40mph. Short of a full-on sprint or fast downhill in a racing scenario, most people would be happy with that.
Need? I would not say I NEED higher top end. I have lots of power but a low cadence, so a higher top end would be nice. I am finding it interesting the responses, it is reinforcing a thought I had that I should work on increasing my cadence.
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Old 10-06-14, 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by scarleton
Need? I would not say I NEED higher top end. I have lots of power but a low cadence, so a higher top end would be nice. I am finding it interesting the responses, it is reinforcing a thought I had that I should work on increasing my cadence.
Good idea. On the middle (39) ring of my triple, in the 12 sprocket I'm doing 24 mph when spinning at a very comfortable 90 rpm. Hence the need for much less shifting at the front. Higher cadences spare the legs.
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Old 10-06-14, 09:33 PM
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My bike which I will pick up next Saturday is a 50/34 front, 11-32 rear 9 speeds.

This link here is fun to play with to see what the options look like. Changing the small chainring is really the cheapest simplest option really. There are some decent options for the 110 BCD.

https://www.gear-calculator.com/#KB=3...5&UF=2099&SL=2

I'm going to ride the heck out of it before I change anything though, a strong headwind might have me appreciating the low gearing sometimes.
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Old 10-06-14, 09:54 PM
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On my road bike most of the time I have 50/34 compact and an 11-28 10 sp. cassette. Sometimes I run a wheel with a 12-30 cassettte. I've tried to spin out my 50-11 and can only do so on steep descents when the legs are fresh. If it were not for the climbing I do i would upgrade to a mid compact for the larger small ring however for long sustained grades in excess of 7% it is noce to have all the gear inches I have. At speeds below 20 mph I can comfortably stay in the small ring. At speeds over 18 mph I can move to the big ring. The deciding factor is how fast I really want to go. If I wish to keep it under 20 I'll stay small.
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Old 10-06-14, 10:35 PM
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I gear for the worst possible hill I'd face and how much/long I want to suffer on it. Normally 50/36 with 11-23 rear. If I'm doing a long climbing day or more social paced climbs I may install the 12-27 cassette.
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Old 10-06-14, 10:39 PM
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Horses for courses. You will only get a truly relevant answer from someone who is at the same ability level as you and rides the same terrain.

For me personally, I ride 53/39 and 11-28. My chain and cassette are worn and the 28 will go in favour of a 11-25. I would love an 11-23, but I used the 25 often enough to need it rather than just musce out on the 23. BUT I race and I like to sprint and so I favour the higher gears for the faster speeds. Just this past weekend I maxed out 53/11 at 160rpm(83km/h)! while in a nice decent as part of a paceline. I have a friend who also races and rides compact 50/34 and 12-28. He can hold on for everything bar a downhill sprint finish, where he finds he spins out. For me, in a finishing race sprint, I am typically in 53/13 or 53/12.

If you don't regularly do those kinds of speeds of find yourself in those kinds of situations, I personally would favour gearing that is more useful for your typical riding and just learn to spin when you're going fast. Typically that is when you're on a downhill which makes it easier to spin rather than when you're under load.

If I didn't race, I think I'd stick with 23-11 and a compact on the front. I prefer the closer spaced gearing and a 34/23 would be enough for the terrain I typically ride in. The gaps between gears on the 11-28 are occasionally annoying for me.
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Old 10-06-14, 10:46 PM
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Originally Posted by brawlo
If I didn't race, I think I'd stick with 23-11 and a compact on the front. I prefer the closer spaced gearing and a 34/23 would be enough for the terrain I typically ride in. The gaps between gears on the 11-28 are occasionally annoying for me.
exactly why i love the 11-23 and even more so in group rides. the gearing holes are too much at speed.
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Old 10-07-14, 01:02 AM
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My current favorite setup is a 50/34 compact crank and 11-28 cassette. It'll get me through rides with 6000+ feet of elevation gain and my knees won't be aching the next day. I have the leg strength to use a 53/39, but my knees won't be happy the next day if there's more than a few thousand feet of climbing to do.
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Old 10-07-14, 01:29 AM
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On my toy I have 52-39-30 at the front with a 105 FD and SRAM X9 shifter. On the back I have an 11-32 9 speed Shimano cassette and an X9 RD and shifter. I love the combo. I have the strength and cardio to keep in the 52 mostly unless I hit a climb or am riding under a tour load. I like keeping my cadence at 80-90ish and dislike spinning over 100 so the big rings really fit. I had a 48-38-26 for a long time and it was ok, but I always felt I wanted more top end.



