# Switching from Compact 50/34 to 53/39, advice



## 9er (Oct 26, 2011)

I have a 50/34 currently on my bike with an 11/25 cassstte. 
I seem to handle the hills but run out of topend gears often. I have the chance to get a 53/39 crankset and wanted to know any pros/cons to switching. 
I assume aside from adjusting FD it's a straight switchout? 2012 Masi Evo.

Thanks


----------



## Amfoto1 (Feb 16, 2010)

You'll need a new chain too, since it will need to be a link or two or three longer. 

You also might end up changing out the cassette or some of it's individual cogs. Hard to say... that really depends on you and your preferences.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

What do you mean by "run out of topend gears often"? With a 50x11, at a reasonable 90 rpm cadence, you're going 32 mph. At 110 rpm, which a practiced road rider can easily do for a while, you're going 39 mph. How often do you find yourself going that fast and needing to pedal to go faster? Most of us can only hit speeds like that on a sizeable descent, and it's faster to stop pedaling and get in an aero tuck at that point.

Unless you're racing in the hills with very fast packs, you have plenty of top end gear. Work on your spin.


----------



## 9er (Oct 26, 2011)

Long mild decents on my go-to loops and rides. Just feel myself clicking for one more gear.


----------



## rider9 (May 27, 2011)

My road bike has the 53/39 and 12-25 cassette. I can climb any hill in my area and I am not a light or powerful rider. If you have lots of hills and they are steep, you may want to change out your cassette to a low and wide (11-28).

As to the switch - are the crank connections to the bottom bracket the same? If not, then you will have to change out the bb.

The FD may not be in the right place for a 53. Is your FD on a moveable bracket? If it is braised, you may have issues.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

9er said:


> Long mild decents on my go-to loops and rides. Just feel myself clicking for one more gear.


Fair enough. You may just be one of those riders who prefers a slower cadence. Just be aware of the math, and think about what you gain for the money in making this switch. A 53 compared to the 50 gives you a gear about 6% higher, so you'd be turning about 85 rpm rather than 90 at that 32 mph, or 103 rather than 110 at 39 mph. If that's worth it to you, go for it. 

The technical advice others have given is correct. FD has to be higher, and the chain may need to be longer, by one link or two (but maybe not, depending on how it's sized now). Obviously the crank and BB have to be compatible systems.


----------



## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*New chain maybe*



Amfoto1 said:


> You'll need a new chain too, since it will need to be a link or two or three longer.


4 teeth larger means one link set (one inch) more chain. Depending on how the chain was sized originally there might be no need for a longer chain.

I'm in the group that says if 50/11 is not a big enough gear then you should either turn pro immediately or learn how to spin. Spinning is one of the fundamental skills of bicycling.


----------



## Amfoto1 (Feb 16, 2010)

Good point about the BB... as long as it's same brand and not too old, probably won't need a change. But some changes might require a new cartridge. 

AFAIK, all braze-on front ders are adjustable too... usually have two mounting holes, one for compact cranks and the other for standard size.


----------



## noelb (Feb 1, 2009)

Love it. Went from compact with 12-27 cassette to 53/39 with 11-26 cassette. Of course I live on the prairie but we do have a steep river valley with some 4 percent 2 km plus climbs. Can't see myself ever going back to a compact unless I moved to Europe.


----------



## SvenSurly (Oct 13, 2012)

*New chain if you shortened up*

Most stock chains are a couple of links too long. If you shortened yours up, you,ll need a new chain. If you left it alone, it's possible you could get away without the switch.


----------



## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*A couple of links?*



SvenSurly said:


> Most stock chains are a couple of links too long. If you shortened yours up, you,ll need a new chain. If you left it alone, it's possible you could get away without the switch.


Actually if you installed a chain without taking some links out it would be hanging loose in almost every case. The only question on most installs is how many links to take out. It would be an EXTREMELY unusual situation if the OP had installed their chain without removing links.


----------



## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

9er said:


> I have a 50/34 currently on my bike with an 11/25 cassstte.
> I seem to handle the hills but run out of topend gears often. I have the chance to get a 53/39 crankset and wanted to know any pros/cons to switching.
> I assume aside from adjusting FD it's a straight switchout? 2012 Masi Evo.
> 
> Thanks


Easy maths: 1 tooth in the back =3 teeth in the front. IOW your 50/11 feels a lot like a 53/12 combo. 

There's also a cheaper way to switch gears out. Its called different chainrings. Go to something like a 36/52 set on the cranks you have now to start with. See if that does what you're looking for.

Having said that, I don't have a problem keeping up with the truly fast guys on my 50/12 combo but I spin pretty quickly. 

Oh, and if you're only spinning out on the downhill, remember that you'll only go appx 10% faster. You're NOT going to win a race on the downhill... Use that time to recover somewhat and get ready to hammer on the flats or the next hill.

M


----------



## Arctic98z (Oct 22, 2011)

If there is anything I have learned in my short career as a cycling enthusiast, it's that every rider is different, and you really can't judge opinion's on set-ups as there are so many different combinations and riding styles. That being said I switched from a compact to a mid-compact 52/36 combo and I love it. I guess I must ride a little different than most as I like a slightly slower cadence on flats and downhills and I like to spin uphill. I live in an area with some decent climbs and I think I know what the OP means about long gradual descents. I have a 52/36 with an 12/28 cassette and I find myself wishing I had an 11t cog. I too always seem to want to shift one more going down hill. I like the slower 'mashing' cadence and yes I know at some point its more beneficial to just stop pedaling, tuck in, and take what gravity gives you. I often get passed, or guys that I passed on the climb catch up on the downhill. It's just not comfortable for me to pedal at a 110-120 cadence when trying to do 35-40+mph downhill.

My response in short, if you are curious, try it. If you have the opportunity to get a new crank and its not putting you out financially, try it. If you don't like it, switch back. Another option would be to keep your compact crankset and look into 52/36 110bcd chainrings. Might save a little coin and can be swapped out fairly easily


----------



## Erion929 (Jun 10, 2010)

noelb said:


> Love it. Went from compact with 12-27 cassette to 53/39 with 11-26 cassette. Of course I live on the prairie but we do have *a steep river valley with some 4 percent 2 km plus climbs*. Can't see myself ever going back to a compact unless I moved to Europe.



2km @4% ? You hardly have to move to Europe to get more than that 

**


----------



## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

Check that your rear dérailleur have the capacity to accommodate the longer chain. But I think you should be fine with a 11-25 cassette.


----------



## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Erion929 said:


> 2km @4% ? You hardly have to move to Europe to get more than that
> 
> **


Yep. Just this weekend I did 6.5 miles of 6%, 7.5 miIes of 5%, and 2 miles of 15% . all in the good ol' USA. And there's plenty more where that came from.


----------

