gear question to you mechanical geniuses!

[Triskeliongirl]

Mimi- your fundamental problem is that you don't understand gearing. First of all, groups, like record, chorus, veloce, indicate component weight and performance. For example Record is for racing so is lighter and more expensive than chorus which is lighter and more expensive than veloce. On the shimano line, it goes durace>ultegra>105. It is often thought that chorus and ultegra are the best values in terms of most bang for the buck. Another consideration, at least in the shimano line is 10spd vs 9spd. 10spd is great for tight racing gears, but 9sp lets you mix and match shimano mountain components (which go XTR>XT>LX). On my bikes, by having a compact double in front, I can use a road casette in back for normal riding and a moutain casette for hilly riding. Casettes (the rings in the back) and chain rings (the rings in front) are interchangeable, you choose different number of teeth for different applications. Swapping casettes is so easy that I even swap them depending on the terrain of the planed ride (i.e. you can own more than one). To choose the gear range you want, go to Sheldon Brown's website and click on his gear caluclator (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/). While gear inches may not have too much meaning to you now, try viewing the results by speed. Input a typical cadence for you, and this will tell you how fast you'll go in a given cadence in a given gear. Then, pay attention to what gears you use on what terrain, to get a sense for the range you need. Turn those numbers into gear ratios so you can start thinking about it that way, since there are lots of different ways to get the same gear ratio.

[mimitabby]

Mimi- your fundamental problem is that you don't understand gearing. First of all, groups, like record, chorus, veloce, indicate component weight and performance. For example Record is for racing so is lighter and more expensive than chorus which is lighter and more expensive than veloce. On the shimano line, it goes durace>ultegra>105. To choose the gear range you want, go to Sheldon Brown's website and click on his gear caluclator (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/). While gear inches may not have too much meaning to you now, try viewing the results by speed. Input a typical cadence for you, and this will tell you how fast you'll go in a given cadence in a given gear. Then, pay attention to what gears you use on what terrain, to get a sense for the range you need. Turn those numbers into gear ratios so you can start thinking about it that way, since there are lots of different ways to get the same gear ratio.

I wondered where you had been.
I do understand some of this. I looked at the pricey-er campi stuff and it's all carbon. I have been to sheldon brown's website and understand the concept.
What i know is i really really like the gearing on my veloce! (that's why i asked the dumb question, was the gearing part of the gruppo Veloce package.

Mimi- another warning, I am not sure you totally understand frame sizing/geometry. A 44 cm or 49cm frame only indicates the length of the seat tube, and even that can vary since some manufacturers report the measurement as center of the bottom bracket to top of the seat tube and some as center to center.

I understand this part a lot better than the other part. (thanks to your tutelage) I just assumed that two Bianchi steel bikes would be similar in their geometry, especially a cyclocross vs a road bike. The cyclocross is supposed to be a beefed up road bike, i thought.

If i go with the Marinoni (someday!) i would also do the Serrotta fit. And you do the fit before you get the bike, so I shouldn't be ending up with yet another bike that doesn't fit me the way it should.
thanks for adding your voice to the education seminar here. Much appreciated.

[SadieKate]

I understand this part a lot better than the other part. (thanks to your tutelage) I just assumed that two Bianchi steel bikes would be similar in their geometry, especially a cyclocross vs a road bike. The cyclocross is supposed to be a beefed up road bike, i thought.

Mimi, even two Bianchi road bikes won't have the same geometry. A road bike meant for racing is very different than one built for touring. Even one size to the next will have minute changes to deal with wheel size, etc.

This is why I asked what you wanted to do with the bike. Cross bikes have been adapted for use on the road but they are designed to take off road. One of the things is a higher bottom bracket. You'll feel this when cornering. If you want the ability to add racks and fenders, you don't have to go with a cross bike. A custom road frame can have fender and rack mounts added. Go look at Denise Goldberg's beautiful Peter Mooney bike in the thread on "showing your lugs."

As far as components are concerned, Campy and Shimano aren't your only options. Sugino makes a touring triple crank that many brevet riders (and others like myself) like because you can chainrings of 26/36/48. I'm not a big fan of the stock chainring sizes on Campy and Shimano because they're aimed at the young, strong and, usually, male market. Even some young women I know would do better with smaller chainrings. This would let them run small cassette clusters in the rear.

So, I repeat my question. What distance, what type of terrain, how long the hills, how steep the hills, etc. What gearing is on your Bianchi? What gears do you use the most? Do you constantly switch between the middle and the granny? Are you going to be doing any brevets? Will this be your only bike or will you be keeping the Bianchi?

[Grog]

As far as components are concerned, Campy and Shimano aren't your only options.

SRAM also offers interesting options now.

[mimitabby]

What do i want to do on my bike? oh, everything.

I want to ride to work (8 miles), I want to go around the burkegilman trail with my girlfriends(20 miles), ride to Vancouver(200 miles), ride to my mother's house, (22 miles)...go on club rides (50 miles).

95% of my riding will be on roads, unless they run out; and that happens.
Here in Seattle, we normally have about 60 full-sunny days a year, so I need to have fenders. Most every ride I do (except the burke gilman) involves lots and lots of hills. I am probably not doing more than the one race a year, and that was a long distance race anyway, so I don't really need a racing bike. I like the feel of steel.

I hope that answers the question.

Grog has totally blown my mind with the talk about Marinoni. If I wasn't getting ready to leave the country, i'd call them today just to flirt with the idea. I had no idea you could tell them what chain rings you wanted.

That Sugino gruppo does sound interesting.
thank you. (Now shall i start eating the chocolate i got from my secret sister or...?)

[indysteel]

Thanks for the compliment Mimi. Can someone explain the Secret Sister thing to me BTW (not to hijack this thread).

Back to the thread. The Sugino set up previously mentioned is interesting. SadieKate, you indicated chainrings of 26-26-42. Is that a mistake? I'd love to have a set up--either as a double or triple--where my big ring was a 42. That's my middle ring currently, and I'm in it 99% of the time. I'd like to think that I'll someday make good use of my big ring, but I'm not right now.

Kate

[SadieKate]

I originally said 26/26/48 but meant 26/36/48.

For those of us in hilly country, running a 40 or 42 middle chainring means we may be constantly shifting between the middle and the inner rings. By lowering the entire chainring range, you can stay in your middle chain ring more. This gives you really great options of 1) using a smaller cassette cluster in back when you have rides that are mostly flat - lots of minute differences optimal for flatland riding and 2) a big platter size cassette for huge mountain rides or loaded touring - mtn cassettes usually have a very small cog so you get a bigger gear at the top of the range. You should go to Sheldon Brown's site to play with the gear calculator there.

Peter White and Yellow Jersey both sell the Sugino crank.
http://www.yellowjersey.org/cranx2.html

I've been watching a lot of women lately, and in non-race situations, they are very rarely in the large 52 chainring unless they are going down a long hill where they are actually pedaling to produce more power. I frequently see people in their big chainring and completely cross-geared. I get the heck out of there so I don't have to pick up the pieces when they break a chain.

If you want a 42 on the outer, you'll probably need a mountain bike crankset. I'm not sure how small you can go on a compact double road crank.