Compact Chainset

[oldgreyandslow]

Finally I bit the bullet and bought a bianchi nirone 7 at the weekend, my first bike with a compact chainset, I have had triples and a long time ago racing doubles. With those I always avoided riding on the large chainring and the largest one or two rear cogs for fear of having a poor chainline and in the process damaging the chain and sprockets.

However on the compact there seems to be quite a jump and if I want to keep things relatively in line then I have to drop from 50-21 to 34-15 rather than keep changing to a lower gear while still on the large front ring.

This is a bit of a challenge to the hamfisted

Is this right or am I good to keep it on, say the 50-21, or 50-23 for example? Rear cassette is 12-25, front is 50/34.

Incidentally the large jump on the front seems to make for a slow change from large to small rings, maybe that's the FSA chainset and mirage front mech, I guess bianchi have to make economies somewhere, I'm hoping they loosen up soon though. Brakes are less than sharp also, but again it's bedding in I guess.

However other than that it's a revelation compared to my steel framed Donahue, which I thought was great until I tried this

 

[Pottsy]

I'm from a similar cycling background to you and I found the 50-34 chainring jump a bit too large. I swapped the 34 for a 36 and it seems much better to me.

I'm also on a 12-25 on the rear.

At least simultaneous front and back changes are much easier with changing on the hoods.

 

[Ceedee]

Hi, I have just gone for a compact after having a triple for a number of years, after a short time I am now using the 50 with no problems and have been able to use 50-25 with slight chain noise.

 

[e-rider]

Compacts are rubbish in my opinion - how they became so common I will never know. I would swap the 34 for a 38 or 39 and have a 38/50 or 39/50 - much more useful.

 

[Ceedee]

Compacts are rubbish in my opinion - how they became so common I will never know. I would swap the 34 for a 38 or 39 and have a 38/50 or 39/50 - much more useful.

They might be rubbish in Norfolk where you don't have hills you should try them in Yorkshire.

 

[e-rider]

fair point - I can see that if you are going up hill or down hill then they make a lot of sense. However on the flat and a steady speed yo don't have a decent sized gear without using a poor chainline

 

[nmcgann]

Compacts are rubbish in my opinion - how they became so common I will never know. I would swap the 34 for a 38 or 39 and have a 38/50 or 39/50 - much more useful.

I wouldn't put it so strongly re compacts, but I agree that 38/50 is good - I fitted my summer road bike with that combination and it is great for general riding in not too hilly areas.

I've ridden in the dales with 38/50 and a 12-27 cassette and that was fine too, although if I lived there I'd probably fit a triple.

Neil