# Go compact or not...



## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a SuperSix 4. Need to decide on the crank - do I go compact or regular? My current bike is a 53/39, 9 speed ultegra. My ride are hilly and there are times when I wish I had just one more gear. And I'm only getting older...  

Thoughts/Opinions? I'm leaning toward the compact, but the big I test rode was a 53/39 and I thought it was a compact... But my test ride was short and flat. 

Not sure it matters, but if I do buy the SS.4, I will upgrade the the wheels (Ksyrium Elite's) and maybe the bar/stem (FSA Wing Pro/SLK - SS.1 spec).


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

Oh... forgot - The website doesn't spec the cassette with the crank options. Anyone know where to go to get the cassette cog counts with the optional cranks??


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## c_rex (Jun 3, 2010)

It has taken me about 8 months but I think I've reconciled myself and I'm coming around to mine. You don't get the massive pull on the downhill or flats but sometimes you come to a quick rise and think, "Here we go-" only you never do. Just keep on truckin. If you do go compact make sure you have an 11 on the back to minimize the change. . Have fun with your new SS!


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## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

I think if you ride where its hilly, compact would be a good choice. But only you know your level of fitness, and how well you crank up the terrain in your area........Personally, i perfer 53/39, but i live in Indiana, and it's as flat as a pancake around here!


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## D. W. Davis (Feb 21, 2007)

*Compact*

Do you often find yourself wishing for a higher gear? If not, perhaps compact would work perfectly well for you. My daily ride is all hills and I appreciate having compact gearing on my Six13. If you are not racing or worried about beating someone in some high gear showdown then compact gearing would likely prove very efficient for your use.


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

If you think you need a compact, then you most likely need one. I rode with a few people that had compacts and I had a hard time keeping up with them in my 53/39, especially on the longer climbs. It just keeps you fresher because you're not mashing that big gear.

chl


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## prunepit (Nov 19, 2006)

In the winter I run the 50-34 combo,once the fitness comes back around i put on a 52-36 on the compact crank. Its nice to have the option. 36-25 get me up anything here in Jersey and 52-12 or 11 is plenty tall.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

two options

- go standard, HTFU and raise your level. if you fail you can always fall back to a compact for ~$100-$150
- go compact, lay back and see your strenght diminish over time, no fall back scenario here.

or take prunepit advice on post #7 sounds about good..... but I'd go for a 52/38 configuration.


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## jlyle (Jul 20, 2007)

I run a compact crankset on my SS1. Once in a while I miss my tall gears on downhills, but not often. If you find yourself wishing for a slightly lower gear with your 53/39, then go with the compact.

You don't say what your current cassette is. Run the numbers, calculate the inch-gears for the various combinations and then compare them to the compact. You may be surprised.

Here's a handy on-line gear calculator: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/


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## zsir (Nov 14, 2008)

how fast can you sprint?


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Salsa_Lover said:


> - go compact, lay back and see your strenght diminish over time, no fall back scenario here.


Bull. But you know that.


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

Compact. You can always put bigger chainrings on it.


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

I honestly don't know how fast I can sprint. Every ride always has a nice decent where I peak 35 mph+ (some approach 50) so I don't have a max to go back too. And even when I do, it's a sustained near-max effort for endurance training, not a finish-line sprint. I'd guess low 30's if only for 100 meters or so of max effort. I'll test myself on my next ride.. 

At any rate, I do use the 53x12 on my current bike quite frequently. I'm a big guy - 5'11", 190lbs - and that's down almost 50# over the last year and a half. I'd like to see 180, but really don't expect to ever be lighter than that. And I've always been a masher. I've been working hard over the last 2-3 years to learn to spin faster - I'm comfortable at 85-90 now - prefer it in fact, but I know that when I start to bonk, I default back to a 70 cadence.

I'm starting to think I should take prunepit's advice and split the difference with a 52/36. But until I can figure out what c'dale puts on for cassette's with either option, it's all academic... The 53/39 I test rode had a 12/25 ... I think.)


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## Kai Winters (Aug 23, 2009)

I love my semi compact but at 56 I no longer need to push a 53.
I am also lucky in that my Campy C Record 1999 crank accepts a 50 tooth chain ring perfectly so I am using a 50/39 with an 11/23 9 speed cassette. In my area that is perfect and I've never needed the 21 or 23.

It depends on your needs...if you race you will need a 53, perhaps even so if you do fast group rides. Other than that you can easily get away with a compact crank set.


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

It may all be moot at this point anyway. May 1 before my LBS can get a SS.4. June 1 if I want it with a compact crank. Dang. They have a FSA compact they swaped out for someone and offfered to trade out the 53/39... Not really a great deal, but something to consider.