That was with the Deore triple (48t) which later got switched out to 52t. Do I NEED that 52t? No. I can easily maintain speed at a faster cadence but, sometimes I like to be lazy and let my muscles do the work at a slower cadence and if I want to spin a bit faster I can easily just drop a few gears down in the back. The 26-32 combo was crazy sub walking speed low and I'd end up lifting the front wheel more often than not so the 30t is actually better.
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Old 10-07-14, 01:50 AM
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I find the direction people want to go surprising.

I have really low gearing. 22,32,44 11-32. I have considered swapping it for one or two up which would bring me to a lowest chain wheel of 24 or 26 respectively.

I hit a 27% grade the other day... Fortunately my pack was light. I found myself reaching for one gear lower then I had. but at about 2 1/2 mph it would have been difficult to stay up.

100 rpm puts me a bit over 30 mph...
One thing motorcycles taught me, Don't out run your eyes, or your brakes.

Never considered how much faith it must take to ride in a pace line until just now.
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Old 10-07-14, 04:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Black wallnut
On my road bike most of the time I have 50/34 compact and an 11-28 10 sp. cassette. Sometimes I run a wheel with a 12-30 cassettte. I've tried to spin out my 50-11 and can only do so on steep descents when the legs are fresh. If it were not for the climbing I do i would upgrade to a mid compact for the larger small ring however for long sustained grades in excess of 7% it is noce to have all the gear inches I have. At speeds below 20 mph I can comfortably stay in the small ring. At speeds over 18 mph I can move to the big ring. The deciding factor is how fast I really want to go. If I wish to keep it under 20 I'll stay small.
The smart solution is to use one divetrain combination for every ride and not have to think about what cassette change is best for each ride.

Triple divetrains are the most versatile. I use 50, 39 & 26 chainrings with a 12-27 ten speed cassette with a tighter 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27 cogset. The middle chainring does it all on flatter routes unless I'm enjoying a tailwind or I'm in a paceline. The large chainring is perfect for fast conditions, above 22 mph. The granny gear helps with steeper climbs, but is very rarely used.

The 50 & 34 compact double inevitably require the use of both chainrings in the 15 to 20 mph speed range. I'd rather just shift across the cassette while riding on flat routes and then use the big or small chainrings when the riding becomes very fast or when the route is very steep.

A 39 chainring with an 12-27 cassette has a faster speed range than a 34 chainring with any 11-2X cassette. The 34 chainring 11 cog combination provides 23.2 mph while the 39 chainring 12 cog provides 24.4 mph at the same cadence and tire diameter. Also, a triple with a 12-27 provides both a wider range and tighter cog spacing than a Compact with any available 10 speed road cassette if a 26t small chainring is installed.

I installed an Ultegra 50 -34 compact with an 11-32 (11,12,13,15,17,19,21,24,28,32) Sram road cassette with an Ultegra long arm rear derailleur more than 4 years ago, it was only useful on very hilly routes and a total pain on faster rides on flat roads. It didn't matter if I was mashing on the big chainring or spinning at 100 rpm on the 34 chaining, the gaps between the 13 and15 cogs and the 15 and 17 cogs are always apparent to me on flatter routes.

See: https://www.bikeforums.net/long-dista...r-no-hill.html

The popular Compact and 11-28 cassette combination is inferior to the 52, 39 & 30 triple with a 12-27 cassette. The triple provides both tighter cog spacing with a very usefull 12,13,14,15,16,17,19 block that can be used from 15 to 33 mph. Please click on the image below.








