# what crank for Central Jersey area?



## notwist (Feb 26, 2009)

I usually ride in the Sourlands just north of princeton and Watchung area. I also do some group rides in Monmouth county during the summer-fall. Should I get a compact (50/34) or standard crank on my new bike?


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

My hubby grew up in Morris County, and he says compact. He's taken me on a few rides in that area, and I prefer the compact.


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## Bee-an-key (May 5, 2007)

Hard to answer. It is more about your strength than the crank. Do you ride alot or a little, how do you climb???? What do you have in the back, a 23, 23,29? There are some insanely short but steep 15-20% hills in Somerset/Hunderton/Morris Cnty. Usually not longer than a mile and usually another way to get over the hill near by. Too hard to say what you should be riding without knowing how your ride. Central Jrzy is not like riding Vermont or Colorado, just more hills than south Jersey. Best way to tell is see if you can test ride a bike with a compact and hit a big hill that you would normally have trouble with in a 39.


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## thegock (May 16, 2006)

*Compact*

I have the compact on the good whip and ride Hunterdon and the Watchung Ridges more than 100 times each year. It is good to have another gear to spin in sometime.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Like Be-an-key said, it really just depends on what you're comfortable with. I live in the foothills of the mighty Sourlands (), and I've ridden every hill (Springhill, Zion, etc.) there in the big chain ring of my 53/39. I do have a compact on my winter bike, but it's just there because I wanted to try a compact the second season I got heavily into road cycling.

On my two good bikes with standard cranks, I've got a 12-27 on the one I use for hills and a 12-25 on the one I use for flat/rolling. Will probably put an 11-23 on the non-climby bike.

This really is a great area for riding. Let us know what bike you get, gearing, etc. Enjoy


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*what gearing are you using now?*



notwist said:


> I usually ride in the Sourlands just north of princeton and Watchung area. I also do some group rides in Monmouth county during the summer-fall. Should I get a compact (50/34) or standard crank on my new bike?


I need lower gears for some of those hills but I am not you. What gearing are you using now? It still comes down to gear-inches regardless of the standard/compact debate


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## Mad_Hun (Jul 3, 2007)

Terex said:


> I've ridden every hill (Springhill, Zion, etc.) there in the big chain ring of my 53/39.


Really? I've never ridden there, but from a quick look at Google terrain, it looks like Springhill rises about 200 ft in a little under 1/2 mile, which would make it close to a 10% grade. No way I could get up that in the 53!

Is it really that steep or are my estimates based off Google wrong? I might head down there to try it out.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*may be some 10% hills*



Mad_Hun said:


> Really? I've never ridden there, but from a quick look at Google terrain, it looks like Springhill rises about 200 ft in a little under 1/2 mile, which would make it close to a 10% grade. No way I could get up that in the 53!
> 
> Is it really that steep or are my estimates based off Google wrong? I might head down there to try it out.


I try to ride in that area semi-regularly, being that I am from south jersey and don't have many hills close to home. None of the climbs are particularly long but I am sure there are some that approach 10% or more in spots. No way I could drag my 180lbs up one of those hills in a 53.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Mad_Hun said:


> Really? I've never ridden there, but from a quick look at Google terrain, it looks like Springhill rises about 200 ft in a little under 1/2 mile, which would make it close to a 10% grade. No way I could get up that in the 53!
> 
> Is it really that steep or are my estimates based off Google wrong? I might head down there to try it out.


Yep, the lower part is quite steep, then kinda levels out, then goes up again. I'm a couple of roads over from Springhill and ride it all the time, so I'm used to it. Even if you're a strong rider, if you don't ride hills, they can really get to you, especially on a longer ride. There's nice climb in PA near the Water Gap. It's Godfrey Ridge Rd. with 2 miles of continuous 11-12%. I did that on a 39/25 last year and wished I had the 39/27.

Compacts are really good for most purposes and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Much better shifting than a triple.


