Why Are Road Bike Gears Getting Smaller? | SRAM RED eTap AXS Ratios Explained

[@madfingers]

As a non-cyclist who's only recently bought a road bike, I'm amazed and inspired by these GCN videos. The quality of the information and editing and extremely engaging and well-spoken hosts has really sparked my interest. If GCN's goal is to inspire people to take up cycling I'd think they're doing a fine job.

[@angelo2945]

Dont buy dura ace or ultegra they are a scam

[@run_cycle_life4005]

In some cycling circles, you’ll get laughed at for walking up a climb and laughed at for having too easy gearing, so you can’t win. The key is to get in with a bunch of cyclists who’s aim is to have fun and don’t give a crap what gears you have.

[@0741921]

Or ride solo and do whatever pleases you

[@Markbell73]

​@@0741921I ride solo. Also I cycle with a 41 inch Chokuto. The other cyclists don't laugh at my gearing. They marvel at my steel. And try not to aggravate me.

[@Praxcycles]

Hi GCN! I use a 50/34 11-32 Roadies in my country bash me for using this small gear. I live at the top of a mountain, which is a frequent cycling destination in my country. People travel hundreds of miles just to get here. Thanks for this video! I appreciate it so much! Now, I won't be anxious about getting ridiculed! Love you guys! Godbless, greetings from the Philippines!

[@Tacsi111]

I also ride with the same gearing. Not many hills around here, but I'm happy as a recreational cyclist. Riding a 2x9 Sora groupset. It shifts buttery smooth.

[@gcn]

Don't listen to them, use whatever works for you Armselmia! Happy miles. 🇵🇭

[@mortenreippuertknudsen3576]

50t-11t is way to much to be usefull. You'd proebly be better suited with a top gear of 50t-13t and either a straight 13-14-15-16-17t or an even larger casette that your 32t. 1:1 gear ratio (ex 34t - 34t) should be mandentory in 2019. At least SRAM does actualy offer that with 33t- 33t.

[@ins1demanwhitaker527]

Your gearing is perfect

[@andrealecrim2427]

I use 50/34 12-30, lots of 15-20% hills in my area.

[@TheFightFooter]

I'm watching GCN for over a year now and I still don't even own a road bike, lol

[@Janus1000]

I started prepping for my road bike by watching them months ahead of time, really made the transition easier :-)

[@gcn]

@@Janus1000 Hell yes!

[@TheFightFooter]

@@gcn Where's my "hell yes!"? :(

[@Velo1010]

Get an inexpensive Fuji. I see them raced in the TDF.

[@Grunchy005]

@@TheFightFooter Hell yes! For years in fact decades all I had was my comfort cruiser, mountain bike, touring bike, and tadpole tricycle; and tandem recumbent; and unicycle. I watched GCN for at least a year before I meandered around into getting a "road bike". I still haven't pulled it out to give it a try. Who has time?!

[@schmojo33]

Back in my day we only had one gear and we didn't' even have feet. We didn't even need shoes. We just taped our nubs at the end of our legs and pedaled. We didn't even have proper tape, we used the skin of our enemies. Roadies today are soft.

[@michaltoman2805]

:D good one

[@davidlewis3924]

Back in my day, upgrades were a faster horse and sharper swords for the chariot hubs.

[@jamesangus8504]

Air??? You had air???...

[@osimnod]

Ha! Reminds me of the skit "The Four Yorkshiremen" - before Monty Python, I believe. Brilliant!

[@schmojo33]

@@osimnod Do you have any idea how hard it is to kill a man for a piece of skin tape when you don't have hands? You have to bite him really hard when you don' have teeth.

[@JohnBatty]

I would love to buy into this new AXS groupset. But, on balance, I think I'll stick with two kidneys.

[@hogdog567]

John Batty 1x kidneys are the next big thing.

[@Jason__D]

@@hogdog567 Seriously, think of the weight savings alone. Slippery slope though, because the next stop after that is reducing your small intestinal tract by half to achieve a more aero riding position.

[@JohnBatty]

@@hogdog567 OMG! I completely misunderstood Richardson's obsession with 1x

[@defenderoftheadverb]

If you sell both kidneys you will remain balanced, lighter too.

