U might need some shorter chain ring bolts, and it seems like a lot of work for a probably insignifigant gain if any

Ask David Millar about his choice not to go with a front derailleur in the 2003 Tour de France prologue.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Why did you quote the word "'lose'"?

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08

If you end up with bad wind conditions you might find yourself desperately wishing for it later in the bike.

I love it when people get all concerned about weight on their bikes and then propose something that is pretty dumb. Take a good poop each day for the three days leading up to the race and you'll drop as much weight as you would concocting the setup you are proposing.

relax buddy, its just an idea..

I'm fine, but it sounds like you need to relax and focus on your training as opposed to contemplating things to do to your bike.

yawn..

Ok, nevermind, you're right....Take off the FD, small ring, and all associated cabling and equipment. It'll be fine, I am sure nothing will happen.

Bob

Interesting thought Dave - you are a strong enough cyclist to certainly NOT need the 39 up front even in the wind. Just in the taper boredom I assume. I probably wouldn't ... breaking the chain if Shimano, might need shorter chainring bolts, rewrapping the aero bars, recabling, etc. (esp if your bike uses internal routing). I'm sure you are not the first person to wonder about this, but I've never seen it.

Have a great race!

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Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
- Andrew Coggan, PhD

it was just an idea. Since I'm recabling my bike later today anyway, I was just curious if anyone had seen it done.

It wouldn't be ST if I didn't get the "that's a dumb idea" and "you should be out training" comments. ;)

Yeah that's the problem with asking what others think. Sometimes they answer ;^)

I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this. I am also doing IMArizona, probably won't use my small chain ring, but I don't have enough knowledge about the pros and cons of removing the small chain ring. It would just be another thing to worry about that could go wrong.

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Barry Dmitruk
2017: Florida 70.3 (done); Mont Tremblant 70.3 & Ironman

There are windy days when the small chainring is pretty useful on the beeline. I can recall days when I slogged up that sucker at about 12mph into a tough headwind. FWIW, I ride about 60 minutes for a 40K TT.

I would not, it would feel weird to not have the shifter at the end of my bar, I like to rest my middle finger and index finger ( in between) I ride in the wind a lot and sometimes use the 39, very rarely but its nice to have it available. see you in AZ.

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2010: RR 100, BW, qualify for Kona at coz!!

My thoughts exactly, I am consistently a sub 60 40k TT guy but last year at IMAZ, I found myself going like 12-14 into the wind.

I did it the first year and I felt strong on the bike going in to the race but could only ride 5:30 (OK that's normal for me but I felt strong) there were times I was torquing round the cranks in the little ring. When I saw Faris riding into the wind as fast as I was with the wind behind me I smiled and said to myself he would win Hawaii that year.

I definitely would leave both rings on you never know what might happen, you might bonk and need it to get back! Or if your chain or derailleur was to break and you get a quick fix from tech support they might need to shorten the chain.

Good luck in AZ

The fact that if she pooped each day for three days leading up to the race would drop as much weight as following her idea, doesn’t change the fact that she would still be dropping weight by leaving out the small chain ring (whether that’s a good idea or not is a totally different matter). So your logic really doesn’t make sense.

I think what you’re trying to say is that her time is better spent training rather than ‘concocting’.

Even to that point, I’d disagree. There’s always recovery downtime, what better way to spend it than to think of ways to get that extra edge?

I think it would be great idea IF it wasn't a 112 mile bike ride. Thats a long time and alot can happen. if you bonk, the winds pick up, etc etc.....you may wish you had that 39 as a bail out to make it to T2.

Now that said, if the race was shorter...........hhhhhmmmmmmmm.....maybe I'd try it and see if it matters. I have a short sprint race this Sunday and I'd like to try it some time. Then again, I'd save maybe 2 sec at most with the drop in wieght on a 12 mile course with near 0 elevation change. And now I have to pull the cables, get shorter chainring bolts, pull the shifter out, then after the race put in a new cable, etc. etc. I don't think its worth the effort. Although I missed the "elite" awards 2 weeks ago by just 16 seconds.

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Paul

I would not recommend this. I definitely spent time in the small chainring last year in the 40 mph headwinds we experienced on the return trip into town.

Also, how much advantage will dropping a small chain ring give you? You will be riding with at least 2-3 bottles of fluid, a chainrings worth of food in grams...and on a flat course. I don't see any reason why you would want to loose your small chain ring... I always kind of chuckle when people talk about dropping 50 grams on their bike on an Ironman, then put 4 bottles on their bike and a buffet of powerbars...

I would focus your attention on dropping a pound or two of body fat before the race. That will help you much more than ditching your small chain ring.

mis dos pesos...

Well my guess is that most everyone oif the nay sayers so far has carbon WB cages, ceramic bearing, dimpled zipps, etc, etc, etc so i wouldn't worry about them. Weight wise my guess is your are looking at a pound or so. Too lazy too look up what that works out to but maybe a minute over 112 miles. Aero wise it depends on cabling (in or out of frame). If its out I wouldn't be surprised if all told its another minute maybe two. If you could move your crank in a bit (unlikely without fiddling) the narrower stance might also help.

So my guess is all told 3 minutes max. Now decide if you are that close to qualifying (and how much qualifying means). If you've been 10 minutes or so from a spot I'd say go for it, minutes matter and missing by 1 minute or 20 minutes, who cares. If you don't care about a slot and just want a decent race, don't take chances.

