Your Compact Double vs. Your Regular Double



FrankBattle

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May 9, 2005
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For those with 2 (or more) road bikes and have 1 (or more) bikes with a compact crankset and 1 (or more) with a regular [double] crankset, just curious, do you ride both in a week?

So, my regular [double] crankset-bike has an 11-23 cassette and is used for the flatter training rides and when I feel like punishing myself on the 2 mile CLIMB on the way back home; I pop in a 12-27 every now and then, just for kicks/variety .. and it also has its own 12-25 cassette for the in-between days/periods.

The compact crankset has a 12-25 cassette and allows me to spin up any hill with relative ease (it too gets the 11-23 every now and then).

Not asking for setup advice, just curious what your experience has been going back and forth. In my case, I travel quite a bit, so I take the regular crankset-bike on the road and use that over hills, but with the 12-25/27 cassette(s). The compact sits home. When I'm on the road, the routes are hilly to rolling (more on the hilly side), so I'm forced to work harder. When the 12-27 cassette is on, the 27 is there for bailout. I rarely use it on my normal route(s); I max out (min out really) on the 39x24 combination ..

With no real data for support, I'm thinking that the tougher training on the 53x39 (provided I'm conscientious with more spinning rather than mashing big gears all the time) will make the compact feel that much easier. Too bad, I haven't tried the compact on the hilly routes away from home (the converse, yes).

Interesting thing is that my times on away-from-home routes have continued to fall. Maybe training on the compact makes the regular feel easier .. given that I tend to remain in the 50-tooth ring more even over rollers that I would have dropped down to the 39-tooth for (at home).

What are your experiences, if you have both cranksets and ride both bikes regularly?
 
FrankBattle said:
For those with 2 (or more) road bikes and have 1 (or more) bikes with a compact crankset and 1 (or more) with a regular [double] crankset, just curious, do you ride both in a week?

So, my regular [double] crankset-bike has an 11-23 cassette and is used for the flatter training rides and when I feel like punishing myself on the 2 mile CLIMB on the way back home; I pop in a 12-27 every now and then, just for kicks/variety .. and it also has its own 12-25 cassette for the in-between days/periods.

The compact crankset has a 12-25 cassette and allows me to spin up any hill with relative ease (it too gets the 11-23 every now and then).

Not asking for setup advice, just curious what your experience has been going back and forth. In my case, I travel quite a bit, so I take the regular crankset-bike on the road and use that over hills, but with the 12-25/27 cassette(s). The compact sits home. When I'm on the road, the routes are hilly to rolling (more on the hilly side), so I'm forced to work harder. When the 12-27 cassette is on, the 27 is there for bailout. I rarely use it on my normal route(s); I max out (min out really) on the 39x24 combination ..

With no real data for support, I'm thinking that the tougher training on the 53x39 (provided I'm conscientious with more spinning rather than mashing big gears all the time) will make the compact feel that much easier. Too bad, I haven't tried the compact on the hilly routes away from home (the converse, yes).

Interesting thing is that my times on away-from-home routes have continued to fall. Maybe training on the compact makes the regular feel easier .. given that I tend to remain in the 50-tooth ring more even over rollers that I would have dropped down to the 39-tooth for (at home).

What are your experiences, if you have both cranksets and ride both bikes regularly?
On your compact set up do you run a med or long cage rear derailleur? just curious.
 
PeterF said:
On your compact set up do you run a med or long cage rear derailleur? just curious.
The RD is a short cage (guessing that would correspond with the medium). I know it's not the long.

With the exception of the FSA crankset, everything else is Ultegra.
 
I have the same thing on two different bikes, slightly different components. I run a DA9 53/39 11-23 on my AL training bike and REC10 50/34 12-25 on a carbon bike. I love Campy, love the carbon bike and everything about that ride, but this year I have ridden the training bike almost exclusively. Its better for overall workouts I feel and I take it even on longer rides with bigger hills. I take the other bike out for recovery and cadence rides, as well as event rides in the mountains.

I agree that training on the 53/39 makes the 50/34 feel almost too easy. On all but quite large climbs I also ride in the 50 over everything where I might normally have dropped to the 39. Fitness plays a role. If you're training on a 53/39 you're a lot less likely to need a compact unless you hit serious mountains. I dont regret having the compact though. I like being able to choose.
 
having been doing the harder rides on the regular double, I think the newness of the compact has worn off. thinking hard and long about switching to a regular double ..

decisions decisions
 

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