So got a new Bike Specialized Roubaix, which is a great fit for my build. Only when I was riding it I realized I am on a 50 34 chain ring. Looked on line and lots of bikes are being fitted with this even racier bikes like the Madone, Now:
Is this an issue? Having ridden 52 36 for ever, this feels weird. Looked at gearing tables and it’s not an issue, the question I have is other than big climbs what is the purpose of the 34? Also it seems to be a waste of gears as most of the time I’m only using 5 to 6 gears most of the time?
So I think I’m deluded and just need to get on with it?
If you’re not racing, its not an issue. The 50 chainring is plenty for almost all speeds and I find if I habe a 50-34 I almost always use the 50 for everything.
The 34 is for precisely what you suggested- big or steep climbs.
So got a new Bike Specialized Roubaix, which is a great fit for my build. Only when I was riding it I realized I am on a 50 34 chain ring. Looked on line and lots of bikes are being fitted with this even racier bikes like the Madone, Now:
Is this an issue? Having ridden 52 36 for ever, this feels weird. Looked at gearing tables and it’s not an issue, the question I have is other than big climbs what is the purpose of the 34? Also it seems to be a waste of gears as most of the time I’m only using 5 to 6 gears most of the time?
So I think I’m deluded and just need to get on with it?
50/34 is very common, i’ve been riding it for more than a decade. now, tho, it’s being eclipsed by lower gears (depending on the use case), like 46x33 and even 43x30 if you’re riding 12sp AXS with a 10sp cog.
in just about every branch of cycling, the REAL problem for recreational, club, AG racers isn’t the lack of a gear not high enough, but of a gear not low enough.
I think for big epic 100 milers in the mountains it will be great, last year I did 160 K with 3000 meters of climbing on standard gears, it is getting used to it.
It feels wrong, and in my mind as I soon as wear some parts out I’m changing, but maybe I’ll convert myself.
For 10 years I had been riding 50/34 on both my road and TT bikes. Year before last I got a new road bike with 52/36 with the same cassette (11-28) as my other bikes. I did a fairly hilly ride yesterday hitting some 15% grades and wished I had that 34 in front. To me, just those two extra teeth would have made it a little more comfortable.
Unless I’m munching along at over 50 Kph I’m good except for the odd use case. I did find that it opened up a wolrd of possibilities on climbs to be a bit faster, it still feels weird, but I most likely only use about 5 to 6 gears most of the time on my previous gearing its just that they are different gears.
I’m the opposite, and have gone back to 52/36. At IMAZ last year, going downhill with a tailwind, with my stock 50/34 and 12/25, I was spinning out at 28-30 mph, while the 52-11 folks were flying past me at 35+ mph. The first thing I did when I got home, was order 52/36 rings, and an 11/28 cassette. Much better.
I’m with you and think I’ll be ditching it, since I have it I may as well wear it out first. The issue I see is that unless you live in mega hills its effectively a 6 speed bike.
I’m the opposite, and have gone back to 52/36. At IMAZ last year, going downhill with a tailwind, with my stock 50/34 and 12/25, I was spinning out at 28-30 mph, while the 52-11 folks were flying past me at 35+ mph. The first thing I did when I got home, was order 52/36 rings, and an 11/28 cassette. Much better.
I’m very intrigued by the Wickwerks 53/34 chainring set. Don’t think I’d use it on a road bike, where I’m back and forth between chainrings regularly, but thinking about it for my TT bike where I spend most of the time in the big ring. Having that 34 bailout chainring might make it possible to get up that occasional steeper climb on a 25T cog.
For super long sportif type rides with endless climbing I can see the value in the 34 T dinner plate on the back and that’s for gradients over 15 % and up to 20.
Just not sure where any have normal bike rider would need 34 to 34. It seems like a waste of gears to me as there are about 6 useful gears most of the time.
Just not sure where any have normal bike rider would need 34 to 34.
