# Getting Older, Going Compact



## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

After much resistance, I finally decided to go compact. Hopefully I don't get laughed at by more manly cyclists, but it seems to make perfect sense. With a track background, my comfortable cadence is in the mid 90s, which according to Sheldon Brown gets you to 29 MPH in a 50x12. Granted that's not fast enough for a respectable crit, the only time I go that fast these days is downhill, so the math made a clear argument for compact. Even a reasonably fast club ride is in the 25 MPH range, which is two or three cogs from the lowest. Now for a challenge, I like long rides with ridiculous climbs, not risking my life with 50 other racers over a 1.5 mile circuit and 8 turns. 

So, just curious. Unless you race, why not go compact?

The new setup:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sTkByRheTiBOja-Vc2FDNqbz1i9vCVwYfPZFO_OymKc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/_hrLqMkdi4YY/TIQr3LK8eWI/AAAAAAAAC7s/62aDly7A4Og/s800/IMG_20100905_163713.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/sbiggs/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCLuSguWm1pONYQ&feat=embedwebsite">Drop Box</a></td></tr></table>

Back in the day:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VrHYZANUj2Vszw5wXfuvKqbz1i9vCVwYfPZFO_OymKc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/_hrLqMkdi4YY/TIQ0jJ09k9I/AAAAAAAAC78/ZX825GmMHPw/s400/IMG00018.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/sbiggs/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCLuSguWm1pONYQ&feat=embedwebsite">Drop Box</a></td></tr></table>


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## heythorp (Feb 17, 2005)

There is no reason, especially around here. Want to push a harder gear shift. 

For most climbs around here I am in 34/23 or 34/21. I could get this ratio out of a standard but its nice on bad days/recovery rides/rides with the girlfriend to have the easier gear. 

Unless you are earning a living by riding your bike, not having a compact around here seems silly. 

I actually prefer a 36 instead of the 34 but my argument above has stopped me from switching back. Just click to the next gear.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

I just LOVE my compact! It's been wonderful, and my knees are very happy. I also pedal a high cadence, 115 or so on the flats. 90+ when climbing. So the gearing with a compact makes a great deal of sense.

Why not to? Well, if you don't have hills nearby, or you are very strong, or race crits, or are still young, those may be some good reasons. That said, even the pros use a compact when the terrain calls for it. There were 2 stages in the Giro 'd Italia where many selected a compact with a 27 or 29 in back!


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## vontress (Jul 19, 2009)

Love my compact!


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

Only con IME with a compact is that I cross-chain while climbing. Can end up in 34/14 when sprinting at a crest. Derailleur rubbing isn't an issue, though, and I do prefer the ratios.


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## ShaneW (Sep 6, 2008)

Compact makes perfect sense to me....we dont live in Oklahoma or Florida where there is nothing but flat roads for 100's of miles.....these damn hilly things make life tougher even for the best climbers and from what I have seen, they use compacts out here too!


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

Still riding a triple, but at this point, only because I can't justify the upgrade. That upgrade would be to a compact just because I, like you, love ridiculous climbs


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## orangeclymer (Aug 18, 2009)

compact rocks the house and will serve the purpose unless the grade gets very xtreme, i e 24% or more and still has enough speed on flats/downhills.


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## Cliff O (Feb 10, 2004)

I have been running Campy 10 with a road double and a 13-29 cassette for the past 10 years. I am now in my mid-50's and it's enough gearing to get me up whatever I need to climb. If I were buying a new bike today I'd probably spec it with Campy 11 with a compact double and a 12-29 cassette. But I'm not buying a new bike today, nor do I feel a burning need to buy a new crankset.


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## eyezlee (Nov 28, 2009)

ShaneW said:


> Compact makes perfect sense to me....we dont live in Oklahoma or Florida where there is nothing but flat roads for 100's of miles.....these damn hilly things make life tougher even for the best climbers and from what I have seen, they use compacts out here too!


Love the stereotype, its not the mountains but NE OK is fairly hilly and I ride a compact and love it, yeah I'm in the 50 most of the day. My riding partner rides a standard and is in the 39 most of the day. I spin the pedals between 85-90 and he stomps/pounds at 70-80. We both get there and have fun doing it.


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## ShaneW (Sep 6, 2008)

eyezlee said:


> Love the stereotype, its not the mountains but NE OK is fairly hilly and I ride a compact and love it, yeah I'm in the 50 most of the day. My riding partner rides a standard and is in the 39 most of the day. I spin the pedals between 85-90 and he stomps/pounds at 70-80. We both get there and have fun doing it.


Wasnt bashing OK......I have been there for work a few times and I couldnt see anything taller than a tree the entire visit. Perhaps I was making assumptions I shouldnt have.


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## cyclingthroughlife (Aug 2, 2008)

I love my compact! I went from a 42/52 chainring 7 speed cassette to a compact and 12-25 and loved it. I felt like there wasn't any hill I couldn't climb. I do a Thursday morning fast ride with the local racers here and find that the 50-12 combination is not enough (we were approaching 34-35 mph and that is before people start sprinting), and so I switched to a 11-23 cassette. In hindsight, I should have gone with the 11-25 combination as I like having the 25 as my "get out of trouble" gear. I would never have thought that I would spin out on the 50-12, but I was surprised to see that I am on the combination more often than I would have thought.

Like one poster here said - I do run into the problem of cross chaining when on the 34 and I am accelerating towards the crest.


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

I am glad I have compact after 100mi/10K.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Compact front ring is ideal for most riders in the bay area, young or old. 

It certainly eliminates the need for the dreaded triple chainring.


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## parity (Feb 28, 2006)

EBrider said:


> So, just curious. Unless you race, why not go compact?


As a woman once told me when I explained to her my choice in gearing. Those are girl's gears.


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

It is better to be a girl with knees than a man without them.


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## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

Rode Diablo on Sunday from the Southgate side. It was nice to still have half the cassette to use for gearing on the way up, although nothing was as easy as I hoped on the 20% section up top. The small ring of course is now pretty useless for anything but climbing, so I will need to find a comfortable ratio for a slowish flat pace like on a bike path. For most flats though, the big ring is fine and at least a few down so the chain isn't all the way crossed.


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

I wish I had a compact. I'm sure in my lowest gear a lot more than my highest. Short and steep climbs around here hurt on the 39/25.


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