I just got a new frame (2003 QR picanti–new with full warntee–thanks preownedbikes.com) and I am going to move over my parts from my old bike. I have decided to buy a new crank. I am debating buying a compact crank. I wonder if this is too much with the 650c wheels. I know that Dan reccomended compact cranks in a recent article and I wonder if that applies to bikes with smaller wheels. In triathlons I am a good swimmer a decent cyclist and a pretty poor runner. I was wondering if I had the compact cranks I could push a smaller gear and save my legs for the run. I am seriously considering doing IMMOO next year–which will be my 2nd ironman.
I’ve been using compacts on my 650c bike for over a year. I really like them. I ride a lot of long climbs and the gearing allows me to spin much faster. Right now I’m using a 50/34 up front and a 12-23 in the back. At some point I will change that to an 11-25 or 27 just to expand the gear range even more.
Gary Mc
Do it. Unless you descend like Paolo Savoldelli, I doubt you’ll use the big ring on your bike without being in your bigger cogs. Even those that live in flatter terrain that southern Wisconsin could benefit from having lower gears, but tighter cogsets. I don’t see reason besides ego keeping anyone but the strongest from using compacts. That being said, you’d have to be pretty damn strong…didn’t Tyler ride compacts to a stage win in 2003?
I’ve been riding 650 wheels for 10 years and right now my setup is a 55-42 up front with a 11-23 on the back. I think that I might put a 12-25 on the back for a very hilly course but I think that standard 53-39 serves the same purpose as the compacts do for 700c wheels so if you are currently riding this setup there shouldn’t be much need to change.
As stated before, a 53/39 on a 650c bike is like having a compact on a 700c. I guess it depends what you want. Sheldon Brown’s website has a gearing calculator that you can use to compare the differences between combinations of cranks, wheelsize and cassettes. On my 650c bike I had to bump my chainrings from a 53/39 to a 55/44 with an 11-23 cassette because I felt was spinning too fast in the high gears for my tastes. A 55 x 11 on a 650c is actually geared lower than a 53 x 11 on a 700c.
All of these valid points remind me that gear selection is like shoe size. The correct one is the one that works for you. I always think the posts that say “What gear for X race?” are funny. I wouldn’t recommend anyone wear my size shoe unless it happen to fit. I like to spin up hills and the compacts let me do that. If you prefer to ride in a bigger/harder gear that’s what you should do.