How often do you people find yourselves using an 11 gear on a relatively flat course? I currently ride a 12x25 /w a 55/39 crank on 700 size wheels. Using the 52x12 at 90 rpm I’d be moving along at ~31.57mph vs ~34.44mph with a 52x11. And the numbers for a 55 chainring at 90rpm: 55x12 = ~32.77mph and 55x11 = ~35.74mph
As far as gear spacing both the Shimano 12-25 and 11-23 don’t have a 16 gear… so long story short… if I’m a 90+ RPMer… and can’t push a bike anywhere near ~32 mph during any distance (flat) tri… why would I want to ride an 11-23?? And the difference between the 53 and 55 chainring aren’t that drastic, why would you use a 55 ring?
11 gear and 55 chainring only seem to make sense for those pedaling downhills… or for the ultra-super-strong.
What did Boarderman use on his 1 hour record… and what RPM… hmm?? Just curious.
strange that the 16 gear seems to be omitted by Shimano in the 12-25 and 11-23 cassettes. It’s in the 11-21, 12-21, and 12-23… must be the jump from the 17 to the 21 gear… I bet the 10 speed will have a 16 gear.
I use the 16 and 18 WAY more than I use the 11 or 25. On another note, there is WAY less drivetrain friction with a 16 tooth cassette, so if you are TTing all the time in a 52x15, you’d be saving some energy in a 55x16 from a cleaner cog/chain interaction and chainline.
The 11-23 cassette can also be used as a 12-25 if you simply buy a 9 speed spacer, a 12t lockring and a 25t cog.
Remove the 11t cog, and put the 25t on first (26t works too) then the spacer. Reinstall the remaining 8 gears, omitting the 11t, thread on the 12 t spacer, and viola, your hilly course cassette.
Reverse process for your flat or short courses where the 11t might get used.
i ride an 11-23 on my tri bike, with 53-39 up front. i rarely use the 53-11, but i like having it, because when i’m in the little ring, the 11 cog pushes the 12, 13, 14, and 15 cogs closer to the center, making them more usable (when you consider the cross chain). i agree that the 11 cog is rather useless for most people in the big ring, but i find it irreplacable when it comes to putting the other cogs closer to the center, and more usable with the little ring. later,