If you go 1 ring either leave on the FD as a guide or get a single speed chainring. They have long teeth that wont let the chain derail as easily.

Styrrell

analyticcycling.com says dropping .5kg over 180km of flat course will gain you about 6 seconds. FYI.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Boy is he going to be pissed if he misses qualifying by 5 seconds. ;-)

Styrrell

Depends on which age group you are in...if you are in my age group (30-34) then I think you should remove the small chain ring. Just kidding!

I would advise against, strictly based on the wind from last year. I rode the course this past weekend and never went into the small chainring, but last year with that headwind I was in the small chainring!

...and the contrary view. If you take one off, take off the big chainring. That will help insure that you don't totally blow out your legs for the run.

Seems like a lot of work for little benefit. You have to take all the parts off, get shorter chainring bolts, plug the bar end and whatever else pops up. Then when you get home you have to put all the stuff back on- or pay a mechanic to. If you drop the chain during the race, you will have to stop to get it back on, rather than just shift it back. If the winds pick up or something happens you might need it.


I used to wrench, and still work on a few friends bikes. If they came up with this idea, I would make them go pay a mechanic rather than do it for them.

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

We're obviously just having fun with this because you already know the answer but...........I did IMAZ last year and had very similar thoughts prior to the race as I had ridden that loop 50 times on my CT and thought there was no way I'd need the small ring. Fast forward to the 3rd loop, heading back into a 30+mph headwind at 13mph (around mile 95) and I know my cadence is dropping below "that point". The PT says I'm holding the right power. In my mind I'm thing, "I really can't believe I'm going to do this but I know what the right thing to do is". I dropped it into the small ring for 10 minutes until things picked up. I almost didn't just on principle.

Don't do it!

Saving weight is one thing, but your chain moves around far more than you realise. The FD helps keep the chain in place, taking it off increases the number of times your chain will come off. Especially on the infamous rumble strips on the AZ bike course.

My brother tried this a few years ago and it only lasted a couple of days as the chain kept coming off.

I used to see set-ups like this in the early 90's. They didn't just drop the small ring though. I think many would run something like a 48 or 50 tooth ring. Bottom brackets used to have some adjustment so the chain line would be in between where the two rings currently are. This fad passed. The drawbacks being the dropped chain issue and of course the need for more gears as most people don't want to change the whole thing up for a different course.

The obvious conclusion here is that you should just plan on riding a fixie. :)

-Jot

I am laughing my ass off at your comments. I read the OT and was like 'why', 'why' and 'why' would you even want to tempt fate. Let's see: hundreds of hours of training, thousands of dollars and equipment and then during taper decide, "hey, what a great idea I have; I'll start removing parts from my bike." Might as well take off the front brake lever and front brake, you don't need those either. Take off the cowhorns too, just use the aero bars like Badman.

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Mike Ricci
2017 USAT World Team Coach
USAT National Coach of the Year
Coaching Triathletes since 1992.

Well... I can't be the only one here who wondered if I really needed brakes on both wheels.

haa haa haa! No you aren't! I wouldn't dare do it, mostly b/c I don't want to deal with the hassle of it all. Funny day on ST.

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Mike Ricci
2017 USAT World Team Coach
USAT National Coach of the Year
Coaching Triathletes since 1992.

Well, I wanted to say it was another epiosde of "When smart people do dumb things" but did not...The only equipment variable I will contemplate in the weeks leading up to IMLP is whether to go with the 606 or 808 set up. If everything else isn't in stone by then, well, I didn't do my job.

Bob

So how many of you IMAZ'ers wound up using the small chainring? Just curious.

I used it the majority of the way out into the headwind. It was big 12 for a good chunk of the way back.

Brian

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"As a former employee of Nytro, let me just say that I was underwhelmed by some of the customers that used to come in there."

I didn't use it.. but have been guilty of mashing too much in the past. bad habit

I used it. Was surprised at the number of people not...but, I learned my lesson at IMAZ before about riding into that wind in the big ring (any wind for that matter).

I didn't use it but heading into the wind I used the 25 and the one lower in the rear for most of the time. In my "bike check" rides I was having a few issues with those cogs but I figured if it was a problem in the race I would go into the small ring and use a smaller rear cog so it was a backup...

I almost used it, but did not.

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2010: RR 100, BW, qualify for Kona at coz!!

I had a 12-21 rear and used it into the wind to keep a better chain line. Had both my Q-rings lined up equally so sitting and spinning on the small ring was not a problem.

I realize the race is over, but I just read this. Next time, instead of dropping the small ring you probably won't use, try changing both rings. Try a 55/42 set up or something like that. Give yourself a bigger gear to use with the wind, and a small enough gear to ride into it. 53/39 and 50/34 aren't the only chainring setup options.

I personally think it is great you are trying to find a faster setup, but I do agree that not having a front der on such a long ride is a bad idea, especially with a marathon to run after.

Scott

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Disclaimer: This poster is a sales rep in the bicycle industry

I didn't use it once and I felt I was spinning all day, as opposed to grinding it out (and turning my legs into mush for the run).

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Barry Dmitruk
2017: Florida 70.3 (done); Mont Tremblant 70.3 & Ironman