[@teamscoobydoo]

You don't need this groupset

[@xanthoptica]

Worth noting that as you make a chainring smaller, you increase the tension on your chain (all other factors being equal). So you will wear and stretch your chain faster, which will notch your cogs sooner, and you will spend more replacing worn drivetrain components. Lots of other factors, of course, but getting a lower gear ratio with bigger cogs rather than smaller chainrings will be more durable.

[@zenwhitetiger]

Love the “nerdery” of this video. As an avid commuter cyclist for some 8 years, and a cyclist just for the freedom when I was a kid, learning how the gears will improve you ability to pick a top speed based on you cadence and gear choice is invaluable. Give us “nerdery” any time!

[@watmelberry]

I ride 46-36 up front and 11-34 cassette and it suits me perfectly on the road (relatively hilly area) and off-road when I feel like it! I also prefer riding with a higher cadence because it takes some stress out of a slightly dodgy knee.

[@333wheeler]

46-36 is the one to be on most of the time.. leave the 52 -42 to the guys who are actually racing in anger.

[@nildex34]

Excellent writing and presentation! Si's nerdy smile at 5:00 needs a meme!

[@WheelersAtLarge]

I'm currently running 46-34 up front and 11-36 10 speed at the back, using the gears like a 1x on the road and both rings for gravel. Looks to me, with the smaller rings up front, like Sram have produced something gravel riders have been crying out for but with a 10 tooth to keep roadies happy... Nicely done Sram.

[@HorHeyAK1]

I'm still running a Brittney Spears groupset on my Trek and it is glorious!

[@Markbell73]

Oops, did she do it again?

[@mikemartin6748]

Ollie: "These ridiculous 20% gradients" Me, SF: "I have to do a 500ft climb at 30% to get back to my house"

[@ArisaemaDracontium]

This is a thinly veiled advertisement for SRAM's new groupset, but it is informative.

[@FlypFlap91]

Thinly? :D Its pretty straight forward if you ask me, but hey at least they tell you its an ad.

[@iancanuckistan2244]

While I laud innovations in cycling, I give this a fail. AXS is not compatible with any other drivetrain including the rest of Sram's offerings. I believe it's time for a society of bicycle engineers just like the automotive industry has with the SAE. I'd like to be able to buy a chain from any manufacturer and have it fit on my bike. I don't want a throw away power meter. I want to have choice when replacing worn parts!

[@williammorris6097]

i agree. they only want to make everything exclusive so you have to replace more components to maximize their profits. I'm not a road biker, but I race xc mtb and everyone umped on the 1 x 12 bandwagon. Well, I'm old, and ride a triple up front with a ten speed cassette in the rear and do very well in my age group having won the last 6 of 9 races in my age group that I entered. I use a 26-32-40 triple which is close ratio and shifts well yet gives me a wide range to chose from. I love it and pull up hills that 12 speed people cant . Plain and simple.

[@berndkiltz]

Totally agree. What I love about my sram red (old one) is that I could just install it over my 105 Groupset with no modifications except no more cables. This is gone now, it has to be a new bike to make it worth it. Dont know if it will really work out for sram, unless shimano uses the same system which is very unlikely

[@steventrott8714]

Yeah, I was so pissed when I found out my f150 transmission wouldn’t work in my Honda.

[@williamkeys5701]

Really, let me see if I can fit a brake pad from a Ford F-150 onto a Chevy Silverado. Or a head gasket from a Toyota Corrola onto a Nissan Sentra. The bike industry is just starting to catch up with the auto industry in the area of specialization.

[@WECR]

Amén.

[@vincenicholls102]

I’m running an Ultegra groupset 34/50 with a 105 11/32 cassette , changing to a 11/34 cassette, some steep hills in Cornwall. I love the GCN channel learned soo much about bikes 👍👍

[@rebellis13]

I still love my 52/42. Gotta note, that I have no mountains here.

[@JPWack]

I also love my 52/42, it was the only roady available to me at the time and has performed beautifully. I now live in a pretty hilly/windy city and got a 7 speed 14-34T gearset, the combo is terrific

[@facebook-bq5xh]

@@JPWack i ride a 42/52 and an 11/28 climbing is no problem, i don't see any problems on flats either, and im still 16!

