50/34 is really for climbing very big hills/mountains. If you aren't doing a lot of that then I would avoid it. I can't imagine what climb you would ever need a 34x28 for. 36x25 ought to get you up anything but the very steepest climbs.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

I agree with Eric. There's really no need for a 50/34 when the 52/36 is available. I think the 52/36 is the best gearing out there.

I used a 54/39 and 11-28 at Whistler last year. I got through it okay but I wish I had the 36t on a couple of occasions. My new bike has a 52/36 so I'm good to go this year.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

In case you were not aware, you can swap those chainrings around any time you want. Both are compact crank chainrings.

But I agree, 52/36 is usually good for nearly everybody in nearly all applications.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I use a 50/34 11/32. I never run out of gears for my hilly rides, or my flat rides. I guess if you ride where there are on hills, who cares. But I never understand, for the "normal" person, if they train or ride in hills at times, why one would not have all the gears needed. I have yet to see a normal person outspin a 50 11 on the flats. And I sure love spinning past folks on hills sitting down in my 34 32. Now, the real question is after the bike, I wonder why I never see these folks in front of me with larger gears? :o)


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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

i doubt anyone needs more than a 50/11 on a flat, no one is arguing that but here in my state you would be spun out half the time. i dont know a single road race in the state of new mexico that you wouldnt be spun out. i think ive hit 50-55mph in every road race at one point and the only race i havent done has "hill climb" in the name. so for solo tt rides that are mainly just hilly rides then sure but i would argue that for the "normal" person as you put it, most people would never, ever, use 34/32. ever.

Because they are way in front of you and you never get close enough to see them.

(yes, I am half joking, obviously 90% of the time whether you have big chainrings or not, you will be in the same total gear ratio anyway so it doesn't matter)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I am 190 # and used a 50/34 and 12-30 at whistler. In retrospect a 52/36 would be a bit better as I spun out pretty soon. There is one 500 yard section at Canada on the pemberton descent that you will be glad you have one small gear. The rest of the hills are just steady but not too steep

To be honest, if you need a 50/34 then you are not a very competitive rider.

Or you are older/female/doing savageman

any combo of 2 those 3 things
haha

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Yeah... My understanding is with the new Shimano cranks you can rum the full range of chain rings (ie no more different bolt patterns).

I figured the 52/36 would be the way to go since their are some big sustained downhills at Whistler. Plug that will give me plenty of gearing for the limited number of TTs we have up here in the pacNW.

This is total BS - you can create the same gear inches with an 11-25 or whatever 11 tooth cog on a 50T chainring, and if you live somewhere genuinely mountainous a 50-34 is great for most people. With a 50 you can stay in the big for a lot of climbs that are longer and / or not as steep.

Do the math before you slam a 50-34 - there is nothing really lost. The gear inches are the same.

His claim was not that 50/34 would be a problem.
His claim was that if you *need* it, you are not very competitive.

Which is true, with reasonable definitions of competitive for males under 50 years old anyway.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I don't know, but I would consider Kevin Metcalfe pretty competitive. And probably faster than you.


Edit: Ok, I guess you may be correct with the whole "need" thing.

no one is slamming 50/34 with a 11-25... it was the idea of 34front gear 32 rear. 11-25 was not an option for the OP. so there are a ton of gears lost with a 50-34 if you couple it with a 12-32 for most people. a 36-28 combo is enough for most people in mountainous areas.

define competitive.

fwiw, i'd consider myself aerobically stronger than 75% of cat-3's. I use a 50/34t with 11-28t, and i just bought a mid-cage XX derailleur to handle a 11-36t cassette. When the hills kick up to 15% above, well, i'll be grinding away at 65 rpm if i were to use a 34x28t

Man, I just say show me some data. I know at IMLT, which has a few hills, I might have been a wuss, with my 50/34 11/32
setup, but boy was it fun running past 400 folks during the marathon who had blown out legs.

I just got back from my hilly training ride. 60 miles, 5000 feet of climbing. Climbs up to 15% I love using my 50 32 for up to 6% grades, and sorry, I am old and slow so on the 15% stuff, yep, I am in my 34 32.

On steep downhills, I spin out over 40, but all the coaches I have talked to said one should not be pedaling over 40 anyways, just give the legs a rest.

I just love watching folks standing in their bike seats dying on Tahoes Brockway, Donners climb, Wildflowers Nasty Grade, etc, as I just spin in my 32 right by them. And since I have yet been passed on the run after the bike, how is having harder gears a help for a triathlon? And I am old.

And when I say normal, I guess we just must see different results are hilly races.

I guess I should not say I also use 200mm crank arms. :o)

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I race with a 50/34 as a Cat 1.

A 52/36 would be ideal. I'd love one of those with a 12-28, training and racing.

Fundamentally the crank difference does not matter much becasue you can acheive the same gear inches with whatever setup. So your front chainring size does not say anything about being competiitve because you can do the same gear ratios with either set-up.

For me a 50-34 works because I live in a mountainous area, regularly climb a tun, and the 34 is good for Zone 1-2 workouts where you still can ride the climbs. Like the other person said, I can do 60 miles and 5000 vertical with a lot of sustained climbs.

I suppose if you live in Texas, or Florida or elsewhere totally flat you would not really think it is necessary to have a 50-34.

50-34 is necessary for many of us in Texas for the tour da hugel

oh yes

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

So a 2:34 Lake Stevens 70.3 Bike Split (Top 10% of the day and I backed off the last 10 miles to try and have a better run) on a course with 3600' of elevation is not competitive? Meredith Kessler went 2:28 (24th overall bike split) and only 3 male pros (Crowie, Luke Bell and Elliot Holtham) were sub 2:20. I'm not claiming to be crazy fast, but considering I was racing at 195-197 on a less then ideal bike setup (Kestrel Talon that is WAY to short for me), I'd say the bike is not a problem area. I rode a 50/34 with a 12-27 for that race.

Love the Savageman comment. I am headed up there this week and am trying to get more miles on my TT bike. I know the 39x25 is going to suck for some of those hills (definitely avoiding a few).

Living in a "hilly" part of Maryland I can see the need or efficiency of the 50x34 with a smaller cassette but like so many answers on ST this depends on your area and riding ability but a lot of the best riders I know in my area ride 52x36 and many of the worst* ride the 55x42... kinda funny how that works.

*by worst I mean those that constantly wonder "what happened" after a race

Jackmott: I've got a house available for the Garrett County Gran Fondo if you want to test out the Diabolical Double on June 21st. (Not trying to hijack)

Only a jack---(es) would NEED to say all of this -in my opinion.

Do you need a long cage der for this setup?

But, the truth is you probably didn't use the 34-27 gear did you? With a gear ratio like that, we are talking 8 mph. I would not consider that a competitive speed unless you are going up a monster climb.