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## prunepit (Nov 19, 2006)

I mostly ride Somerset,Hunterdon area,lots of good hills around.I run a compact with 52-36 during the season and 50-34 in the winter,usually a 11-23 but will go with the 25 if doing a long hilly ride. 34-25 should get you up just about anything in the Watchung area.For Monmouth area the 52-36 setup might be better.With a compact at least you have a choice,you can throw on the 34 if your doing big hills,a 52-11 is more than you will probably ever need for top end.If you can spin that out on a flat than hats off to you


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Terex said:


> I live in the foothills of the mighty Sourlands (), and I've ridden every hill (Springhill, Zion, etc.) there in the big chain ring of my 53/39.


I ride with Terex all the time. If he says he climbs those hills in the BCR, believe him. And he probably does it without getting out of the saddle.


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## Mad_Hun (Jul 3, 2007)

AlanE said:


> I ride with Terex all the time. If he says he climbs those hills in the BCR, believe him. And he probably does it without getting out of the saddle.


Terex sounds like a beast!


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Mad_Hun said:


> Terex sounds like a beast!


Everyone's a beast on the internet. :wink:


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

AlanE said:


> I ride with Terex all the time. If he says he climbs those hills in the BCR, believe him. And he probably does it without getting out of the saddle.


AlanE is so smart! I started out today just trying to get in a few miles before it rained. Then it rained on me. But not too much. So I kept riding. The legs were feeling good, and I thought about his "saddle" comment, "Hmmmm....", I thought. "I wonder if I really COULD ride them in the big chain ring, sitting." <-- that's me, still thinking.

Started up Hollow. Doesn't really count. It's merely an extension of my driveway. After getting rained on awhile, I started up Lindbergh. Meh... It's pretty flat too. Went back over to the front range and did Province Line. Yawn... Headed back down and over to Spring Hill - the test piece of the front range! It's been paved recently. Like budda. The only interesting thing was the continual construction of the dry stack stone wall on the nifty house at the bend in the road.

At this point, I'm feeling bullet proof, so I head over to Zion, via Long Hill. No, I didn't climb Long Hill, but it's seriously boring. Flew down Long Hill, made a right on Wertzville, and jogged over to Zion. Zion was pretty flat today too. (I love days like this.)

Well, I'd done Zion, so I figured that I should do Dutchtown Zion too. I don't like Rt. 601 on Saturdays, so I cut over to the top of DZ, went down, and then came back up.

It was at this point that I realized that I'd been on the road for about 2 1/2 hours without eating anything or drinking anything other than a little water. So I stopped back home, ditched wet clothes, put on a dry short sleeve jersey, ate a couple of bananas and a yogurt and washed it down with an espresso.

I went back out and did a quick 20 mile loop around Hopewell to give me enough miles to qualify for an official "birthday ride" (BR). Total for the day : 62 miles, 4k ft. ascent. (I only needed 59 mi. for official BR status. :wink5

Happy Ocho de Mayo. And thanks for the inspiration, Alan!


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Terex,

You didn't say whether you did all those hills in the big chainring w/out getting out of the saddle.

Bummer that we weren't able to do the club ride for your birthday. I went to T-town in the morning. No major purchases - just stocked up on commodities (tubes, tires, etc.). It cleared up in the afternoon, but was really windy, so I took the CX out & took the dirt road route down to Frenchtown to check out the classic motorcycle show.

Hapy Birthday.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

AlanE said:


> Terex,
> 
> You didn't say whether you did all those hills in the big chainring w/out getting out of the saddle.
> 
> ...


Done and done. :thumbsup: 

Yep, sorry the club ride didn't work out. I'd originally planned to ride to Frenchtown, and do a double my age ride by the time I got home. Hopefully next year.

I did 50 today and used my small chainring as needed.  I rode the (clean) Parlee, and the wind was interesting with the deep rims.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

AlanE said:


> Terex,
> 
> You didn't say whether you did all those hills in the big chainring w/out getting out of the saddle.
> 
> ...


Done and done. :thumbsup: 

Yep, sorry the club ride didn't work out. I'd originally planned to ride to Frenchtown, and do a double my age ride by the time I got home. Hopefully next year.

I did 50 today and used my small chainring as needed.  I rode the (clean) Parlee, and the wind was interesting with the deep rims.


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