I also find that I can stay in my 44 ring and ride over many of the rollers in my area. Perhaps I am experiencing a similar thing due to the fact that I am usually only using the 44 and 32 rings and only use the 22 when I really need it. I'm only two teeth off from your compact double so perhaps I could go that route in the future......hmmmm!
On Sep 12, 5:55 pm, MichaelH <mhech...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Sep 12, 7:31 pm, Michael_S <mikeybi...@rocketmail.com> wrote:> Do you find > yourself in the 44 most of the time on flatter terrain? > > It seems like you would rarely use the 30t ring except climbing. > > Yes, I am in the 44 most of the time, and do far fewer front end > shifts. But surprisingly I often find myself spinning lower gears on > this set up than I do on a triple, because they are so much easier to > get to. Vermont has very rolling terrain and I can often bounce over > the top of short hills without having to go down to the 30; which I > can't do with a 39 or often even a 34. > > > The compacts give you a comparable range to some triples but there are > > some drawback IMO. I like a bigger high end than 44-11. I just can't > > hang with guys on 53-12's on long gradual downhills. And I think there > > is more cross chaining as well. The triples do shift slower with the > > long cage dérailleur. Seems like you have to choose what works best > > for each of us. I use a 50-40-28 Campy triple with a 11-30 cassette. > > I use to think that, but I have found that I can easily spin a 44/11 > (which equals a 52/13) up into the mid 30mph range and from there it > is always more advantageous to go into a tuck and reduce the co- > efficient of drag. Jan Hein ran some wind tunnel test, which were > published in BQ, showing that over 28mph the added energy of pedaling > was almost entirely off set by the added wind resistance and you will > actually gain speed faster in a tuck. I have found the threshold to > feel more like 31 or 32. The bigger gear may offer some small > advantage at the very bottom of hills, when you try to maintain > momentum, but it seems like a very little advantage compared to the > disadvantage of a triple. I rode a 50-40-30 for quite a while and > liked it fine, but this is better. > > A 53/12 is a sprinting gear and I just don't race guys to the next > sign post to even think about it. > > > > > ~Mike~ > > > On Sep 12, 2:21 pm, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > I prefer LPs to CDs. > > > > On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:47 AM, MichaelH <mhech...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Didn't want to hijack Dave's post about his new Rodeo - > > > > congratulations Dave; I hope it brings you a gazillion miles of joy, > > > > even more in the riding than admiring it's beauty. BTW, I think > > > > you'll like the fazik tape; I've been using it on my Ram for the past > > > > 6 years and have found it quite comfortable, without the spongy feel > > > > of some cork tapes, and extremely durable. White does get dirty > > > > though, so just relax about that. > > > > > I have ridden a triple on at least one of my bikes for more than > > > > thirty years and for the past ten years pretty much exclusively. But > > > > this summer I refitted my Ram with a 44/30 CD: > > > >http://web.me.com/mhechmer/Mikes_Bikes/Ram_Redux.html > > > > > here's why. > > > > > A CD certainly isn't for everybody, and I wouldn't want to pull a > > > > loaded tourer around Ft. Collins with one, but for an unloaded bike in > > > > the Green Mountains where I live it makes a lot of sense. I fitted my > > > > Ram with 44/30 rings and an HG 9 speed cassette in an 11/28 > > > > configuration. This gives me the high gear I want, a good low gear, a > > > > really nice shifting pattern, easy shifting and much easier cleaning. > > > > The high end gear is 108 GI, the same as a 48/12 and the low gear. > > > > 30/28 (29 GI) is the same as a 28/27. What motivated me was the > > > > shifting pattern, which gives me a range of 108 all the way down to 48 > > > > GI without a front end shift; and the small ring extends from 29 to > > > > 62. The probability of over shifting is greatly reduced so I can > > > > throw the left hand lever around much more briskly. I also find a > > > > double much, much easier to keep clean. In reality, it has worked out > > > > even better than I had hoped. My new Campy FD is so smooth that I > > > > actually prefer shifting it when I want to jump 2-3 cogs at a time. > > > > (Vt has lots of rolling terrain which calls for this) The only > > > > downside I have discovered, because I have a preference for close gear > > > > ratios, is that one of the shifts is just a bit wider than I am use > > > > to with a 12/27. > > > > > What's done is done, but if others are thinking about a Rodeo, or > > > > retrofitting a nice Rondonee style bike, I strongly recommend a CD. > > > > > Michael, moving into great Autumn riding in VT > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > > Groups > > > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<rbw-owners-bunch%2Bunsubscrib > > > > �...@googlegroups.com> > > > > . > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > Cheers, > > > David > > > Redlands, CA- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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