When I got my first road bike in 1985, it came with a 52/42 large chainring and a 13-18 (13-14-15-16-17-18) straight block 6 speed cassette. In the says of freewheels, I was able to quickly replace it for a 13-14-15-16-18-21) or something like that, and proceeded to use that 42-21 riding in the alps because that's about as small as we had.
Then I got a 39-21
Soon I was able to get a 7 speed and things went to 39-23
I thinkt it was at the 2003 TdF when Tyler Hamilton broke his collarbone, the team put a 50-34 110 bcd chainring on his bike because he would not be able to stand out of the saddle and would have to sit down and ride seated. Doping aside, he finished 4th using that gearing.
If it made sense in the TdF it just work for me, so I went from the 39-25 small geat I had to 34-25. That felt way better. By 2010, I was on 34-27 and by 2014 I was using 34-32 any time I was doing any major climbs.
Now I use 34-32 all the time. My power has dropped substantially in the last 10 years, so it seems my rear cassettes are getting larger and my large chainring is poised to get smaller too!!!
What's your stories of the evolution of your gearing?
Fortunately for those who came to riding in the last 5 years, OEM specs make a ton more sense than 40 years ago, when we just used the same massive gears that only worked if you hand the engine of Hinault and Lemond!!!
Then I got a 39-21
Soon I was able to get a 7 speed and things went to 39-23
I thinkt it was at the 2003 TdF when Tyler Hamilton broke his collarbone, the team put a 50-34 110 bcd chainring on his bike because he would not be able to stand out of the saddle and would have to sit down and ride seated. Doping aside, he finished 4th using that gearing.
If it made sense in the TdF it just work for me, so I went from the 39-25 small geat I had to 34-25. That felt way better. By 2010, I was on 34-27 and by 2014 I was using 34-32 any time I was doing any major climbs.
Now I use 34-32 all the time. My power has dropped substantially in the last 10 years, so it seems my rear cassettes are getting larger and my large chainring is poised to get smaller too!!!
What's your stories of the evolution of your gearing?
Fortunately for those who came to riding in the last 5 years, OEM specs make a ton more sense than 40 years ago, when we just used the same massive gears that only worked if you hand the engine of Hinault and Lemond!!!