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## fedrusion (Jul 26, 2010)

I ran the gear ratio's for myself and coming from a 9 speed triple to 10 spd double the compact made the most sense and gives me more gear in both directions considering I never used the small ring on the triple. You need to run the numbers and decide if the extra room is needed in either direction whether it be higher or lower based on your needs.


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

I think I've made up my mind... I'm going with the 53/39. For another $28 dollars or so I can get a sram 38 tooth 130mm chainring to replace the 39. That will give me the one more gear I've occasionally wanted, and be sly at the same time... Then I can make fun of the guys on compacts (you know - like you do when you catch a guy riding the little ring of his triple) while 'cheating' myself. :lol: 

Now for the next dilemma.

My LBS can’t get the bike before May 1. At the earliest – who knows – it could be longer… 

I did find one to test-ride at another shop. A 53/39, in orange – exactly what I want. And they even made an impressive deal (combo – including the Kysrium wheels). Assuming my LBS can get me the Kysriums at a comparable price (I’m sure they can), the difference is $84.00. $84 dollars and I have it all now, versus being loyal and waiting…

The LBS is less than 2 miles from my house. They’ve helped me out in the past, and even though they don’t carry much high-end stuff anymore (they’ve become more of a neighborhood bike store – the market here is flooded with high-end shops), they still really do know their bikes. 

Patient & loyal, OR instant gratification?


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Instant gratification.
But it all depends on your gut feeling of course. Tell your LBS what it's about. If it was me I'd get the bike YESTERDAY.


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## roadie01 (Apr 13, 2010)

Go compact! 

Did you know that an 50/11 is actually a "bigger gear" than a 53/12? If you search the net you can find several tables that show gear inches for different chain ring, cog, and wheel sizes. 

Just in case your not familiar with gear inches, it is a calculation used to determine how far forward the bike will travel for each pedal revolution. It should also note that tooth number changes in the center of the rear wheel have a larger impact on gear inches than changes to the front chain rings.


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## AvantDale (Dec 26, 2008)

Just go in between. 

I went with a 52/36.


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

roadie01 said:


> Go compact!
> 
> Did you know that an 50/11 is actually a "bigger gear" than a 53/12? If you search the net you can find several tables that show gear inches for different chain ring, cog, and wheel sizes.
> 
> Just in case your not familiar with gear inches, it is a calculation used to determine how far forward the bike will travel for each pedal revolution. It should also note that tooth number changes in the center of the rear wheel have a larger impact on gear inches than changes to the front chain rings.


yeah - I found sheldon browns gear calculator from an earlier post - and yeah, the 50/11 is bigger than 53/12, but as far as I can tell the SS.4 only comes with a 12/25 cassette regardless of your crank selection (which, really, doesn't make sense)


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## zsir (Nov 14, 2008)

ClancyO said:


> yeah - I found sheldon browns gear calculator from an earlier post - and yeah, the 50/11 is bigger than 53/12, but as far as I can tell the SS.4 only comes with a 12/25 cassette regardless of your crank selection (which, really, doesn't make sense)


what doesn't make sense to me is why your concentrating so much on the crank gearing. I'm wondering what cassette gearing you run. buy a chain whip and a socket and you can change a cassette in less than 5 minutes... 50-60 dollars will buy you a sram og cassette. Be a man, run a standard with a 11-23 and if your going to do some climbing and don't want to endure the "shame" of running a compact put a 11-28 on.... IMO I think you should run a compact....if you get dropped on a descent it won't be because of compact gearing, if you get dropped on the flats it won't be because of compact gearing unless maybe if your able to pull 30-35 mph on the flats and in my experience that's a lot faster than most people can ride and if you could ride that fast we wouldn't be having this conversation. Which leaves climbs. This is where most people get dropped and this is where a compact will help you the most. Making fun of guys running compacts doesn't really work when they've dropped you


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

Both of mine SS6 were 50/34 with 12/29 love it.


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

Both of mine SS6 were 50/34 with 12/29 love it.


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## prunepit (Nov 19, 2006)

Ive got to have a 16 in the cassette.Thats one reason to stick with a 12-25. Hate those big gaps in 12-27. I havent encountered any of this compact bashing in the group rides you guys are talking about,most guys are going the compact route from what I see anyway.Matter of fact big gear mashing is looking kind of old school at this point,most guys are working on a clean,efficient spin.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

you should strive to be able to have a clean and efficient spin.... on a Standard.


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## prunepit (Nov 19, 2006)

Sure you can spin clean on a standard if the ride allows it but if your doing big hills its just easier to maintain good form with a lighter gear.Didnt think id have to explain that


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

easier is not always better, sometimes is exactly the opposite


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