I also use triples on my vintage bikes. I'll use 48, 36 and 26 chainings with a 13-24 freewheel.

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Old 10-07-14, 04:31 AM
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.

48/32/22 and 11-32 (8S)

I live in a hilly area, and despite putting in 60-100 miles a week, every week for the last three and half years, I still need the full range. In fact, my replacement commuter I'm building up is going to be 46/32/22 and 11-32 or 11-34.

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Old 10-07-14, 04:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Barrettscv
The smart solution is to use one divetrain combination for every ride and not have to think about what cassette change is best for each ride.

Triple divetrains are the most versatile. I use 50, 39 & 26 chainrings with a 12-27 ten speed cassette with a tighter 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27 cogset. The middle chainring does it all on flatter routes unless I'm enjoying a tailwind or I'm in a paceline. The large chainring is perfect for fast conditions, above 22 mph. The granny gear helps with steeper climbs, but is very rarely used.

Compact doubles inevitably require the use of both chainrings in the 15 to 20 mph speed range. I'd rather just shift across the cassette while riding on flat routes and then use the big or small chainrings when the riding becomes very fast or when the route is very steep.

A 39 chainring with an 12-27 cassette has a faster speed range than a 34 chainring with any 11-2X cassette. The 34 chainring 11 cog combination provides 23.2 mph while the 39 chainring 12 cog provides 24.4 mph at the same cadence and tire diameter. Also, a triple with a 12-27 provides both a wider range and tighter cog spacing than a Compact with any available 10 speed road cassette if a 26t small chainring is installed.

I installed an Ultegra 50 -34 compact with an 11-32 (11,12,13,15,17,19,21,24,28,32) Sram road cassette with an Ultegra long arm rear derailleur more than 4 years ago, it was only useful on very hilly routes and a total pain on faster rides on flat roads. It didn't matter if I was mashing on the big chainring or spinning at 100 rpm on the 34 chaining, the gaps between the 13 and15 cogs and the 15 and 17 cogs are always apparent to me on flatter routes.

See: https://www.bikeforums.net/long-dista...r-no-hill.html

The popular Compact and 11-28 cassette combination is inferior to the 52, 39 & 30 triple with a 12-27 cassette. The triple provides both tighter cog spacing with a very usefull 12,13,14,15,16,17,19 block that can be used from 15 to 33 mph. Please click on the image below.






I also use triples on my vintage bikes. I'll use 48, 36 and 26 chainings with a 13-24 freewheel.
You may have talked me into replacing my compact with a shimano road triple on my road bike. My current compact has an isis BB and once that POS goes belly up (the ISIS BB that is), I'm tossing it into the junk pile of really bad ideas that got sold to cyclists. I haven't figured out what the replacement will be but a 50-39-30 crankset may be it.
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Old 10-07-14, 05:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Barrettscv
It didn't matter if I was mashing on the big chainring or spinning at 100 rpm on the 34 chaining, the gaps between the 13 and 15 cogs and the 15 and 17 cogs are always apparent to me on flatter routes.
The cassettes you listed in your post where all 10 speeds. Have you ever tried the 11-28 11 speed, it is 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,25,28. Thus it has the 14, but no 16.

P.S. I ride the 11 speed 11-32 so I do have both a 14 & 17 cog! Granted I am missing both 15 & 17 (11,12,13,14,16,18,20,22,25,28,32)
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Old 10-07-14, 05:37 AM
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I'm one to conserve energy on the down hill. I don't really have "hills", but slopes.
IF I'm going down hill, I'm in oxygen debt from just going up hill, or conserving for the up hill that's just ahead. I end up where I'm going sooner that way.
I have emphysema, so my highest gear is 36-12. I spin lower gears faster and my stamina is much better. If I try mashing, I'm gassed quickly.
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Old 10-07-14, 06:14 AM
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Originally Posted by scarleton
The cassettes you listed in your post where all 10 speeds. Have you ever tried the 11-28 11 speed, it is 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,25,28. Thus it has the 14, but no 16.

