Please Sir, Can I have a Big Ring :-)

[gb155]

My Cannondale CAAD8 is a beast, however the biggest ring is just 50T, I love to sprint and dont feel that 50T cuts it when I open the taps, the bike is totally stock, I'm used to running a 53/39, but want to keep the Triple for the time as my knees are still feeling it on the hills, can you just change the big ring itsself ? or does the whole crank need to be changed ?

Thanks

Gaz

 

[400bhp]

Depends on the crank.

You could swap the rear cassete.

I used to ride 12-18 at the back and 42-52 at the front.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

My Cannondale CAAD8 is a beast, however the biggest ring is just 50T, I love to sprint and dont feel that 50T cuts it when I open the taps, the bike is totally stock, I'm used to running a 53/39, but want to keep the Triple for the time as my knees are still feeling it on the hills, can you just change the big ring itsself ? or does the whole crank need to be changed ?

Thanks

Gaz

As far as I know, if you are running 50T, that means you certainly have a compact crankset. You can't fit a 50 ring onto a "standard" crank spider.

Whether that means you can't put a 53 on a compact crankset, I don't know. I would suspect not.

As 400bhp says, your best solution is probably to fiddle around with your cassette ratios. Making an 11 your smallest ring at the back will make a big difference. 50-11 is a long ratio - longer than 53-12.

 

[Hacienda71]

Make sure your front mech is big enough to accommodate the larger cog, but it should be ok. In theory with a bigger front ring you need a slightly longer chain, that supposes that you would be running largest front to largest at the back at the same time which is unlikely.
Smaller cog on cassette say 11t as has been said would be easiest to up the gearing, so a new cassette could be the way to go.

 

[derosa]

As far as I know, if you are running 50T, that means you certainly have a compact crankset. You can't fit a 50 ring onto a "standard" crank spider.

Whether that means you can't put a 53 on a compact crankset, I don't know. I would suspect not.

Of course you can. Plenty of 50T rings in 130BCD available - I have then on two of my bikes.

FSA also makes 52T rings in 110BCD to fit a compact chainset - so run whatever is best for you

 

[PpPete]

Massive choice here and here.

 

[MartinC]

Sounds like you're running one of those 50-39-30 Shimano triples. I guess the reason they exist is so that Mr S can reduce his inventory of chainrings. The ratios they give aren't very useful in my experience. Changing the rings for a more useful 53-42-30 set up is easy (check out the 130bcd rings in the links above). I think the current Shimano triple front mech says it can only cope with a 50 tooth chainring but sometimes you can get away with things like this - I haven't tried this but maybe someone else has.

 

[Zoiders]

Swap a 50 for a 52?

I bet it makes no difference what so ever in a sprint, it might stop you spinning out on the odd descent but apart from that it's just snake oil.

 

[heretic]

If it's 10 speed an 11-26 cassette, or maybe the new 11-28 if the rear mech will handle it, would be a lot simpler than messing about with new chainrings and altering the front mech. 50X11 is a good bit higher than 53X12.

 

[MacB]

If it's 10 speed an 11-26 cassette, or maybe the new 11-28 if the rear mech will handle it, would be a lot simpler than messing about with new chainrings and altering the front mech. 50X11 is a good bit higher than 53X12.

agreed, even 53x11 isn't exactly adding a heap to the top end, if you're spinning out 50x11 on the flat I suspect you can also spin out 53x11

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

Of course you can. Plenty of 50T rings in 130BCD available - I have then on two of my bikes.

I did not know that (probably why I added the conditional "AFAIK" at the start of my post). I guess I must have been taken in by the publicity guff surrounding the launch of compact chainsets a few years ago. Turns out you can just replace your chainrings!

Swapping the cassette is still probably the best option for the OP though, depending on price/available tools, etc.

 

[mickle]

Sounds like your saddle is to high and/ or tilted forwards. Drop your saddle to the correct height for your inseam and level it. This will allow you to turn your legs faster. Seriously. I doubt very much that you are genuinely 'spinning out' a 50t chainring. Unless you habitually ride with a fast road group down hill with the wind behind you. It just feels like you are spinning out because your saddle is in the wrong position.

Unless I'm wrong, in which case I suggest you take up professional competitive cycling immediately.

 

[400bhp]

Sounds like your saddle is to high and/ or tilted forwards. Drop your saddle to the correct height for your inseam and level it. This will allow you to turn your legs faster. Seriously. I doubt very much that you are genuinely 'spinning out' a 50t chainring. Unless you habitually ride with a fast road group down hill with the wind behind you. It just feels like you are spinning out because your saddle is in the wrong position.

Unless I'm wrong, in which case I suggest you take up professional competitive cycling immediately.

Actually, yes that's very true.

I'm on a 50-12 max and there's still torque left at 50mph.

 

[MartinC]

Swap a 50 for a 52?

I bet it makes no difference what so ever in a sprint, it might stop you spinning out on the odd descent but apart from that it's just snake oil.

Given that this is a Commuting forum it would seem unlikely that sprinting is the OP's problem, he seemed to be complaining about being generally geared too low. Changing a 50 for a 53 makes a difference, certainly not a big one - going to 12 or 11 sprocket makes more difference to the top end. What makes a bigger difference to usability is the 42 on the middle - it enables you to stay cruising on the middle a lot longer. In my experience a 50-39-30 triple is a waste of time, using a 53-42-30 enables you to get the full benefit of whichever cassette you use. One of the downsides of this forum is that if anyone offers any useful advice they'll be someone along to try and pick holes in it. Read Mickle's post - he's offered an alternative and challenging view in a positive and helpful way.

 

[mickle]

Read Mickle's post - he's offered an alternative and challenging view in a positive and helpful way.

Groveller.