Crank and rear cassette advice please?

[Sloth]

Hi, I am looking into buying my first proper road bike (I currently ride a Claude Butler 'Cape Wrath' MTB, with upgraded saddle/road tyres and front suspension set to most firm setting - sadly they can't be locked out).

Where I ride is mainly country lanes with a fair amount of undulation and hills, so I need my bike to be 'hill friendly' as well as smooth, comfortable and if possible fairly fast as well (although I suppose the fast part mainly falls on me as much as the bike!).

What crank set/rear cassette set up should I look for in my first road bike?
I won't be competing or aiming for super fast club riding but I do want to be comfortable and handle hills well.

Would a single, double or triple crank set be best and in what cog number/ratio?
Is there a particular rear cassette cog size/number that would serve me best?
It's quiet confusing for a simple Sloth who is only just starting his cycling journey.
Advice welcome.

Thanks.

 

[vickster]

All my bikes have doubles, 50/34 and 11-32. 10 or 11 speed makes no difference (SRAM Rival).
I’m heavy and decrepit and works for me (albeit it’s not v hilly around here, so I rarely use the small ring).
It’s a popular combination (when buying in time of shortages in new and used stock) and parts aren’t too costly (although more than 2 years ago!)

 

[Sittingduck]

There's hills and there's hills... (ask any norverner)
I know it's not asked on a first date - but how much do you weigh? Can you give an example of the area gradients and distances etc.

Without this we would just be taking a punt - that being said, 34/50 compact and 11-28 offers a good spread although there is some merit in 30/32 largest sprocket also.

 

[vickster]

This ^^
post a few of your usual Strava routes with elevation profiles

 

[Cycleops]

Most new road bikes will have a compact double chainset up front and something like a 11-32 on the back or going down to a 11-28 more sporty setup. The former should suit for all but the steepest climbs.
Best thing is to note which of the gears are most useful to you on your Cape Wrath, both high and low, and work out the gear inches and compare that to the ratios on the bikes you are looking at.

 

[DCBassman]

Use this to compare. Just fill in the different limits and wheel/tyre sizes, and it gives you an idea of how they compare. However, it's never definitive.
A certain ramp on my usual route is very steep. I've managed it once on a triple equipped 22lb road bike. But I also managed it ona 33lb rigid mountain bike, which had slightly lower gearing, although not much in it. Personally, get the 11-32 if it's hilly.

 

[Arrowfoot]

This is the most popular configuration and also carried by retailers now for flat and slightly hilly terrain

1. Compact cranks 50/34
2. 11-28. 11.32 will give your more range to cover more hilly areas. I suspect 11.32 will be new default as people now head to the hills for variety as well as a challenge.

 

[DCLane]

Unlike the others I run a slightly larger front crank - a 52/36 - with an 11-28 or 11-25 rear cassette despite living in a hilly area.

So don't be put off if it's a 52/36 front crankset. However, make sure the rear derailleur can cope with a larger 11-32cassette if that's the case.

 

[Sittingduck]

Also worth noting that if you do compare gear length for your current favourite gear combo, you won’t be comparing apples with apples. The Cape Wrath is likely to be 5kg heavier than any prospective road bike and that bounty fork won’t help either. So you are likely to be able to turn a higher equivalent gear on the road bike for the same oomf… just something to consider. DC lanes point about a mid compact 36-52 chainset is legit and these are increasingly common. I have known some choppers climb steepish hills with this and 11-28 on the back. You should try to test ride a road bike if at all possible. It is likely to feel significantly different to the MTB.

 

[si_c]

I wouldn't put too much thought into which crankset/cassette ratios come with a bike, unlike your MTB the road bike will roll much better on the hills and will be easier to climb with in the same gear. Most new bikes come with a 50/34 front crankset as noted above, this is perfectly fine and a good balance. Unless you have some hills you climb on a regular basis that are over 10% then you can tweak the gear range by changing your cassette slightly.

The only thing I would check is that you have a long or medium cage rear derailleur - a short cage would limit what you can change to.

 

[DCBassman]

Unlike the others I run a slightly larger front crank - a 52/36

The Revell mixte has the compromise, a 50-36t, originally connected to a 14-34t 5-speed freewheel. Currrently still has the original chainset and deraillleur up front, connected to a 12-36t 9-speed setup. Still not low enough for me,'cos I'm a weed. A fat weed, at that...

 

[All uphill]

The Revell mixte has the compromise, a 50-36t, originally connected to a 14-34t 5-speed freewheel. Currrently still has the original chainset and deraillleur up front, connected to a 12-36t 9-speed setup. Still not low enough for me,'cos I'm a weed. A fat weed, at that...

But you live in Devon! I only cross the border from Somerset over to your patch after a full breakfast and with a 34/34 lowest gear!

 

[DCBassman]

But you live in Devon! I only cross the border from Somerset over to your patch after a full breakfast and with a 34/34 lowest gear!

Same low gear, surely, one-to-one?

 

[Chislenko]

Just to throw a spanner in the works of my three regular bikes, two compact as mostly described by others and one triple.

The one I enjoy riding the most is the triple which has 52-42-30 and 11-26.

When it comes to a hilly section you have the 30 as an insurance policy but on the fast flat tailwind sections the 52 really comes into it's own. (Especially for me being a "grinder" not a "spinner")

 

[neil_merseyside]

Basically you'll never know what you need until you try. My latest bike came specced low gears with 50-34 upfront and 11-42 at the back and I really enjoyed using the 'chainsaw blade' (this being a variation of the dinner plate insult roadies abuse me with) on the hills, I got a bit stronger and now have 11-34 so ride 1:1 but really that is a bit high for my liking. I ride a fair bit, so 6000 miles on a rolling year, ridden several centuries in 2021 and even averaged 14mph on some of those hundreds - but I just can't do hills.