[@cat3medstudent203]

If sram can convince anyone to buy a $4000 groupset, they can convince them to run what ever gear ratio they want 😂 also, "perception" of efficiency... don't tell your buddies at ceramic speed.. they may not sponsor the next KOM challenge.

[@Maddiegelenk]

Also remember Olie combining a 52 chainring with a 34 on his everesting because he thought the 52 to be more efficient than a 50 while descending and on flat parts. Hmmm...

[@bigring6424]

52 34 chainring or 52 chainring and 34 cog? The first one won't shift super great but makes a lot of sense. The 52 isn't more efficient but the larger cogs you'll end up riding in back as a result ARE more efficient. That's a fact. 10t sprockets are nothing to be desired.

[@tarstarkusz]

Most of this supposedly "new" technology is just utter marketing wank.

[@bigring6424]

@tarstarkusz "Most"? "this"? I'm not at all sure about that even though I've been pretty skeptical of this in particular. And why is "new" in quotes. There has never been a 12 speed rear cassette on a commercially available bicycle as far as I'm aware. It's new, not "new". I might put technology in quotes. Do you think everything since downtube shifters is just marketing wank? It depends on how you ride I guess. I'd have to ride very differently without brifters. I could still enjoy it, sure, but that's not a marketing wank difference.

[@tarstarkusz]

+Big... "New" as in some new BS technology that has only recently become available or only exists now because of some breakthrough supporting technology. There is absolutely zero reason a bike couldn't have a 12 speed cassette in the 50s or 60s. There has been no underlying advancement which has enabled 12 speed cassettes. A BIG part of the reason for this new stuff like that is can be done so cheaply in Asia in a way that would have been too expensive to do in America, the UK or Europe 50 years ago. The main tech that makes it feasible is thinner chains. There is also some marketing wank thrown in as well because a lot of the gears are simply unusable because of the angles involved and how inefficient it makes them. Cassettes and bicycle chains really don't need to be very strong either. Humans just cannot put out the power to necessitate large chains. Also, in the past, most things were MUCH better built. This is from everything from bicycles to electronics to industrial equipment. When I was a young man I worked in steel distributor and we had a bunch of cranes made in the 30s and one made in the 80s. The difference was night and day. That was in the 90s. I'd be willing to bet the ones from the 30s still work fine and the one from the late 80s has been completely overhauled or replaced entirely. The one from the 80s bowed with 1/2 of its rated weight. The brakes didn't work right either. It was the same story with saws. This is industrial! With the exception of cars and trucks, pretty much everything consumer grade was made better back when everything was made in America. This is probably true of industrial equipment as well.

[@JMcLeodKC711]

I have been a big believer in a smaller big ring. When I started commuting with my steel frame, heavier wheels and loaded saddle bags, I was never using my 50 and when I was, I could only use large cogs. Bad chain line. I'm using a Shimano 105 compact crank. Shimano did not have a 105 ring smaller then a 50. The only option was a custom order Dura-Ace. I ended up buying a Surley steel 46 tooth ring and have never looked back.

[@gcn]

Nice one John!

[@LazarusSlade]

God, do I need this! On my daily commute I have to ride through the Sepulveda pass on my 9 speed Cervelo Dual. This is a game changer.

[@grandad1982]

Got to be honest. I suspect the majority of riders should be using 40/32 or 46/30 up front. 33 small ring is ok but on an 11/32 like I run having a 1:1 would really help me as an average rider. If only I'd know that when I brought my bike!

[@blubaughmr]

I've passed a lot of folks 20 or more years younger than myself riding my 38 pound commuter bike (generator lights, three head lights, three tail lights, front and rear cameras, fenders, rack, etc) up hills with my 40/26 chain rings. I enjoy climbing hills. I climb 950 feet in my daily commute. I also make sure I've got gearing to do it.

[@JonFairhurst]

@@blubaughmr is so right! In my case,, I'm 60 years old with a 220-ish FTP. The last 0.4 miles of my ride home has a 16% grade. The "shortcut" hits 24%. I run 46/30 up front and an 11-40 MTB cassette with Wolftooth extender in the rear. The other day, I did the steeper climb in the lowest gear and was right at my maximum sustainable heart rate and about 60 rpm. Get the gears for your ability and terrain, not for the ego. Besides, gear ratio is only about cadence. If you want to measure performance, look at speed - or watts per kilo - not gearing.

