I have often wondered if it's just me or if there are others out there who share my frustration concerning the lack of different chainrings and cassette cogs for the current offerings from Shimano and Campagnolo.
When I got into riding, you could make up your own gearing and see what worked best and you could change cogs to compensate for different riding conditions. I miss those days. One might think that someone in the aftermarket would see the need for other size chainrings than 53 and 39T. No one has so far.
With all the attention over the last 10 years or more to making bikes more accommodating to the rider's physical needs, the gearing systems offered now are a glaring step in the wrong direction.
Frankly, I don't think the current systems shift that much better than a properly set up system from the late 80s to early 90s and the over-engineered systems with shifting ramps etc. make custom gearing almost impossible. I still use normal chainrings on the front and have no reason to feel that I could gain any improvement if I surrendered to the 53-39T standard. On the back, I still use the twist-tooth Dura-Ace cogs that I've been able to scratch up over the last 3-4 years. I'm very happy and to judge from what I'm hearing and seeing when I've ridden with folks using the new gearing systems, they're not shifting any faster or more reliably than I am.
A properly lubricated chain makes far more difference in positive shifting than all those ramps and differentially cut teeth.
I also am somewhat underwhelmed with the 10-speed systems. For my touring bike, 9 cogs is about all I need. For my other bikes, 8 cogs is just fine.
With the lack of available replacement cogs, I keep a close eye on my chains and replace them whenever I start seeing any wear. Got to protect those cogs.
When I got into riding, you could make up your own gearing and see what worked best and you could change cogs to compensate for different riding conditions. I miss those days. One might think that someone in the aftermarket would see the need for other size chainrings than 53 and 39T. No one has so far.
With all the attention over the last 10 years or more to making bikes more accommodating to the rider's physical needs, the gearing systems offered now are a glaring step in the wrong direction.
Frankly, I don't think the current systems shift that much better than a properly set up system from the late 80s to early 90s and the over-engineered systems with shifting ramps etc. make custom gearing almost impossible. I still use normal chainrings on the front and have no reason to feel that I could gain any improvement if I surrendered to the 53-39T standard. On the back, I still use the twist-tooth Dura-Ace cogs that I've been able to scratch up over the last 3-4 years. I'm very happy and to judge from what I'm hearing and seeing when I've ridden with folks using the new gearing systems, they're not shifting any faster or more reliably than I am.
A properly lubricated chain makes far more difference in positive shifting than all those ramps and differentially cut teeth.
I also am somewhat underwhelmed with the 10-speed systems. For my touring bike, 9 cogs is about all I need. For my other bikes, 8 cogs is just fine.
With the lack of available replacement cogs, I keep a close eye on my chains and replace them whenever I start seeing any wear. Got to protect those cogs.
