Need lower gearing 50/34 - 11-28



DanAyo

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Oct 4, 2010
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I would like to lower my gearing. I am presently running a 20 speed Ultegra 6700 groupset with 50/34 and 11-28. What are my best options? It looks like I can go to 11- 34 or 36 according to Sheldon Brown's site. Do I also have the option to reduce the lower chain ring down to 28 or 30? All I need is a 48 for my large ring, 50 would better though. I would prefer not to go to a Mountian Bike type RD.

I used to ride a 28-38-48 with an 11-32 and it worked well. Didn't really need the grandma gear but it was nice to have on long rides.

Thanks in Advance to any help with this.
Dan Ayo
 
Originally Posted by DanAyo .

I would like to lower my gearing. I am presently running a 20 speed Ultegra 6700 groupset with 50/34 and 11-28. What are my best options? It looks like I can go to 11- 34 or 36 according to Sheldon Brown's site. Do I also have the option to reduce the lower chain ring down to 28 or 30? All I need is a 48 for my large ring, 50 would better though. I would prefer not to go to a Mountian Bike type RD.

I used to ride a 28-38-48 with an 11-32 and it worked well. Didn't really need the grandma gear but it was nice to have on long rides.

Thanks in Advance to any help with this.
Dan Ayo
To go any larger than a 30 sprocket in the rear you will need an MTB rear derailleur. Depending on your frame you might not be able to get away with the 30 with the standard Ultegra derailleur - it's a cr*p shoot - some will do 30 some will only allow 28 depending on the rear dropouts and derailleur hanger.

With the compact cranks you could get a 33 ring (TA makes them) but that's as low as a Compact with a 110bcd will go. It's physically impossible to get smaller.

If you want to go with a triple, you'll need to upgrade the left STI shifter to a triple, a triple front derailleur and a medium arm rear derailleur.

The XTR rear derailleur is as good as Dura Ace, so I'm not sure why you don't want an MTB mech on the back - the 06 XTR is very stealth looking and has the barrel adjuster and is about as light as the medium cage Dura Ace derailleur.

You could always try the new SRAM 2x10 MTB goodies if you just wanted to stay with two chainrings. I haven't tried it but it's supposed to be good stuff but then you'd be looking at getting all SRAM stuff. Contador used a SRAM MTB rear derailleur and 32 sprocket during his Giro win in 2008 on that silly uphill time trail...
 
Hi Dan and welcome to CyclingForums. You are asking a question that comes up often in one form or another. The current set up on your bike is it alright for you to use on your daily commute or training rides? If so than it is my opionion that your bike is set up correctly. Why would you need to upgrade a bike that you may take out on a mountain pass one day or use on a century ride once or twice in the next couple of years? If you really do need the gearing range was it an available option on your new bike?
 
I'm in the process of building a bike from the frame up and I'm trying to learn my options. Last weekend I ran for the first time the Louisiana MS Bike run and it took me through hilly country. Up until then I'd never riden any hills what so ever. I'm from Louisiana and the only hills I climb are bridges, everything else is dead flat. While riding through the hills, and anticipating a new bike, I chose not to use the small ring at all. So my lowest gearing was a 38 front with a 32 cog. I did climb all hills but there were times when I wasn't fully confident I'd make it. I have a problem with my right knee and I can't stand up on the pedals to climb.

In comparing the 38/32 to a 34/28 with Sheldon Brown's calculator I found that the difference was
38/32 = 31.3 gear inches
34/28 = 32.0 gear inches

Hopefully, I can start to train in hills and build a little extra strength. Since riding hilly country, I think I'm about to get hooked on it. I had a blast and enjoyed the workout.

So, it seems my best options are;
Get a little stronger
Get a specialized cassette with a Mountain Bike type derailleur
Go with a 3 ring.

I'm thinking I'll stick with the 50/34 & 11-28 and Get Stronger.

Thanks for the opinions.