[@HooxNZ]

I have 52/39 and 12/30, I upgraded to 12/30...originally had 11/25 and that was not enjoyable. 39-30 is just enough and on super steeps I might have to get out of the saddle. Too expensive to replace cranks.

[@richardblom4358]

Smaller chainrings means a smaller arm to convert chainforce to torque/moment. So you will need more force for the same torque. (M=F.r) That means a higher load on you chain and tooth. In combination with less tooth per ring to transmit the chainforce your drivetrain will wear-out much faster. Besides that drivetrain efficiency is for the most part influenced by the friction between the chain and the chainrings. With that in mind a bigger chainring with more teeth is more efficient. Furthermore the efficiency is influenced by how well the chainlinks fit round the teeth and at wich angle the force transmits between the chainlink and tooth.

[@richardblom4358]

@@mjcrites1738 This is a general explanation of the physics hapening in the drivetrain. Anecdotal evidence doesn't prove much. Unless you control all relevant parameters and quantify the results. Drivetrain wear is also influenced by the materials used, specific coatings and surface treatments, how many kilometers you have riden and the weather circumstances. If you measure the weight difference after a set distance of riding in the same conditions of your drivetrain you can make a good conclusion.

[@JMcLeodKC711]

I see tons of riders cross chained on their 50x32s. They are never in smaller cogs. I always recommend a smaller outer chainring

[@dooglasii753]

That's just inefficient gear changing

[@michaelwillis4528]

Si and Oli videos are always top quality! Not just the content and the presenting but you've got seriously good production values going on in the background and it really shows!

[@smithytri89]

Ever since I overtook a guy on on a mountain bike on a 15% section of Wrynose Pass only to see him come back past me on the 25-30% section. I learnt not to be ashamed of granny gears. Gone 50/34 11-40t and never looked back :)

[@MrSteamDragon]

smithytri89 yup, agree 100%. people need to get over the bullshit being spouted around here. If you wanna win races or crack that climb you just need to use what ever combo that suits you, your bike and your ability. Simple as that. If that means using some weird arse set-up then whats the problem?

[@tthheekk]

Yep same gear set for me too. Would never go back. When your'e 90kg you have to. Other great thing is that on anything that isn't climbing you just keep it in big ring all the time. So much easier taking off from traffic lights etc.

[@quikesteve]

I love this trend, I am 1.93m and 105 kg. I TT in the flats with the best at my riding club but as soon as I start climbing my power to weight goes out the window. So with this new gearing, it helps me keep up with my club rides in the mountains which is where we ride in western Canada.

[@paull8678]

I've been riding for 40 years and I just last year switched to a 50/34 after testing one out on another bike. It puts me farther into the cassette where the gear spacing is closer. If anything, it's improved my pace a bit.

[@bradphillips9367]

Do you think you could produce a show on how Shimano has engineered the proper procedure for for optimal shifting. Why we tend to what to ride in gears that were never intended to be used. Why not get rid of cross chaining and potential chain streach. Give us the gears we want to spin in so we don't have to drop the chain down to the small ring. I prefer to inch my way up 20% climbs. I see plenty of people walking their very expensive bikes because they did not invest in the right gearing or even failed to buy a bike with the opportunity to be able to add gears if necessary. Change is good.

[@Rejor111]

This was a great video. Learned a bit more about gear ratios :) I ride in Taiwan and Japan, so I use a 50/34 and 11/34 in the back. Gotta climb those steep hills mate! The idea of pairing a smaller front gear with harder gears in the back isn't a bad idea since the ratio will be the same anyway

[@gcn]

Very envious of your beautiful mountain climbs! Nice one.

[@sandythemonk]

I am planning to buy Fuji Sportif 2.3 here in Austria due to it's gear ratios which are similar to what you have mentioned. I feel the 50-34 front and 11-34 rear setup on the Sportif 2.3 is right for the climbs here through the Alps. The only point of concern is that Sportif 2.3 being an entry level endurance bike, it is equipped with an all-Claris drivetrain except for the FSA crankset. What is your opinion on this bike? Any piece of advice before I make a final call?

