I just bought a new Dura Ace 7800 56 x 44 off ebay.
I plan on putting it on my 08’ Cervelo P2C “Ulterga” build.
Bigger gearing than the stock Gossamer, but how much bigger?(not just literally 3 more teeth in the big and 5 more teeth in the small)
I have a road bike that i train hills on, and save the cervelo for long flat rides. But on occasion my flat routes have a couple climbs that require dropping into the small chain ring, and even all the way into my granny on an (11-23). With the 44 am i going to have a lot more difficult of a time? Or will it just be a little bit more of a challenge?
Also am i going to have any problems with the 56 x 44 Dura Ace being compatible with the stock ultegra group?
44 is alot bigger then a 39 up hill. I’d consider going with maybe a 25 or 27 in the back instead of the 23. A 39/23 is alot bigger then a 44/23. If you are using a 39/23 when climbing why did you buy a 44?
Just did the same with an 11-23 as well and used sheldon browns gear calc to figure it out. http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/
Unless you really really do need to SPIN up hills you shouldn’t find it a problem. Training on it could be a little harder for longer rides and such but in racing just compare some in the calc at your rpm and I bet you would be surprised. Ain Alur Juhansen used a 50/58 to go the fastest at Kona this year so it can be done. BTW I have FSA rings Ultegra derailuers and a Sram ten speed while running an FSA chain and for a road bike it is the smootest I have ever had and I have done my own work for 6 years so hopefully I have been at least doing it right for the last three and I am not just getting better at building.
I have been running that combo with a 11-23 for a few years. It’s not for everyone. Hell, it may not even be for me, but I am stubborn. I went to a 55/42 before trying the 56/44, so the jump was not as big as going from a 53/39. However, on a steep hill here in Austin, I will feel it. If I were going to be doing an extremely hilly course, I would definetely put on a 25 or 27 in the rear.
This weekend, I did a bike race in LA that had some climbing on gravel roads that would require being seated and I currently run my old 55/42 on that bike. I put on a 12-27 before I left town, and I needed every bit of gear to stay seated and make the last climb.
Everything should work with the new rings, though you will most likely have to make some adjustment. Hope this helps.
thanks a bunch. i can definitely man up when it comes to pushing the big ring in the flats …but for hills i was talking to a friend of mine and he reminded me that i could always replace the 44 ring with something smaller…how does that effect shifting and everything else?
Someone on here will know, but I believe there is a tooth drop count that cannot be exceeded. You could put on a 42, but a 39 would be a stretch…I think. Someone else will know off the top of their head.
Generally, the maximum tooth count drop is 16. Think of a 34 - 50. You could probably go with a 42 instead of the 44. It is still going to hurt on hills.
I’ve got the same on my P2C but with the 54/42 combination. If I’m racing, the extra adrenaline is usually enough to make the 42 feel like a 39. If I’m riding a course with steeper hills, I’ll swap out for the standard 53/39 crank from my road bike.
Gearing is flexible, so try it and see how it works. Changing cassettes is a bit easier if you don’t know how to adjust front derailleurs because you need to move the FD up or down when you change big ring sizes.
I’ll address this question to the group as a whole? Why does a triathlete need a 56? I just can’t figure this one out. I can usually average around 24 mph on the hilly courses I do around here and I run a 50x12 and rarely even get as low as the 13. If you get up to a speed where you are not just grinding a 56x11 or 12 at 60 rpm then you should be in a full tuck, not pedaling. Though, come to think of it, I pass a lot of guys pedaling like crazy while I’m going down hills resting in the tuck. I just don’t understand it.
On many bikes the only real issue is that often you cant get the front der high enough if the frame has a braze on mount (and most do again). Second issue I have seen is that most people I see with a 56x42 spend 90% of their time in the 42 and then struggle with hills. I have even seen a guy on a 56 who had a XTR mountain cogset for a nice 36 in the back…heh…wasnt my money.
I’ll address this question to the group as a whole? Why does a triathlete need a 56?
That is a good question. I’ve got the 54/42 combo. But I didn’t buy it for the 54, I bought it because Shimano recommends those two as a pair and I wanted the 42 as a TT small ring. Usually, I’m going to be in the big ring the whole time, but if the wind comes up on some hilly section, I still want something that give more bite on the low side than a 39. You’ve got to look at gearing in a holistic way.
Another example, Why would I want to race with a 12-25 tooth cassette, isn’t 39/25 really low? Well yes, but the point is to be able to run the 53x23 without being massively cross chained, so it begins to make sense…
i sort of impulse bought without thinking of how big a 56 is to be honest(im new to the sport)
i got the Dura Ace 780 56/44 rings and crank arms for 190.xx shipped. BRAND NEW. so whatever if im not man enough to push it over. ill swap the rings out.
but then i got to think it could come in use for training purposes. and on a super flat course like NO(my next race) i think when i get into groove and im hammering away ill be able to turn it over. its not so much a matter of needing the damn thing, but if i can hack it why not?
So, really what you are saying is that the sale was so good you purchased something that is not your size?
I STRONGLY suggest against riding this gearing if you cant spin the pedals. Matter of fact, most people that went to comapact got faster will smaller inches.
i know i can turn a 56. I ride all day on 53-11. its just going to be a matter of working my way into it
Dude…um, you claim you ride “all day” in that 11? Mario Pantoni…is that you?
"i know i can turn a 56. I ride all day on 53-11. its just going to be a matter of working my way into it "
Given that 80 rpms in 53-11 gives 30 mph, the 56 will be fine for a monster such as yourself.
I had a roommate in college who got a spatula at the dollar store. He was pretty psyched at the deal he got, but the thing melted if it touched the pan for more than a second. He would say “It was only a dollar” as he picked the pieces of melted plastic out of his eggs.
i know i can turn a 56. I ride all day on 53-11. its just going to be a matter of working my way into it
What cadence?!! If you’re doing 90 rpm, then you’d be going 34mph all day, and you should be planning an assault on the world hour record. Even at 80 rpm (considered a rather low cadence for sustained effort), you’d be doing 30+.
If you’re really pushing a 53X11 “all day” at a reasonable cadence, you’re in the wrong place. You should be doing spring classics right now, or prepping for the first of your numerous Tour de France victories.