Danny Ayo
 
Thanks to Sheldon Brown's site I do have another option that I think would work well if Getting Stronger doesn't cut it. I could shorten the length of my cranks. I think this would probably be the cheapest and maybe best solution to lower gearing.

Any thoughts on this?

Danny Ayo
 
Shortening your cranks will decrease, rather than increase, your leverage, making climbs harder, not easier. Plus, cranks are expensive.

On my climbing road bike, I have an XTR rear der with an 11-34 cassette. Works fine. A 50-11 is a bigger gear combo than a 53-12, and a 34-34 gives you a 1:1 ratio for climbing. (Since I'm a weak old man, I run a 50-39-30 up front, which gives me the option of a 30-34 negative ratio for climbing walls, tall buildings, and the occasional mountain.)

Shimano has recently brought out an 11-36 cassette for 29ers, which works with their newer "Shadow" rear ders.

If that won't get you where you wanna be, you could consider a touring triple with something like a 24-36-48 up front.

Whatever works for you.
 
I'm new to this forum so my apologies for hijacking this thread. However, my concerns also regards lower gearing. I had just returned to biking after an almost 20 years hiatus. I have been mountain biking for about 4 months trying to build something I've lost since I quit both mountain and road biking - cardio and legs.

I wanted to get back into road biking once again, but concerned about the legs. I know I need to re-build them once again, but I will need help on some inclines. Finding this thread was like a gift from heaven. I'm still unsure if I want to go compact or triple, though the need to go 11-32 or even 11-34 is a must. My LBS is selling this 2009 Giant Devy Advance 2 at $2,300 including swapping out the stock 12-27 to 11-32. The biggest obstacle is the "bank"... my wife. She had a hard time shelling out $600 for my MTB so you can just imagine what will happen if I try to go with a budget of $3k on a roadie. So if there is any signs of hope, and I've said this to my LBS, I'd negotiate price with him including the swap-out, but the swap-out I want is an 11-34 with XTR RD for the compact - since the Giant comes with a compact. Seeing OldGoat's post gave life to my dilemma, but the question is will a 34/34 combo enough and not too much of a "spread"? Or should I go back to my Trek or Specialized dealers and get either a triple Madone 5.2 or Roubaix Expert and have them change the rear drive to my specificatons. That way, I can have the lowest at 30/34. But will the 11-34 with XTR RD work with a triple 52-39-30? I see OldGoat's at 50-39-30... do you think the 52 is too big for the XTR RD to handle?
 
Originally Posted by gundom66 .

But will the 11-34 with XTR RD work with a triple 52-39-30? I see OldGoat's at 50-39-30... do you think the 52 is too big for the XTR RD to handle?
It'll work just fine. Similar gearing to what I used in the Alta Alpina 200 mile slog through the mountains last year, except with a 53 Rotor 'oval-ish' Q-Ring up front (max effective diameter of a 55T ring I believe)
 
I agree, it'll work fine. Just be aware that the XTR rear der doesn't have a cable adjuster, so you'll either have to make do with your downtube adjuster, or get some of those nifty little Ritchey cable adjusters which install into road shifters. (I have not had good experience with other in-line cable adjusters.) If you get instead a Deore XT-RD-M761 rear der (like my wife has), the rear der will have a cable adjuster built in. Plus you'll save $100.
 
Awesome heads up OldGoat! So Deore XT it is! It's just a matter of either compact or triple and 11-32, 11-34, or 11-36. I may do the 11-34 with the triple or 11-36 with the compact. But first, I have to put a lot of effort on how to get the wife to approve of buying a $3k bike! I've narrowed it down to two - 2010 or 2011 Trek Madone 5.2 H2 or 2010 Bianchi Infinito C2C.
 
Have you considered a used bike? My last 4 bikes have all been bought used on eBay. Got great frames and very good to excellent components, for way under 1/2 of the cost of new. My full D/A carbon Aegis Aro Svelte set me back all of $1,275, and my Bianchi Cross Concept (older scandium w/ carbon seat stays & fork, not newer all-carbon) with FSA carbon crank and full D/A was about $750.
 

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