# 52/36 On 110 FSA Crank?



## AW84 (May 13, 2013)

So I purchased a leftover 2012 CAAD10-3 this week on a great deal that I couldn't pass up, and at the time, didn't really know much of anything about gearing, what a compact vs. standard was, or any of that. I took the bike out for a short spin and quickly learned this was a compact, as I spun through the 34 ring effortlessly and could push most of the cogs with the 50 ring. This was a flat road into a headwind, I should mention. I've been previously riding a bike with a triple and could push the center ring (a 42) up most hills, so needless to say, I could spin that little 34 ring up the walls of my house.

As it turns out, the LBS had swapped the std 53/39 set off the bike for another customer during the months that it sat in the shop and put the compact on it, and unfortunately, I really didn't know any better until I really rode it a decent distance.

The LBS offered to put a set a 52/36 FSA rings on it that they have, but after a long night of research and studying up on gearing, it seems this may not work well. The crank on it is the stock FSA SLK light carbon 110. I feel as though the 52/36 would really offer the best of both worlds, but many comments I found during my research said it doesn't work due to flex.

What would be my best option, aside from plunking down several hundred for a new crankset? I could put an 11-25 cog on it as many seem to do, but I don't see that as an all-encompassing solution. Thoughts?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

AW84 said:


> So I purchased a leftover 2012 CAAD10-3 this week on a great deal that I couldn't pass up, and at the time, didn't really know much of anything about gearing, what a compact vs. standard was, or any of that. I took the bike out for a short spin and quickly learned this was a compact, as I spun through the 34 ring effortlessly and could push most of the cogs with the 50 ring. This was a flat road into a headwind, I should mention. I've been previously riding a bike with a triple and could push the center ring (a 42) up most hills, so needless to say, I could spin that little 34 ring up the walls of my house.
> 
> As it turns out, the LBS had swapped the std 53/39 set off the bike for another customer during the months that it sat in the shop and put the compact on it, and unfortunately, I really didn't know any better until I really rode it a decent distance.
> 
> ...


i'd try the cassette first. there are plenty of pro women racing on compact and i'm pretty sure they're a bit faster than you. the only thing that will come close to feeling like your 42 middle would be a 39 on a standard. you may find that is what you really want in the end. the difference between 52 or 53 on your triple and the 50 on the compact is actually pretty small, the big difference is between the 42 and the 34. you can easily pedal a 50/11 to over 40mph...it's actually a bigger gear than what you had on your triple, i'm betting. if you had 53/12, the 50/11 is a larger gear.


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## AW84 (May 13, 2013)

I checked back with the LBS and what they have is a 52/38 FSA cassette set. They informed me that they've put that combination on a few bikes, including a SuperSix that belongs to one of the salesman. If it does work, I think that'd provide the best of both worlds for at least a year or two until I decide to switch out to a standard. The triple that I rode was a Shimano 105 52-42-30, and I could ride all day without ever moving out of the center ring. I'd jump to the 52 to fly down steep descents (basically about 2% of my total riding), but otherwise, the 42 was all I needed for the flats and rolling terrain.

I live in Indiana, where you're not riding mountains, but it's not flat either, so a decent mix of downhill gear and some climbing gear would be perfect.


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## SBard1985 (May 13, 2012)

Don't look at is forking over hundreds of dollars. Sell your crank on ebay, and buy another takeoff from somebody on ebay. You may even make a few bucks too. It's your bike, I say you need it to be equipped the way you want it. If you want a 130 BCD crank, then go get yourself that crank.


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## AW84 (May 13, 2013)

I suppose for resale value a standard with a 130 BCD crank would be good, but i don't particularly _need_ it. Even hauling the mail down hills, I never once used 52-12 on the bike with the triple. I don't know that I ever even got into the last couple of cogs on downhills. So on a standard, I'd certainly never use the high end of it (the 53-12) so the 52/38 setup seems like the sweet spot.


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## redlude97 (Jun 29, 2010)

just swap the 34 for a 36t chainring. Shouldn't cost more than $30


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

You're getting hung up on terminology, and confused by it. 


> So on a standard, I'd certainly never use the high end of it (the 53-12) so the 52/38 setup seems like the sweet spot.


52/38 essentially IS a "standard." "Standard" cranksets generally have a 39 and a 52 or 53. That's damn close to what you'd be getting. The only difference with a "standard" is that you'd have those rings on a 130mm bcd spider, rather than the 110, and that don't make no difference -- that "flex" business is mostly myth.

You say you'd "never" use 53x12. That really means the 50x12 you have now is high enough. So why do you want to buy a 52 ring? If you'd like to stay in the little ring more, and you find the 34 a little low, put the 38 on there. 

You never said what cassette you have -- there are options there, too.


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## wabasso (May 18, 2012)

I have a 52-36 Campy on a bike and I have a 52 - 36 FSA crankset on another bike.

My preferred crankset and the notion that the average person is going to feel "flex" is utter nonsense.


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## TmB123 (Feb 8, 2013)

I have 52/36 SRAM rings on an FSA SLK cranks and it works perfectly on a 10 speed Ultegra setup. Ive also run 50/34 FSA rings (which came on the bike) and 53/39 Aerozine rings without a problem. Using a 11-25T cassette out back.


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## Randy99CL (Mar 27, 2013)

AW84 said:


> The triple that I rode was a Shimano 105 52-42-30, and I could ride all day without ever moving out of the center ring. I'd jump to the 52 to fly down steep descents (basically about 2% of my total riding), but otherwise, the 42 was all I needed for the flats and rolling terrain.





AW84 said:


> I suppose for resale value a standard with a 130 BCD crank would be good, but i don't particularly _need_ it. Even hauling the mail down hills, I never once used 52-12 on the bike with the triple. I don't know that I ever even got into the last couple of cogs on downhills. So on a standard, I'd certainly never use the high end of it (the 53-12) so the 52/38 setup seems like the sweet spot.


It's crazy that people are talking about selling that crankset and buying another (for hundreds of $$$).
Forget the compact/standard labels; just get rings that will work for you.

What cassette were you running with the triple? If you want to match your old gearing you need to figure out what you had in gear/inches and duplicate that.


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## Tupelo (Apr 29, 2012)

The Praxis Works 52/36 for a 110 is their most popular chainring set. Cold forged. Nice stiff and crisp shifts...Praxis Works | Road Rings


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

AW84 said:


> I suppose for resale value a standard with a 130 BCD crank would be good, but i don't particularly _need_ it. Even hauling the mail down hills, *I never once used 52-12 on the bike with the triple*. I don't know that I ever even got into the last couple of cogs on downhills. So on a standard, I'd certainly never use the high end of it (the 53-12) so the 52/38 setup seems like the sweet spot.


Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand why you're not happy with the 50t large chainring you currently have. 

You said you never need a 53-12. You can cheaply and easily find a cassette with an 11t small sprocket. Using that sort of cassette, and your 50t compact crank chainring .... 50-11 is a* higher* gear than a 53-12, so if you never need that 53-12, you'll have plenty of high gears with the 50t. In fact, if you never use the 53-12, a 50-12 is only a tiny bit lower, therefore from what you wrote, the current crank should be fine in the high end without replacing the 50 with a 52 or changing to to a conventional crank. Correct me if I'm misunderstanding.

SO - just change the 34t small chainring to something that suits you better, like a 42 or 40 or 39, or whatever. They're readily available in the 110 BCD. For example: T.A. Specialites Zephyr 110 BCD Road Chainring (Middle/Inner Position) - Harris Cyclery bicycle shop - West Newton, Massachusetts


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