hi, i would really appreciate an answer and an advice:
i have a specialized roubaix with 110 ‘compact’ chainrings (small chainring is 34t i think. the large one is 50t for sure)
can i replace my 50t with a 52t? would there me no mechanical problems if i leave the original small chainring (34t?) and just replace the large
one (50t) with a larger chainring (52t)? would it be compatible?
if the answer to 1 is yes, would you advice against it? i’d like to get it so i can go faster downhills.
my derailers are all Ultegra and my rear cassette is 11/28 ultegra
hi, i would really appreciate an answer and an advice:
i have a specialized roubaix with 110 ‘compact’ chainrings (small chainring is 34t i think. the large one is 50t for sure)
can i replace my 50t with a 52t? would there me no mechanical problems if i leave the original small chainring (34t?) and just replace the large
one (50t) with a larger chainring (52t)? would it be compatible?
if the answer to 1 is yes, would you advice against it? i’d like to get it so i can go faster downhills.
my derailers are all Ultegra and my rear cassette is 11/28 ultegra
you can if they’re the same BCD- 110mm vs. 130mm. make sure that’s right. chain length may or may not be necessary, but probably not a bad idea. FD will need adjustment.
also, I found problems when swtiching my 50t shimano to a 46t veulta ring for CX. I had to put some nylon spacers in between the crank arms because the rings were so close together the chain constantly rubs on the big ring when in high gears (4-9). So be careful about cross-branding if that is your intent.
50 will work fine with a 34 small ring
i would also ask why you’re switching. a 50/11 is going to get you everything you want, unless you’re a pro-cyclist in a super flat TT. I’ve only spun out my old 50/11 on 1 occassion…and that 2-3 seconds I lost because of it? i bet made it up x10 later on the run (because i had higher cadence due to compact rings on the resultant climb back to T2, my legs felt better for run)
shifting from big to small may get tricky if you don’t go a little bigger on the inner chainring/. normally people go with 52x36
you will need to adjust the front derailleur.
I have been able to get away without adding more links but what I usually do is leave a 11-23 on the back and then swap out my chainrings depending on the course. So hilly course I go with 50-34 and then flat courses I go with 52-38. It’s a tonne easier to swap chainrings than cassettes.
the reason why i want to increase the chainring from 50t to 52t
is because i’m planning to a very hilly IM. so the course is all either uphill or downhill. there is almost no flat portion…
the 50+11 combo seems not efficient enough on the downhills
the reason why i want to increase the chainring from 50t to 52t
is because i’m planning to a very hilly IM. so the course is all either uphill or downhill. there is almost no flat portion…
the 50+11 combo seems not efficient enough on the downhills
If it’s very hilly, doesn’t it make more sense to keep the 50? In fact, in a very hilly road race, I’ll swap out my 11-23 for a 11-26 or 12-27. Always a better choice for me.
how steep and long are the down hills? If you’re spinning out a 50-11 probably just time to tuck and ride it out. You’ll be doing like 32-35+ anyways. If it’s that steep, or long, you’ll probably be doing 40+ soon anyways, and the 52 isn’t going to give you anything extra. I mean, are you really that worried about it? If so get a 56t ring. then you can grind away at 40mph going downhill.
Consistency of pedaling/cadence is key in triathlon (aka no surging). However, if it’s hilly, especially in an Ironman where you don’t want to be grinding yourself into dust on low cadence grinds on flats or hills, I’d rather have a 34-50t so I can climb efficiently and I’ll just rest for those very moments that I’m spun out (IF that even happens)
Then you need to go pro. So the difference at 100rpm is 35.5 to 36.8 mph. So that gains you how far bt the time you tuck at 40mph. A mile an hour faster for what 30 seconds, thats if its prudent to push the extra watts for those few seconds. …So it is worh while if you can hold lets say 34mph compared to 35mph at 90 rpm. For me, I cannot hold those speeds
Edit do to two others beating me to it…Have you doen an IM? You realize that you are not going balls to the wall for 112 don’t you?
i’m definitely not a stud, but ‘is it worth it?’ - not sure what you mean… my 50t is worn out. it’s time to replace it
i can replace it with another 50t or with a 52t. so the cost would be the same, unless i have to put spacesrs and
do other modifications… but if the 52t is compatible…
so i now realize that it would only get me a 1% potential improvement… i guess ‘is it worth it’ applies to taking a chance on the
compatibility of the 52…
I think its easier to change cassettes!
but then I have a lot of practice thanks to wheel covers!
you may need to some links to your chain
shifting from big to small may get tricky if you don’t go a little bigger on the inner chainring/. normally people go with 52x36
you will need to adjust the front derailleur.
I have been able to get away without adding more links but what I usually do is leave a 11-23 on the back and then swap out my chainrings depending on the course. So hilly course I go with 50-34 and then flat courses I go with 52-38. It’s a tonne easier to swap chainrings than cassettes.
Go to Velonews and look at the articles by the former pro mechanic. This was pretty much just answered a few days age. paraphrasing, you can do it, if you use a chaindrop device like a k-edge you probably wont need to change or adjust the FD, and if your chain is the “proper length” then you shouldn’t need to add links to the chain. The benefit to the top end is 4% which is pretty significant. As far as changing cassette, you can’t get what you want by doing that, you have a 11 tooth now.
Sugino or stronglite makes 110 x 52 and 53 chainrings.
A lot of people overlooked that you mentioned running an 11-28 cassette. That’s a wide range and ton of climbing available. I think if you went 52 (or 53 - if they make it in that bolt pattern or you changed cranks entirely so it fit) would still have you well within the realm of ‘normal.’ If you want a little more top-end, I think 52x11 top-end with 52x28 big-ring climbing still gives you a ton of variety. Again - assuming they sell one for your crank bolt pattern and it’s a simple swap, I can’t imagine too much being off re: FD and chain, and I would think a 52 would be more ‘normal’ than a 50 given you have a 11-28 cassette.
Well that 1 % or 4% gain is only if you are comfortable pushing the extra watts to go from 34 to 35.5mph. Otherwise it will be no gain, especially when the run comes. If you are going to tuck at 40mph, the extra 30 seconds pedaling to when yoy spin out is negligable. …But hey, I never understand most peoples gearing. Cheers
On a related note…
I find that I prefer riding lower cadence (~75) and lower power (~75%FTP) over long steady declines (>30mph) and getting a little rest. It’s better than coasting, and I find it smarter to do that and have some more in the tank for climbs than to keep a steady effort during the entire TT. Something about riding at a lower cadence feels better at those speeds… I think its the ability to just wind up to 90rpm when it drops to a 5% decline… so I can just settle in my 11 gear and forget about it for a long time.