P.S. I ride the 11 speed 11-32 so I do have both a 14 & 17 cog! Granted I am missing both 15 & 17 (11,12,13,14,16,18,20,22,25,28,32)
Actually, I'm interested in trying the 11-28 eleven speed with a 46 & 36 Cyclocross double. That would be a versatile set-up.
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Old 10-07-14, 06:33 AM
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34-50 compact up front

11-32 8 speed cassette

26X1.1 tires

I only use the small ring off the line or when there is a significant incline.

I quite enjoy the shift from 34-50, makes for quick acceleration.

I'm not sure why its so difficult for some people to use the FD?
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Old 10-07-14, 06:33 AM
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I don't know how you all do it. I have a hybrid 26-36-48 on the front and 11-34 9-speed. I use the 36/34 combo all the time. I rarely use the 48t chain ring. If I'm heading downhill, I don't care to be doing 40 mph at all. 35 is the fastest I'm comfortable with and even that is pushing it. I can get 28 mph, maybe more, in the 36/11 combo, but by that speed, I'm just happy coasting. By the time I'm getting to that speed, I'm just about at the bottom and heading back uphill anyways so there's not much need for anything more.
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Old 10-07-14, 06:42 AM
  #23  
krobinson103
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I can't stand a 44. Even with 11 at the back it feels slllooooowwwww. A 48 is ok, but I always wear out the bottom three sprockets fast. Its a good mid range and I hardly ever shift from it, also I found the high wasn't high enough and low was too low. I tried a 53-39, hated it. Not enough to climb steep hills with. 50-34 is ok, but I never found a good 'sweet' spot. Always changing and hunting. I'm happiest with my 53-39-30. The high goes faster than I ever want to, the mid range is very useful, and the low is plenty low.

In terms of cassettes I like the Shimano 11-32/34 mega range in 9 speed. 8 speed has too many gaps, 10-11 is out of my budget. 9 gives a nice range with decent gaps at a nice price. Also 9 speed chains are easy to come by, and aren't expensive. Honestly I don't see the need to go over 9 speed.

Last edited by krobinson103; 10-07-14 at 06:48 AM.
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Old 10-07-14, 07:25 AM
  #24  
scarleton
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Originally Posted by krobinson103
In terms of cassettes I like the Shimano 11-32/34 mega range in 9 speed. 8 speed has too many gaps, 10-11 is out of my budget. 9 gives a nice range with decent gaps at a nice price. Also 9 speed chains are easy to come by, and aren't expensive.
I totally hear you when it come to budget. Thanks to a loving wife and a bike shop that like building budget custom bikes, I got the Di2 system I wanted for the budget I had.
Originally Posted by krobinson103
Honestly I don't see the need to go over 9 speed.
I thought 11 gears where going to be a bit much, too. I went with the Di2 system because I wanted butter smooth shifting (which I got!). What I have quickly come to discover is that I love having so many gears and wish I had more! It is like Barrettscv was saying about the gaps in the gearing. I am thinking I will go from a 11-32 to 11-28 because there are too many gaps in the middle. Granted if I had a 3 chainrings, maybe a 9 speed 11-25 would be just fine.
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Old 10-07-14, 07:39 AM
  #25  
krobinson103
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Originally Posted by scarleton
I totally hear you when it come to budget. Thanks to a loving wife and a bike shop that like building budget custom bikes, I got the Di2 system I wanted for the budget I had. I thought 11 gears where going to be a bit much, too. I went with the Di2 system because I wanted butter smooth shifting (which I got!). What I have quickly come to discover is that I love having so many gears and wish I had more! It is like Barrettscv was saying about the gaps in the gearing. I am thinking I will go from a 11-32 to 11-28 because there are too many gaps in the middle. Granted if I had a 3 chainrings, maybe a 9 speed 11-25 would be just fine.
If I was riding in a paceline a lot maybe. I don't need to hold a certain cadence at a certain speed so 9 with 3 chain rings enough.
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