A large majority of people on road bikes have FTPs of lower than 3W/kg. At 3W/kg, in 34-34 on a 9% gradient, you’re likely going above threshold just to sustain 80rpm. (On a 20% gradient like you referenced, a 3W/kg is going to be doing a huge effort, roughly 2xFTP, just to hold above 70rpm. That’s even with a 34-34, and is not something you want to be doing much of in a “super long sportif type ride”!)
At any rate, is your issue with your chainrings or with your cassette? If the concern is that the range you use simply doesn’t sprawl across very many of your gear ratios, that speaks more to the cassette being wide than the chainrings being slightly smaller than you’re used to. You could always throw a tighter-ratio cassette on the bike to get finer gear increments.
I’m the opposite, and have gone back to 52/36. At IMAZ last year, going downhill with a tailwind, with my stock 50/34 and 12/25, I was spinning out at 28-30 mph, while the 52-11 folks were flying past me at 35+ mph. The first thing I did when I got home, was order 52/36 rings, and an 11/28 cassette. Much better.
I’m very intrigued by the Wickwerks 53/34 chainring set. Don’t think I’d use it on a road bike, where I’m back and forth between chainrings regularly, but thinking about it for my TT bike where I spend most of the time in the big ring. Having that 34 bailout chainring might make it possible to get up that occasional steeper climb on a 25T cog.
Interesting you mention Wickwerks, as that’s the 52/36 I bought. I almost went with the 53/34, but chickened out. But I’m impressed enough with the design and shifting of the 52/36, that to do it over again, I would go with the 53/34
So got a new Bike Specialized Roubaix, which is a great fit for my build. Only when I was riding it I realized I am on a 50 34 chain ring. Looked on line and lots of bikes are being fitted with this even racier bikes like the Madone, Now:
Is this an issue? Having ridden 52 36 for ever, this feels weird. Looked at gearing tables and it’s not an issue, the question I have is other than big climbs what is the purpose of the 34? Also it seems to be a waste of gears as most of the time I’m only using 5 to 6 gears most of the time?
So I think I’m deluded and just need to get on with it?
Let’s assume that watts are not a concern (going down hill), the difference 52/11 and 50/11 at 90 rpm is 2km/h (51.6 vs 53.6). https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_speed
So it all depend on how often you above 55km/h and if you need to push every watts when you do… or if you work at a lower cadence.
50-34 is my least favorite chainring combo for a road bike. I agree on the 34t- and find it almost useless aside from very steep climbs. I’d only recommend 50-34 to folks that are very much a beginner or of low fitness level
Its a good point, I’ not fanging along at 50 kph on the flats, anyway its what I’ve got now. The more pressing issue is disc brakes and the noise from alignment, is this normal bedding in a new bike? and just needs to be adjusted?
If you’re not racing, its not an issue. The 50 chainring is plenty for almost all speeds and I find if I habe a 50-34 I almost always use the 50 for everything.
The 34 is for precisely what you suggested- big or steep climbs.
This^
I have been riding 50/34 for 15 years (and still do on most of my bikes), but found for top end road racing sometimes you need a 53 or 52 (or at least I did) for being able to keep up/catch up on descents (I am not a fast descender) in a race. Aside from that, or trying to go in a race sprint (if you have enough power, which again most people don’t) you just never need anything bigger than a 50. The 34 is nice, because you never need to worry about having enough gears for a big climbing day.
50-34 is my least favorite chainring combo for a road bike. I agree on the 34t- and find it almost useless aside from very steep climbs. I’d only recommend 50-34 to folks that are very much a beginner or of low fitness level
I’m the opposite, and have gone back to 52/36. At IMAZ last year, going downhill with a tailwind, with my stock 50/34 and 12/25, I was spinning out at 28-30 mph, while the 52-11 folks were flying past me at 35+ mph. The first thing I did when I got home, was order 52/36 rings, and an 11/28 cassette. Much better.
that was the only race to date that I switched out my 50/34. I swapped out for 53/39 and 11/25. was perfect and had the right gear the whole ride. for courses like StG, Oceanside and Canada, the 34 is a huge help.