# Compact crank/cassette help?



## roadrnr (Sep 13, 2005)

Would like some feedback from those in the know.....

Changing over from a 9spd. triple to a 50/34 compact set-up. Will be getting new D's, switching from long to med. cage in the rr. Should I be switching the 12/27 out for another combination gear cluster? Or is this the best/necessary for smoother shifting? Can/should I even be thinking about an 11/? cassette with a short cage? General ride areas will be a typical Norcal mix of flats/rollers to decent climbs. I'm a light rider and don't intend on doing much "mashing" out in the wide open plains. 

Any tips would be helpfully. Thanks in advance.

rr


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

roadrnr said:


> Would like some feedback from those in the know.....
> 
> Changing over from a 9spd. triple to a 50/34 compact set-up. Will be getting new D's, switching from long to med. cage in the rr. Should I be switching the 12/27 out for another combination gear cluster? Or is this the best/necessary for smoother shifting? Can/should I even be thinking about an 11/? cassette with a short cage? General ride areas will be a typical Norcal mix of flats/rollers to decent climbs. I'm a light rider and don't intend on doing much "mashing" out in the wide open plains.
> 
> ...


If this is purely for fashion reasons, just do it. Otherwise, only you know what gear ratios you do not currently use and can eliminate on your new set up. - TF


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## roadrnr (Sep 13, 2005)

*Fashion??*



TurboTurtle said:


> If this is purely for fashion reasons, just do it. Otherwise, only you know what gear ratios you do not currently use and can eliminate on your new set up. - TF


TT, you mean like having "Ti or Stainless" hardware on my collar bone??   

No, actually the bike is in the build stages and has not hit the pavement yet (hopefully next week!). And I don't really have enough previous road milage experience to work off. The shop didn't feel the need to change the cassette (12/27 that came on it with the triple) but they're doing a "even $$" switch for me & I wanted to make sure if there was any other that would work "better" with this set-up. They assured me it would give me about the same "range" as the triple. My previous bike was a 53/39 with a 11/23t cassette which I wasn't too thrilled with the x-chaining thang. I want to make sure this bike is good to go. 

I noticed that most of the compact rings are 50/*36t* w/a 12/27 & was curious if a couple teeth makes a difference.

Thanks-rr


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

roadrnr said:


> TT, you mean like having "Ti or Stainless" hardware on my collar bone??
> 
> No, actually the bike is in the build stages and has not hit the pavement yet (hopefully next week!). And I don't really have enough previous road milage experience to work off. The shop didn't feel the need to change the cassette (12/27 that came on it with the triple) but they're doing a "even $$" switch for me & I wanted to make sure if there was any other that would work "better" with this set-up. They assured me it would give me about the same "range" as the triple. My previous bike was a 53/39 with a 11/23t cassette which I wasn't too thrilled with the x-chaining thang. I want to make sure this bike is good to go.
> 
> ...


I mean, why aren't you going to ride the triple? Fashion? - TF


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## bc165 (Aug 5, 2003)

I'm not sure exactly what your question is, but i use a 50/36 with a 12/27 and it works great for just about every condition I've encountered. I didn't like the 50/34 because I had to make 2-3 shifts on the rear cassette when I changed from the 50 to the 34... too many imo. With the 36 I usually make one shift on the cassette. I'm fairly light and at the strong end of the recreational spectrum, and the 36-27 will get me up almost any grade reasonably, including a 20% grade. The 50-12 comes up a bit short on long, fast downhills, but that's not such a big issue for me.


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## AlexCad5 (Jan 2, 2005)

bc165 said:


> I'm not sure exactly what your question is, but i use a 50/36 with a 12/27 and it works great for just about every condition I've encountered. I didn't like the 50/34 because I had to make 2-3 shifts on the rear cassette when I changed from the 50 to the 34... too many imo. With the 36 I usually make one shift on the cassette. I'm fairly light and at the strong end of the recreational spectrum, and the 36-27 will get me up almost any grade reasonably, including a 20% grade. The 50-12 comes up a bit short on long, fast downhills, but that's not such a big issue for me.