[@bengt_axle]

An important point to consider when presenting all those non-standard chain ring options (especially the smaller ones) is that the new AXS chainring pair for the crankset is machined from one piece of solid aluminium. This has allowed SRAM to overcome the limitations of a 110mm BCD. In fact, because there are no bolts, they can have the chainrings any size they want. This undoubtedly raises costs for the consumer because the entire chain ring pair (probably the entire crankset) must be replaced when the teeth are worn out, but I guess the reasoning is that for the average cyclist, it won't be too often, and the aluminium can be easily recycled into new parts.

[@AgingBoy]

I’ve converted my road bike from having 53/39 and 11-30T to 1x of 42T and 11-30T. Much simpler system and as you said, don’t have to think of which front chainring to use. With my avg cadence of 100, I’ve proven that I can be as fast or faster than my cycling mates on flat and climbs. I may spin out occasionally when downhill but that’s not frequent and I conserve energy by going aero and not pedal hard when descending. So far it’s been great and overall time getting better too

[@willpomeroy1743]

I moded my 11s as I like hills. 48/36 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-22-25-29-34; 36:34 ~= 34:32. I don't mind loosing the high gear as based on time used it was minimal compared to the advantage of the range useable across both chainrings so I don't end up changing rings constantly. No changes required other than lowering my fd; needed a new cassette & outer anyway.

[@durianriders]

Ive been pushing smaller chainrings and bigger cassettes for road for the last 6 years on youtube. Glad to see them finally listening! xD

[@hernendezsanchez7646]

And out of all the rubbish you usually vomit from your mouth, id have to agree its your best advice yet

[@gregknipe8772]

@@hernendezsanchez7646 now I'm not sure I need to visit his programming, thanks mate!!! singular salient point has been outed. bam!!

[@brianchisnell1548]

My '71 Schwinn Sports Tourer with 14-34 and 36/54, which equates to 28 to 104 gears was the widest gear range of any 10 speed at the time. One year only. In '72, they were different. What a great bike!

[@gbshaun]

Firstly, when did 11 tooth become traditional? secondly they are significantly understating the power losses from using small cog like an 11 or even worse a 10. Smaller chainrings also reduce efficiency as they increase the tension in the chain. This can be calculated in theory, and measured. this is why track riders these days, including all hour record attempt, are using huge chain rings

[@m.a.c1379]

So we would be better off, from the perspective of power losses, with 53-39 at the front and 34-13 at the back, than with 50-34 / 30-11? what currently existing gearing would make everything bigger and more efficient, while keeping a similar gearing range?

[@TriDaddy]

Exactly! 10 tooth goes completely against the branding of CeramicSpeed jockey wheels.

[@germaincaron716]

I really like GCN videos and informations. I actually ride a Specialized Tarmac Pro SRAM AXS Force 1 X 12 (46T front and 10-36 cassette); impressive! I love it. As a 59 years old «young boy», I just bought a 42T for the season begining and French Alpes trip. Threre is so many technologies avaliable today and those who want it, have the choice to go with, or not. Enjoy your sport, wathever you will chose!

[@danielbum912]

Thing I'm most interested in is the efficiency of a 10 tooth sprocket compared to an 11. Any numbers by SRAM, or better, by someone independent?

[@stepforward1605]

True. Nobody speaks about the loss of efficiency with smaller rings. When we speak about marginal gains this goes the opposite way. Can't imagine the new design of the chain makes this point uninteresting. And still, the power meter on a chainset that wears out is a no go for me

[@jannapravnik1017]

Exactly! The chain must be bending quite a lot on the 10 tooth sprocket, so both efficiency and lifespan must suffer I reckon (even though one probably doesn't spend much time on it). Of course, would love to see some objective numbers.

[@danielbum912]

@@stepforward1605 to be fair they did mention it at the end of the video but very vaguely as you would imagine with a paid promotion. Not hating, I get how this works. I just hope we can get a GCN does science follow-up on this.

[@stepforward1605]

@@danielbum912 you are right

[@stratocaster660]

What are the numbers that ceramic speed says they save in efficiency on there rear mech jocke wheels compared to a normal? Those numbers should be comparable. And if i remember correctly a big chain ring in front is also more efficient because you want to have a straight chain line with the chain in the middle of the cassette. Thats why TT specialist ride huge chainrings in front. I think you would find information about that in a GCN video to. For me a 53 or 52 works great because then i can keep the chain line straight most of the time on a 11 or 12 speed cassette. And if i need to i just change the chain rings (which is possible and super easy on Campagnolo and i guess other manufacturers to?).

