Front chain ring

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

My 62 year old legs are loosing some power and I ride hills a lot, big
hills. I have two chain rings up front, a 50 & a 36. I have a 10
sproket cluster in back going from 12 to 25. I want more climbing
geers and wonder how to do it. Should I simply go to a 42 36 chain
ring up front or a different sproket in back?

On May 24, 3:17 pm, george4...@gmail.com wrote:
> My 62 year old legs are loosing some power and I ride hills a lot, big
> hills. I have two chain rings up front, a 50 & a 36. I have a 10
> sproket cluster in back going from 12 to 25. I want more climbing
> geers and wonder how to do it. Should I simply go to a 42 36 chain
> ring up front or a different sproket in back?

50/36/30 triple crank if you really need gears is the only way to go.
You'll need a rear mech and a chain as well. What you suggest will
only get you another click.

On May 24, 1:44 pm, landotter <landot...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 24, 3:17 pm, george4...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > My 62 year old legs are loosing some power and I ride hills a lot, big
> > hills. I have two chain rings up front, a 50 & a 36. I have a 10
> > sproket cluster in back going from 12 to 25. I want more climbing
> > geers and wonder how to do it. Should I simply go to a 42 36 chain
> > ring up front or a different sproket in back?
>
> 50/36/30 triple crank if you really need gears is the only way to go.
> You'll need a rear mech and a chain as well. What you suggest will
> only get you another click.

I'd be more inclined to go to a new cassette with a 34 tooth cog.
That'll give you a low gear 27% lower than you have now whereas the
suggested triple would only be 17% lower. And the cassette can be
switched back and forth pretty quickly for rides in flatter terrain.
Either way would require a new rear derailleur and the bigger cog will
probably also require a longer chain.

On May 24, 1:44 pm, landotter <landot...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 24, 3:17 pm, george4...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > My 62 year old legs are loosing some power and I ride hills a lot, big
> > hills. I have two chain rings up front, a 50 & a 36. I have a 10
> > sproket cluster in back going from 12 to 25. I want more climbing
> > geers and wonder how to do it. Should I simply go to a 42 36 chain
> > ring up front or a different sproket in back?
>
> 50/36/30 triple crank if you really need gears is the only way to go.
> You'll need a rear mech and a chain as well. What you suggest will
> only get you another click.

Keep in mind that that chainring combo will require a FD designed to
handle a 14t gap. I know from experience that Campy Triples won't
work, nor will Shimanos designed for a 52-42-30. The chain on the
middle ring will be too low for the ramp to derail it onto the granny.
Ultegra 6603 and Dura-Ace 7803 are the only ones I know of that are
even close, with their 52-39-30 combos.

Also, until very recently, most STIs were double/triple specific, so
there's a reasonable possibility that the OP couldn't go to a triple
without _considerable_ expense.

I like the 11-34 cassette idea. I paired one with a 50-34 crank on my
CX bike, and I have a 1:1 low gear, which can't be said for most Road
Triple setups.

george4675@gmail.com wrote:
> My 62 year old legs are loosing some power and I ride hills a lot, big
> hills. I have two chain rings up front, a 50 & a 36. I have a 10
> sproket cluster in back going from 12 to 25. I want more climbing
> geers and wonder how to do it. Should I simply go to a 42 36 chain
> ring up front or a different sproket in back?

I'd try a 48/34 x 11-28 first personally. That would drop you from 38
gear inches to 32 hear inches, which is about a 15% gearing reduction.
Your current derailleur will handle that. If that's still not enough,
swap your derailleur and use the 11-34 cassette.

--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
Come, muse, let us sing of rats!
-- From a poem by James Grainger, 1721-1767