# best cassette for a compact crank 50/34?



## marco1910 (Sep 24, 2007)

any recommedations? I'm thinking 11/25

What do most people run?

Thanks,
M


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

I use a 12/25. 

In a general sense, if you want the compact, you're not likely to have need for the 11 very often. After all, how much pedaling at 35mph is there in your riding? Even if you do like to pedal the downhills, this is right around the point of diminishing returns - where a tighter tuck would help more than the added power of pedaling. End result - there is a fairly narrow band of negative grade where the 11 gives you anything. Shallower, you're in the 12, steeper, you need to tuck up.

Furthermore, adding the 11 moves a gap into the cassette that can fall into an unfortunate spot. Depending on your style, strength, and terrain, the loss of the 16 can lead to a lot of extra front shifts or steep cross-chaining, and is the cause of a lot of dissatisfaction with the compact setup.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

11-25 works pretty well with a compact for me. Shimano makes an 11-25 as part of the 105 (5600) group. Not something that Trek advertises, but 2008 5.2 Madones with the compact crank option get the 105 (5600) 11-25 cassette, which differs from Ultegra only in surface plating.


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## marco1910 (Sep 24, 2007)

great info..thanks..I see that the 105 has it..sounds great..I know that when I'm going downhill around where I live after 35 mph I'm pretty much not pedaling much so I guess its down to whether I want to loss the 16 or not..I've heard that is a very popular cog

m


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## serpico7 (Jul 11, 2006)

Sounds like 16 would be much more useful than 11 for you. But if you get the 11, your bike would look better . . . oh wait, you're getting a compact, so looks are already out the window. So definitely get the 12-25 (or even 12-27 . . . the horror).


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

The point of having a 11-25 is to get more use out of the small ring but the 16 on other combinations is also very useable on the 50 for normal speeds


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## mf9point8 (Jul 17, 2006)

11-23. 

My girlfriend can manage a 11-26 fairly well.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*How about you?*



marco1910 said:


> any recommedations? I'm thinking 11/25 What do most people run?


As noted in this and other threads, you have to be pretty darn strong to push an 11. That said, it doesn't really matter what others use, because they might be stronger than you, weaker than you, ride steeper hills than you, or ride no hills at all. You're the one who has to decide what gears work for you. If you're really strong, you wouldn't be asking this question because you would already know what gears you need. Following that logic, you should consider a 12 (or bigger) for the small cog, and choose the large cog based on how steep your local hills are. The answer in southern Florida is quite different than the answer in the Missouri Ozarks or eastern Kentucky.


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## marco1910 (Sep 24, 2007)

Thanks all, great advice,,just what I was looking for..the fact is that I'm a 51 year old who probably pushes hard at that age but no where near as strong as the regular young guys..I ride my bike to train, keep in shape and because I just love it..its sounds like 12 would do it on the low end and I'm assuming a 34/25 is something I'd use rarely except for the steeper grades

I've learned a lot in the forum thanks..

M


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## acid_rider (Nov 23, 2004)

12/27 gets my vote and let those proud-big-ego folks with 11/23 take a long hard look at your cassette as you spin 90rpm+ past them on the climbs or into head wind. Very humbling experience. There are gearing calculations which will show you what speed you will be doing in what gear and your desired/favourite cadence. They should help you decide on gearing.


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## mf9point8 (Jul 17, 2006)

http://analyticcycling.com/GearSpeedCadence_Page.html

will tell you a speed at a given cadence. This should help you.

after reading your other posts, I think a 11-25 or a 12-25 would suit you fine. I still think a 27 is overkill, unless your constantly grinding up steep (above 8% - 10% grade) hills...


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

I don't consider myself that strong of a rider, and with one ***** of a hill and a 50/36, I rarely use 23.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Since you've already committed your self to non-racing gearing (by getting a compact), why not go with a 13-25 Ultegra cassette. You should still be able to hit 35 mph on the flats with the 13, and the 34/25 should allow you to climb hills with ease.
This cassette will work unless you have a FH7800 rear hub.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

MR_GRUMPY said:


> Since you've already committed your self to non-racing gearing (by getting a compact), why not go with a 13-25 Ultegra cassette. You should still be able to hit 35 mph on the flats with the 13, and the 34/25 should allow you to climb hills with ease.
> This cassette will work unless you have a FH7800 rear hub.


Generalizations are great, aren't they! Non-racing gearing?

At home I run a 11-23 since I live in a flat world. Close gear spacing is great.

When I go for a rides in the Rockies, I run a 11-27.
*
One size doesn't fit all.*


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Gotta Read the Post*



MerlinAma said:


> At home I run a 11-23 since I live in a flat world. Close gear spacing is great.