[@RafaelHEscobar]

4:49, 7:57, 8:12 and 10:36 are the most beautiful shots in the whole video. By the way, great explanations; I never knew that actual cycling technology was so advanced today!

[@gcn]

Cheers Rafael, glad you appreciate it :)

[@poormansmtb5204]

I ride a 53... because it's cheaper lol

[@cup_and_cone]

I ride a 53...because I live in the flat rolling hills. Something bike makers have forgotten about.

[@nateisright]

52 for me. It was on sale. Cassette 11-30. Honestly, I don’t remember sometimes that I have a smaller ring. #surlaplaque

[@glennoc8585]

I do because i can lp

[@mattfoley6082]

I ride a used 20 year old Klein with 3x7 gearing because it's cheaper and because nobody makes affordable bikes for tall people anymore.

[@mattfoley6082]

@emailnodata I love it.

[@Gabepedaler]

Appreciate the break down on the compact verses traditional gears ratios. Also want to say been following GCN for couple years and you video presentation keep getting better. Par excellence.

[@gcn]

Really appreciate it, thanks gja!

[@mabatz]

Because the majority of riders don’t need the same gears as pro riders. Though I’m baffled as to why they didn’t go with 46/30 chainrings.

[@hogdog567]

mabatz they have a 10-33 cassette so 46/33 gives you a 1:1 ratio, lower than anything currently available for road double groupsets.

[@mabatz]

Doesn’t help if you need less than 1:1.

[@NeoPayneHK]

i wish they split up two different way pro/amateur

[@binkzera2777]

Neo Payne They’re not going to make a $2000+ amateur group set.

[@timshears2099]

I use 46/30 chainrings with an 11-36 SRAM cassette. On 11 speed Etap. Brilliant.

[@liamm8992]

I can definitely appreciate smaller gears. I went up Praeres de Nava in the Vuelta last year with a smallest gear of with a 36-28 and whimpered! I later discovered Steven Kruiswijk had raced up in later that day with 36-32 (iirc), and understood why!

[@gcn]

Yikes! Haven't ridden that one but sounds brutal!

[@MrHansBattle]

Another way to achieve a wider gear range for bikes that can't fit 12speed XDR cassettes with a 10 tooth cog -- is to run a wider difference up front between small and large chainrings. Pros do this in the Giro for some of the extreme climbing gradients. I do this in Colorado on the bike I use for the mountains where I'm generally either climbing or descending. You can run a 33 or 34 small chainring with a 52 or even 53 (Stronglight in France makes a respectable 110bcd 53t). If doing this, one needs to be extremely careful with the front derailleur as this is a large jump between chainrings and slightly more than mechanically designed for - but if careful - it works fine. I run a 52/34 up front with an 11-28 in the back (could go to 53/33 and 11-30t if need be)... relatively happy with this setup and being 11 speed with a standard freehub, it can be applied economically to most roadbikes while the respective riders are waiting to win the lottery so they can afford the upgrade to this beautiful eTAP AXS kit. Remember as well if experimenting with this that you need a long cage option rear derailleur such as the new Ultegra (a short cage will bind and something will break). Should I send in a picture of my setup for the "hack" competition?

[@owenrodgers8020]

I really feel like I need as close to 1:1 as I can get... it’s just makes taking your time easier, and staying at a decent power threshold. I also don’t have the power to push 5:1 on the flat... 4:1 would be fine! With cross and gravel bikes you can often get something like a 40- 36-38 in a 1x. Seems pretty good to me

[@brsmedia2090]

Quick tip for KZbin video makers, straight to the point, no crap background music, less talk more action, can never loose.

[@RepublicanJesusthe2nd]

Road bike gears are getting smaller so in 20 years from now they can get bigger. Just so you can spend your money

[@randolphpatterson5061]

Yes, just like when SR managed to lengthen its decline by another few years by introducing their "Roundtech" rings for disgruntled Biopace pedalers.

