Question: Training with bigger chain rings

Triathlon Forum
1

Anyone out there swap their standard 53T for a 54T or 55T front ring? Did it make you faster?

I find on flats and rollers I am almost always using my 13-17 cogs.

Does anyone think that using a bigger front ring (at least in training) is beneficial to strength development? My thought is that I will generally use a harder gear and gain more strength and power this way. For hilly courses, I would use my 53T.

Lastly, is it best to train with a bigger front ring and race with the standard 53T?

Comments anyone? Bueller?

2

Don’t agree with that logic. All it would teach you to do is lower your cadence and try to muscle through it. At least that’s what I’m thinking.

3

If that is all you wanted to do, I think it woudl be more cost-effective if you just pushed a smaller cog in the back. That would get you the same effect.

4

I have 54-44 on my training bike. I think you want to chose chain rings that keep you more in the middle gears at the back. I think a 50 chain ring is good for some, and a 52 or 54 can also be good if you often find yourself ‘between gears’. The one tooth difference makes a subtle difference which can be useful.

One word of warning - changing can deteriorate if you don’t use chainrings with ramping on 9 or 10 speed kits.

5

I expect it to be tougher in the early going but I wonder if the muscling through it would pay dividends later?

6

It would seem that way, but having the bigger ring would FORCE me to push bigger gearing. No wimping out.

7

Uh, it’s almost the same (+/- some gear inches) You can wimp out even if you put on a bigger chainwheel. It’s called downshifting.

8

Go here and you’ll see.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

9

The psychology of going to the bigger cogs wouldn’t allow me to downshift. I know, sounds stupid, but it’s true :slight_smile:

I’m curious who has made the change to a bigger ring and what they experienced? Both short and long-term.

10

If that’s what you want… Ride a single speed or a fixed gear with a nice tall gear. That will teach you to not wimp out!!

11

So if I do go to a 54T, it would seem to not be a huge jump in gearing. I think that’s good as I would then push a bigger gear but I also would not be riding at a 60RPM cadence in my 17 cog either.

12

a 54x17 @ 60rpm (depending on your crank length, and tire size) is roughly 15mph (actually 14.9 if you have 170mm cranks and 700cx23mm tire)

a 53x17 @60 rpm (assuming same crank and tire) is 14.6 mph.

13

I use 175s but, maybe not 60RPM but you get the idea :wink:
.

14

Well, go ahead. I guess the worst thing that may happen is your legs hurt, shifting goes to crap, and you don’t like it. At that point, switch it back. What kind of 54 ring are you getting? FSA? I am waiting for the 53 FSA aero chainring.

15

I tried that exact experiment this year. I switched to a 56/44, I have raced in it on flatter to rolly courses and only switched back down for the Half Iron I did yesterday… seems like it worked great. Also, you’ll spin out a little later than the other dudes in a hard tailwind.

Just try it and train hard…

16

I was eyeing the D/A 54T. From what I understand, the drive train should have no issues with the bigger ring.

17

Here is the best gear chart analyzer I’ve found on the web…

http://www.soulbikes.com/gears/index.html

This should help you make your choice…you can check out gearing options to your heart’s content…including custom choices that might help you find that optimum gear/inch value for you

18

How does crank length effect the equation? One revolution of the crank set is one revolution regardless of crank length.

19

See the gear analyzer I posted…it takes crank length into account…

20

Okay, maybe I should clarify my statement/question.

Yes, crank length will effect how much force is required to turn a gear at a specific speed. However, when discussing how fast a bike would go when a specific gear is turned at a specific RPM, changing the crank length will not change the equation.

Sheldon Brown refers to Gear Ratios (vs. Gear Inches) as a method of comparing the difficulty of a gear not just the Gear Inches or “Size” of a gear. This method is great for comparing gearing when changing crank length is an option.