Guitars and Bikes
Well-Known Member
I would appreciate your advice about straddling the fine line between low enough gearing and the frustration of constantly spinning out. I have multiple sclerosis and sadly I must manage my effort, or I will suffer with very bad fatigue as a result. On my Cannondale CAAD8 I have 10 speed 105 groupset which has the 50/34 compact running 165mm cranks. At the back, my cassette is 10 speed 11-34 with a medium size derailleur. I love climbing hills, but even with this setup, a 12% - 16% gradient is a challenge for me. I’ve tried a 20%+ and decided it’s in my interest to give those a wide berth with my current setup. I think 12 speed is a great idea and I like the idea of 1x12 due to its simplicity and no need for a front derailleur. Whilst help with climbing is my goal, the notion of going downhill and spinning out like a hamster in a wheel would be a real nuisance. Where do you think the sweet spot would be in a 1 x 12 setup. I see you can get rear cassettes in the 40 – 42 teeth range but choosing the size of the single front chainring would be critical in achieving the balance between reduced effort going up hills and not spinning out going down them. How many teeth front chainring would you suggest I look at to achieve this balance? Secondly does the change from 10 speed to 12 speed mean that my braking system must be disc? Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