[@johntormey8169]

Ha ha yep i go with that back to 53x13

[@Terrifier1984]

Well said mate

[@brianmgrim]

Skilled hype hucksters love to master slaves to trends and fashions. “There’s a sucker born every minute”-P.T. Barnum.

[@natdlareg]

I've been hoping to see a video like this. Awesome content, GCN!

[@gcn]

Cheers Gerald!

[@theforgottenbrawlers]

This is the content I subscribed for

[@gcn]

Cheers Domonic, glad you like it! 💪

[@leesloan8216]

As an old cyclist / mechanic ( Bill Nickson Snr) once told me when i was younger ( I'm now 51) gears aren't to make you go faster they are there to try and keep the same pedalling speed (cadence) on any road whether steep or flat, so he encouraged me to go from an 11 18 to a 11-23 ( this is about 20 years ago), and recently i've returned to cycling after some health issues, and have not go a 11-28 cassette, i've not changed the 53/39 chainset due to cost and a retro-Ish bike but i'm finding cycling easier now with the bigger cassette.

[@robertbennett1214]

As an ageing engineer. I like my chains and sprockets to last a good length of time. Using a small chain ring and a miniscule sprocket increases the tension in the chain combined with lack of rap (the number of teeth in contact on the sprocket), and the angle of the chain leaving the sprocket, gives a deadly combination for chain stretch and ware. I'm sure people selling these very expensive drives are laughing all the way to the bank. But that is progress!

[@Austin6403]

Probably the best video GCN has done

[@livebait2233]

I've been using 46/34 chain rings on the road for years...at 62 yrs old I can't spin out a 46-11 on the flats, don't want to on the downhill, and shift the front mech a lot less than my buds on the Sunday rides

[@davidwithey8719]

I work at a business that manufactures chain and sprocket drag conveyors. Its mildly disturbing how well i understood this. But its all solid engineering and well explained. Thanks.

[@jaydesimone4297]

Ollie, just seeing you able to talk while grinding up a 20% grade shows how great of a cyclist you are. Which further shows how great Hank, Alex, and Conor are that they dropped you in the 4 v 1. The power all 4 of you are able to generate is amazing to me and gives me something to aspire to (well, you do, anyway; I don't think I'll be reaching former-pro power in my lifetime).

[@JT-oo7sd]

Back in the 50’s I used to ride from London to Brighton and back again on a fixed wheel, on my Reg Harris track bike.

[@marianneoelund2940]

And here you are, still following cycling. Cheers!

[@waynosfotos]

SRAM have lost their mind! Smaller gears are less efficient, fact! But yet they are charging ridiculous prices for a road groupset which is based on a MTB 1x system. You don’t need a 10 cog to have easier gears. They had to use the 10 cog as it was engineered for their 1 by, which they said was the future for road, but it didn’t take off. So here we are with a hybrid system to get a return on their R & D. Campy have just done the same easier gears on their new chorus, you don’t need 10 cogs! P.S. I have read through many comments here and these are the facts; SRAM adapted their 12 speed from EAGLE 1x, as this makes sense, why develop a new freehub system, SRAM had a problem here, ROADIES have not embraced 1x or at least in road competition, so needed a two ring crankset, so adapted it to the EAGLE system. This is why we have this design, it is about cost, not better, not faster, not more efficient. So instead of putting out a cheaper groupset,, Just whack a huge price tag on it and say it is the NEW, tech!

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

Drivetrain losses due to bending of the chain are going to increase with increasing tension on the chain (for example like when your turning a high ratio), so it would be interesting to see what conditions SRAM tests theirs under.

[@320jamesbong]

I don't need the 11 or the 12. give me a 13x34 cassette with a 50x34

[@DaviMartins99]

I can count on one hand the amount of times i've used the 53x11 or 53x12 on my road bike.

[@owenrodgers8020]

Various Styles exactly, if I’m going downhill... I ain’t pedalling...

[@chrisscott8362]

YES!

[@lucl.745]

I would prefer a 55x13, it's more efficient and a slightly easier gear than the 52x12. Here we're talking about easier gears but the AXS has a 50x10 which is leg numbing hard (equivalent to a 55x11). Doesn't make sense to me.