 Personnally, I don't like the big jumps in gearing in the 9sped 12/27. Right now I'm riding a 10 speed 12/23, standard double, and steep slopes are sometimes a bear (I'm also in Nor Cal.) I had few problems on hills with a 12/25 even with a standard 53/39.


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## happy fun ball (Aug 11, 2005)

*Krazy Kustom Kogset*

I live in SF, am a pretty mediocre rider (38 yrs old, 190 pounds, 28:00 OLH, 1:22 at the Diablo Challenge). I had a triple, but got rid of it solely for vanity's sake. 

I went with a 50/34 compact, and built a custom 11-29 with a 13-29 cassette and three (11/12/13) single cogs from Branford bike. It basically replicates the gearing on the triple, without the third ring. My friends (all 52/39) give me a really hard time about it, but I can hang with them on the top end in my 50/11, and spin comfortably in my 34/29 while they are mashing.

Not cheap, the individual cogs are spendy, but it works. You do get funny looks at the pie plate in back every once in a while, but it's better than having a triple. And the shifting is much much better.


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## roadrnr (Sep 13, 2005)

*Have to do my homework.....*



happy fun ball said:


> 28:00 OLH, 1:22 at the Diablo Challenge)


....and check out the DC race to see what the time(s) meant! What's OLH anyway??  Have to Google & get schooled on al these roadie terms I guess. 

Thanks for the other info about the gears, that's the kind of general input I was looking for, as what was mentioned in the posts by Alexcad & bc. I thought about going 10 speed, but then it wasn't cost effective having to change shifter/brake set-up over aswell & blowing the budget even more (I already went above the $2k I originally set!). Then I'd be thinking I might aswell go on up to all Dura Ace........d'oh!


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## happy fun ball (Aug 11, 2005)

*Didn't think it was that obscure.*

This is the Northern California board after all, check the hillclimb post, four below this one.

Glad to help though.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

Was your triple enough gearing for you to make it up the hills? Or did you very rarely use the smallest ring and the smaller gears? If you didn't have much experience on it, this may not be applicable.

If you did have enough experience on it, you can check out the gear ratios of your triple, and try to match or slightly alter them with your new compact. Sheldon Brown has an excellent gear calculator here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

You can set it up to tell you what the gear ratios were on your old setup, then see what cassete will work with your new setup.

Silas


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## dno (Jul 15, 2005)

I run a 50/34 compact with a 11-23 cassette - I really like the combination. I find that for most climbs around here I run in the 34-17 or 34-19 with occassional times in the 21. The 23 seems to be used when I am really tired or encounter really steep stuff - 15% plus. I also really the like 11 for decending - find that I can keep a good candence without spinning out most of the time.

I am an average rider - 21 minutes up OLH, 26 mins up Kings Mtn, and did the Diablo Challenge in 1:00:50.

Hope that helps


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## roadrnr (Sep 13, 2005)

*Bingo!*



dno said:


> I run a 50/34 compact with a 11-23 cassette - I really like the combination. I find that for most climbs around here I run in the 34-17 or 34-19 with occassional times in the 21. The 23 seems to be used when I am really tired or encounter really steep stuff - 15% plus. I also really the like 11 for decending - find that I can keep a good candence without spinning out most of the time.
> 
> I am an average rider - 21 minutes up OLH, 26 mins up Kings Mtn, and did the Diablo Challenge in 1:00:50.
> 
> Hope that helps


Thanks, that's the kind of input I was looking for. I entertained a 11/23 for a couple reasons, I could lighten things up with a short cage rr D, get a decent gear jam'n on the flats/decending and a cheater sprocket for the steep stuff as well. I'm a light framed rider (think Heras) riding a 34/17 single speed in the dirt 90% of the time. If the shop hasn't finished the build up yet (it was a replacement frame job on a new bike they had & I had the bike on lay-away pending my crash rehab) maybe I'll see what the chances are to do that set-up, otherwise I'll run the 12/27 & see how it goes.

Thanks alot for the tips.

P.S. I'll have to get a few weeks of time in on the bike & get to some of those rides/climbs everyone's mentioned to see where_ I _stand  .

rr


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