# 52x17 on flat road



## philoanna (Dec 2, 2007)

I am putting a 52t chainring on my Casseroll. I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. That means little to no climbing. I am doing it to build some strength and get some good fitness. Is that gear huge (83 gear inches)? I can't wait. I am actually over winter, even though I have a Mukluk. Thanks.


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## PSC (Mar 10, 2004)

At 90 rpm's you'll be doing about 21 mph or so. When I select a gear, I figure out what speed and rpm I want to maintain and go from there. I ride a 42/17 and at 17.5-19.5 mph, I am doing 90-100 rpm, which is ideal for me. Eastern shore can have some pretty strong winds which is something to keep in mind.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

That is a fairly large gear. I would probably start with a 70 inch gear and move up slowly as my knees and legs get used to it. Trying to mash a large gear hoping for strength may actually be stressful. There are better ways to gain strength.
john


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## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

Pretty high gearing, what are you riding on now? How that is working for you will be your best guide *but* it's not about the numbers, it's more about how you are feeling.


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## serious (May 2, 2006)

I ride 48:16 (equivalent of 51:17) with all kinds of climbing, so your gear seems very reasonable for flats. It is 80.5 inches, btw.


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## ezekiel_lux (Feb 3, 2013)

It shouldn't be too bad. I ride 48x15 and hit hills all the time. I say it's doable. Get those beastly legs!


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## philoanna (Dec 2, 2007)

I have the 52x17 set up now. It's not too bad. May go to 52x16 in a couple of months. Again, it's pretty flat where I live and ride this bike. The headwinds make things interesting, however. 
Thanks for the comments.


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## 2:01 (May 10, 2010)

Yeah, the wind is the killer. I live in the rockies so I'm geared 48x18. Thought I could go up 48x16 last year and did a couple of rides. Felt (over) confident, so did a longer 60 mile ride. The ride almost did me in, as I was fighting a pretty severe headwind. In hindsight, I should have just gotten off and walked! A mile of that and I was sidelined for a few, trying to get some feeling back in my legs.

I've gone back to the old gearing, however, what has worked for me is shorter cranks. I went from 172.5 to 170's. I found that I didn't lose much leverage, but gained some extra upper RPM range. I've also got 165's, which I might end up going to. It's incredible how a few mm can help spin that much faster.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

I think that will be fine - even if you've been off the bike a while. As others have said, keep an eye on your cadence:speed ratio. After a while, you may decide to swap that 17 for a 16, or even 15.

Atlanta's very hilly. And, I found that while the 52:18 was good for much of the route, I was struggling to keep pace with the group (rides a few times/week) the descents. I swapped the 18 for a 16, and love it. Hills are tough, but not as bad as I anticipated. I spin out in the low 30s... just about when everyone else stops pedaling and assumes the tuck.


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## philoanna (Dec 2, 2007)

I have the 52:17 working now. It's not bad at all. A good stiff headwind reminds me that I can't shift down, but all in all I love the feel of being a good piece away from home and I only have that one biggish gear to get me there. I think I'm going to get a 16 in a month or so to make for some summer fun. I have this on a Salsa Casseroll. I also have a Salsa Vaya that has been seeing little action cause I am stoked on the SS.


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