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Matchstick Man
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in Triathlon
Following on from my discussion on the bike numpty thread I was reading this today :
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/EventReports2007/20070718_Colne_GP.asp
about last night's Elite Circuit Series crit at Colne. The winner of the race (Simoin Gaywood) had this to say about the win:
"but luckily I had the legs to take the win, and all on a 50 ring”
Now that's an Elite rider winning against seasoned professionals like Malcolm Elliott and the Downing brothers.
Still think you *really* need a 53 outer ring? ;-)
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/EventReports2007/20070718_Colne_GP.asp
about last night's Elite Circuit Series crit at Colne. The winner of the race (Simoin Gaywood) had this to say about the win:
"but luckily I had the legs to take the win, and all on a 50 ring”
Now that's an Elite rider winning against seasoned professionals like Malcolm Elliott and the Downing brothers.
Still think you *really* need a 53 outer ring? ;-)
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Comments
He'd almost certainly have used an 11 up block - so just mirroring the same gears he'd have got with a 52/53 and a 12 up - only it's cost him more.
The only advantage of a compact is if 39*25 isn't a low enough gear for you - if that's the case then consider getting one - if 39*25 is plenty low enough then there are a few small reasons why a 53 or 52 *39 is preferable.
50 x 11 = 120"
actually he's increased his gearing by putting on a 50 ring assuming he did use an 11-up
The article I was reading was pretty convincing in showing that on a normal set up - we duplicate lots of gears. Using the compact set up = the spread of gears seemed better.
(I think it was an ad for compacts and then slightly biased, but seemed to make a lot of sense to me as I flicked through it)
A 12-23 spread on a compact set-up gives just two, so yes another reason.
Also, Gaywood *may* have chosen a compact set-up to enable him to have gearing in which he could use to accelerate quicker out of the corners but still have that top gear which enabled him to sprint for the win.
ANother reason to have compacts is to run close ratio cassettes at the back to minimise the jumps that occur while also allowing a lower gear ratio overall. So you get the benefit of the 39 x 25 equivalent but without the big spread normally associated with a 13-25 cassette.
I run a 12-21 in the winter with a 34/50 compact which is no handicap and allows me to conserve energy by climbing in a seated position as everyone else struggles in 39 x 23. I don't lose out with 50 x 12 and let's face it, in the winter when do you ever need such a gear?
Having a 34 or 36 tooth for climbing and a 50 tooth for the flat means that I spend more time in the smaller cogs where the spacing is closer, meaning it is easier to be in the correct gear. I have said it before, and I will say it again, if the top guys in the tour are happy using 53-11, 50-11 is plenty for us mere mortals.
And STILL he didnt win ! Amazing eh ?
have to say i'm much happier with a compact now. i actually get to use the big ring. only ever used to use the 53 on downhills. which is why i changed to compact. plus i figured the lower gears would make it possible for me to get up steeper hills without taking years of my life (borrowed that phrase from david millar).
Poor Daveeed. Astana screwed both him and Moreau.
Another long break after the Pyrenees maybe ?
Here's why I don't think compacts are necessarily the best choice for everyone again.
1 You get a compact but use an 11-21 or 11-23 to mirror the higher gears on a standard double.
- You get less choice of cassettes
- You pay more for cassettes
- Chain runs slightly less well over an 11 tooth cassette.
In other words no advantage but some small disadvantages.
2 You get a compact to lower your gears.
- you risk spinning out if you want to pedal down hills up to about 40mph
- You get lower gears for climbing.
Good idea if 39*25 isn't low enough for you - bad idea if you don't need lower gears
3 You get a compact for a greater spread of gears as Cougie says.
- If you get a 50*36 then the gap in teeth mirrors the 53*39 - still 14 teeth.
- If you get 50*34 then you've got a very big jump and I know people who have ditched these because of it. When you change down for a hill you lose momentum and have to change up so many sprockets on the cassette, when you change up for a sprint or hill you have to change down so many you also lose a bit of momentum. Having close gears is actually an advantage if you don't need a bigger spread.
And the idea that pros use compacts is a myth - they said on Eurosport that nobody was on a compact or triple for the biggest mountain stage of the tour so far. The only time they use them are for stuff like the Zoncolan in the Giro - if one or two use them outside of that it's just to flog them to punters who like to see think that their kit is the same as some pros use - it legitimises the choice. The truth is that many pros routinely ride much bigger gears than us with 53*44 being Boonen's choice for Paris Roubaix - and I bought a bike off Malcolm Elliott and it had 53*42 and an 11-21 on it - that was for training in the Peak - so riding a 39*25 is not some macho thing trying to emulate the pros - it's already substantially lower geared than them.
The vast majority of people would benefit from lower gears - most guys on the club run stand up on climbs to shove over a 39 x 21 and waste energy.
A compact c/set is fine as who needs to maintain a cadence when reaching 40mph downhill? You're better off learning to pedal correctly on the flat or uphill instead of grinding away in 53 x 12 at 25mph thinking you're going quick
I don't and I do.
Compact/ double/ triple?
My Spesh Sirrus flatbar commuter came with a 50/34 & 12-16 setup. It's been great around town, and even with toeclips rather than cleats, was good enough to out run plenty of peeps uphill and on the flat on several Olympic tri's and the Vitruvian half IM. While everyone else was grinding their hearts and knees out, I was spinning up the hills and never saw most of them again. If it runs out of gears going downhill, just tuck down and enjoy the cruise.
Intended buying a compact racer, but ended up with a 53/42 & 12-23 setup which as a lazy, fat, old git, was a bit like hard work around Richmond Park. Put a 12-26 on the back, and even with my casual approach to training, have got around IMDE & IMA on that setup with no problems. Probably swap the 42 for a 39 if I sign up for IM France as the hills are supposed to be nasty.
Both setups worked for me, but the compact has the edge for hillier courses and less genetically gifted triathletes. If you want to do TT's or bike only events the big gears might be more important than the knackered legs
Why do you want to keep your heart rate under control - unless you've got a cardiac condition dig in and suffer or you'll never improve. It wont wreck your ability to ride aerobically - a mate I train with has just done a 3 hours 54ish for 100 miles and he does loads of high intensity stuff - I'm assuming most of us would be happy with that kind of result.
Thank you Kanga that is useful I 've done a couple of TTs but even then it is only on the very fast bits I use the highest gears. To lose some of the top end gearing would probably not affect me a great deal.
I have a bike with 39/52 on the front and 11/25 on the back and live in the black mountains. I am from the netherlands and was used to the flat. I had a 12/21 casette on the back before but was recommended teh 11/25 by the LBS here as the most cost effective way to get my bike up to hillier standards.
I use all gears on my regular rides but do struggle a bit up very steep hills. Been told that I will get used to it (not ridden in the hills that much yet) and that it is not a good idea fr me to get a compact, because I will loose power on the flat and downhills as I already use all the higher gears as well as the lowest ones?
So do I just strengthen those quads and hammies and get on with it or get a compact is the question?
Oh, I am a runner and bought the bike second hand last year as I want to venture into tri, so that is waht I'd use it for. However, ALL my rides here are hilly by default...
Just my opinion though.
If your struggling on the bike and have trouble with hills get a compact for racing but if you can train on a 52/39 as it'll improve your leg strength and CV.
If you have a bail out gear and use it all the time then you'll get no better and it may be easier up the hills but spinning up on a 34 25 is a slow way of getting up a hill and the hill is where you want to be working. Look at the time gaps they open up on the big tours when they hit the mountains.