Road bikes: Compact and 53/39 gearing

[Batbike]

Could just be me ...

I was noticing that those who road alot, primarily road riding, and did a variety of rides from flat to mountainous, had 2 road bikes: 1 compact gearing and 1 regular double gearing. Is this REALLY the trend to have 2 bikes with different gearing?!

For the roadies ... how many bikes, what type of rides, and what gearing?

THANKS!

[KnottedYet]

Around here most roadies seem to have either a compact or a triple. We've got a lot of hills, and a regular double just doesn't make much sense for the average rider.

I've got (I think) a 48/39 right now. LBS is going to help me today, trying to put a 48/32 compact on that will match up with my Campy Athena. (a used Suntour 110 bcd spider with new chainrings)

Could be quite an adventure...

[SadieKate]

It really depends on your terrain. I have triples on all 2 of my road bikes but the chainrings different sizes as are the cassettes. The bike that gets ridden in the biggest mountains as a 11-32 cassette with widely-spaced cogs. The bike that gets ridden around home where it is very, very flat has a 14-25 cassette (Bubba's is 12-23 for his) so I can get very small 1-tooth differences. If I only rode the flat roads around here I wouldn't even both with a compact double; I'd stick with a standard double of 39-52.

Your choice of gearing should always be based on your terrain and ability, and the best examples are to look at what your local peers are using.

If you just have one bike, you can vary your gearing for a specific ride by just swapping out the rear cassette. You just need to have the rear dérailleur and chain adjusted for the larger cassette.

[Batbike]

It really depends on your terrain.

Your choice of gearing should always be based on your terrain and ability, and the best examples are to look at what your local peers are using.

by looking at my peers in my area I am noticing the "2 bike trend", especially among those who ride LOTS and do all the hilly extreme rides (long mountain rides) ... makes me wonder what others are doing/riding/gearing ... etc.

so, is this a "local trend" or a more national/international trend ... maybe not a trend at all, but sure would like to hear from other riders!

[KnottedYet]

I don't know anybody with two road bikes with two different gearing set-ups out here in the Pacific Northwet.

(usually if they have more than one bike, they are two different styles of bike completely: a hybrid and a mtb. or a mtb and a roadie. etc.)

[alpinerabbit]

I don't need and don't have space for two road bikes.*
I'm gonna stick to my compact double. All I'd get is a whole new bike because mine only fits "after the fact".

*there's a half dozen other bikes that I would not mind having in my basement....

[pooks]

Gearing is all new to me, so I have a lot to learn.

Our terrain is generally what I'd consider "flat prairie," since Dallas was built on prairie farmland. But there are creeks and streams in our neighborhood, and that means a lot of streets with relatively steep hills where they drop down to the water. So I can devise routes that are very hilly or flat.

When I start riding longer distances and have to get out on the highways ... Hmm, I think it's pretty flat around here, but I also intend to drive to East Texas to do some riding where it's pretty hilly in some areas.

So how do I know what kind of gearing to get? (Oh wait, ask at the LBS?)

[RoadRaven]

Hi BatBike... I have two road bikes at the moment - both racing bikes. I want another for training but that is in the future.

My road race bike is a compact and it is good in bunch racing.

My TT bike is a "normal" double... I don't need low gears and in fact I could probably ride TTs with just one, because I rarely use the small chain ring.

My EMC came with a compact, but that wasn't THE reason I bought it.

My Giant came with a "normal" double, and we have swapped the big chain ring for a bigger one so I could have bigger gears to get on top of in a TT...

Dunno if thats useful at all, but thats me and my bikes.

[Batbike]

Hi BatBike... I have two road bikes at the moment - both racing bikes. I want another for training but that is in the future.

My road race bike is a compact and it is good in bunch racing.

My TT bike is a "normal" double... I don't need low gears and in fact I could probably ride TTs with just one, because I rarely use the small chain ring.

My EMC came with a compact, but that wasn't THE reason I bought it.

My Giant came with a "normal" double, and we have swapped the big chain ring for a bigger one so I could have bigger gears to get on top of in a TT...

Dunno if thats useful at all, but thats me and my bikes.

RoadRaven -- if you didn't do TT, which is VERY specific riding -- high gear/high cadenance -- would you only have 1 road bike and keep it compact or would you still have 2 bikes with different gearing ... what will your training bike be when you purchase it?!

[jobob]

Gearing is all new to me, so I have a lot to learn.
[...]
So how do I know what kind of gearing to get? (Oh wait, ask at the LBS?)

Hi pooks, and anyone else -

It's time for a plug for the lovely Sheldon Brown

Much of what I know I learned from the articles on his most excellent website.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or a cuppa tea), settle in, take yourself here, and learn many good things.

Here's a good one for starters - the top article on this page, Gear Shifting: Everything You Wanted To Know About Shifting Your Bicycle's Gears, But Were Afraid To Ask might be very helpful.

http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html

[7rider]

by looking at my peers in my area I am noticing the "2 bike trend", especially among those who ride LOTS and do all the hilly extreme rides (long mountain rides) ... makes me wonder what others are doing/riding/gearing ... etc.

so, is this a "local trend" or a more national/international trend ... maybe not a trend at all, but sure would like to hear from other riders!

My bikes are not for hilly or flat rides, but for off-road and on-road rides. The on-road bikes are then split into commuter (triple) and training/fitness (compact). My compact has a pretty good range (50-34 in front and a 12-25 in back), adequate for the hills around here. I could have gone with a 12-27 in back, but I guess I wanted the "challenge" of the 25.

So, no, none of my peers have two roadbikes for hilly or flat rides. Multiple bikes are more for different uses.