Oddly enough, what Grumpy recommended with the 13-25 is *closely spaced*, including both a 16t and an 18t cog along with a 25t to take advantage of the climbing range which should be the purpose behind a compact crank. 

If you are such a proponent of closely spaced gearing then why aren't you running a 12-23 cassette which is closely spaced instead of stroking your ego by having an 11t and foregoing an 18t cog?

The 11-25 is about the stupidest combination as it gives up both the 16t cog and the 18t cog which will see far more use then the 11t or the 25t on a compact. If you need a compact with a 25t for the climbs then you do not need the 11t cog. If you can truly turn over an 11t cog then you probably don't need a compact and you will put in enough miles where you understand how important those gears in the middle of the cassette are. There is no excuse for not having a 16t cog on your regular ride with a ten speed setup.

.


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## terzo rene (Mar 23, 2002)

If you need a 34x25 on the way up there is plenty of use for an 11t on the way down. Just spent 2 weeks in the Dolomites and the highest and lowest gears were pretty much all I used. I was wishing I had an 11-28 instead of the 11-26 I put on. Next year I may even go with a 12-14-16-18-20-22-24-26-27-28

Since Basso used a compact and therefore wasn't racing why did they care if he doped?


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## acid_rider (Nov 23, 2004)

*compact is racing on some terrains - Giro and Tour*



MR_GRUMPY said:


> Since you've already committed your self to non-racing gearing (by getting a compact), why not go with a 13-25 Ultegra cassette. You should still be able to hit 35 mph on the flats with the 13, and the 34/25 should allow you to climb hills with ease.
> This cassette will work unless you have a FH7800 rear hub.


Compact has been used at Giro on mountain stages so I would call it a racing group. Probably on Le Tour also. I would say compact is probably the best overall gearing choice for ~80% of the fitness riders, at 90rpm in 50-12 you will be going pretty fast, close to 50kmh. I have 53/39 with 12/27 and I think I will be getting a compact 50/34 with 12/25 or 12/27 next time around.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Most of the riders who do use a compact, do it for extra sponsor money. If they were so valuable in mountain stages, everyone who use one.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

Keeping up with Junior said:


> If you are such a proponent of closely spaced gearing then why aren't you running a 12-23 cassette which is closely spaced instead of stroking your ego by having an 11t and foregoing an 18t cog?
> .


Thanks for suggesting I still have an ego. At 60, most of that has gone away too.

I live in an extremely windy area and can use the 11t often. I also use the 16 a lot but don't seem to have a problem not having the 18t.

Who isn't a "proponent of closely spaced gearing" IF you have a choice.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Even 12-25 has some big holes (for me) at least. I would do 11 or 12-23. You never need the 25 anyways.


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## cyclust (Sep 8, 2004)

I run a compact with a 12-27 and this is a great alternative to running a triple. There are some significant hills around here [such as the one between my belt and chest, and a 34-27 helps flatten that thing!


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## Qstick333 (Jul 21, 2004)

I am another 34-27 user. I live at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and without the 34-27 gearing, I would need a triple. I do not race and am considering changing the front ring into a 48 from a 50. I NEVER use the 50-12, I'd rather coast down the mountain....and think the 48 would let me stay in the big ring more often while around town.


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Look at the actual differences between cassettes and compare them to what you will use most. The only difference between the 12-23 and the 12-25 is you swap an 18 cog for a 25 cog. 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23 vs 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25. OTOH- Moving to the 12-27 creates bigger gaps among lower gears. 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27, so not only is 18 cog lost, but there are now 3-tooth differences between largest and next 2 smaller cogs. 

I find the 12-27 useful for big hilly events, like Indiana's Hilly Hundred (multiple >14% grades, inc one >20%). Nothing says you cannot change cassettes to suit your events.


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## Al1943 (Jun 23, 2003)

What you need depends mostly on where you ride and how steep and long the hills are. I find it hard to believe that anyone short of a pro sprinter needs an 11, even with a 50 big ring. Using it and needing it are two different things. I'd much rather have closer ratios.

Al


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## azoomm (Oct 19, 2007)

mf9point8 said:


> 11-23.
> 
> My girlfriend can manage a 11-26 fairly well.


Nice.


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## stevee (Feb 4, 2005)

I love one tooth shifts and running my chain on the middle cogs. I have a triple up front and put on a 27 tooth cog for the Hilly Hundred. Normally I run a 13-23 on the back and need to get it back on before I get lazy on these little hills at home. I have another older road bike with a standard double and don't have any problems riding it where I live, but it just doesn't feel as good. The idea of a 16 tooth shift on the front scares me but I know eventually I'll have to give it a shot.


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