[@michaltoman2805]

MICHE sells cassettes starting from 12,13 or even a 14 tooth. I have a 12-30 from them right now, and it's OK. Does not shift as well as shimano, but good enough for training.

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

Did you know a triple has a 53/39/30? What that means is you get all the gears possible with minimum gaps and you never have to change your crank. I know I know, amazing... I'm waiting for rim brakes to make a come back...because you know now that the bike industry has decided weight doesn't mean anything by moving to discs, they might as well bring the triple back to at least an Ultegra group set.

[@okantichrist]

The roads around where I live haven’t changed at all🥴

[@lionelclavier2476]

Lionel Clavier Hi GCN! Great shows. Rant open. I use 50/34 and a massive 11/40 at the rear (with a roadlink fitted to my 6870 Ultegra groupset). I do approx 5000 miles a year - of which at least 1000 in the Alps and I don’t care about not being a KOMs. I really do not understand why some fundamentalists are criticising these low gearing ratios. I applaud those cycling with low Gears There is world for everyone. Rant over.

[@gcn]

Here, here!

[@rustygramm7104]

my few thoughts on SRAM's new gear ratio scheme: 1. they have had trouble with making front shifting as good as the other folk, so making front gears 13t instead of 16t gets them closer on performance. 2. they could have kept normal crank ratios and added more range on the cassette side of things.(no one really needs a 5:1 ratio, not even the pro's) 3. SRAM really doesnt like front derailleurs (see point 1) 4. Shimano Patents. other companies have to get really creative to get around all the things shimano has on lock down regarding licenses and patents. I know shimano is often slower to the market with big innovations, but they generally have good reasons for it. 5. Shame on SRAM for making us all adapt to both a new freehub standard and a new BB standard and a new chain and disposable powermeters (although i suspect this will drive lots of people to single sided meters). this could have been avoided (see point 2) and campagnolo demonstrated that with their 12 speed set up. 6. for now, stick with the 11 speed stuff, because its all amazing tech, works well, and is likely to get a little less expensive with the industry move to 12 speed. 7.can of worms opened. i'm prepared to defend my remarks.

[@markxkovacic]

You are right on all counts.

[@astrayagrarian]

Absolutely correct. I complete agree with all your points; couldn’t have said it better myself.

[@pedrocaldeira1604]

I seem to remember a video of yours where you demonstrated that for the same transmission relation using the bigger ring would have more power transmission because the forces would be more eavenly transmited by a bigger surface allowing thus smaller angles in the chain elements. I stoped studying physics a long time ago but I think that it makes some sense and more important I think I feel that when I shift to the bigger ring. I've been paying attention to that mostly in the trainer I'm pretty sure of that. So I'm still thinking that I prefer a bigger ring and a increase in the spocket is better. The only advantage I see obvious is weight

[@adamstanwick1487]

$4000 !...maybe at $2000 I can replace the transmission in my car for less and the complexity in that is way past Sram's

[@vulekv93]

It's a cash grab. How long will a chain last on a 10 teeth sprocket? How long will that casette last? Is that thing made from solid gold? $4000 is insane, you can get brand new gearbox for any car for that amount of money.

[@RafaelSantos-vd6be]

Im just CASAUL FAST RECREATIONAL RIDER DA I USE TO BE SO CONCERN WITH DA GEAR THING INTIL I LEARN

[@RafaelSantos-vd6be]

I have REALIZED DAT ALL I WILL USE IS OUT OF DA 3×8 = 24 IS REALLY. 10Thru 13. DATS ON DA FLATS FLAT STREET AND MY PRESENT HEALTH PROBLEMS. IM COMFORTABLE WITH I ALSO JUST REALLY NEED DA GEARS OF A LOW FOR HILL CLIMBING IS #1&2 DAT WIL BE. DA SMALLEST FRONT CHAIN RING AND DA LARGEST REAR CHAINRING. I HAVE SEEN SOME YOUNGER HEALTHY MEXICAN DELIVERY GUYS USUBG HIGH GEARS ON HILL CLIMBING AND I TRY TO TELL THEM DATS METGID ISNT GOID FOR THEIR KNEES EVEN THOGH THEY BELIEVEVITS FOR TRAINING AND DEVELOP MUSCLES OR FOR STRENGGT SOME OF THOSE GUYS HAVE THANKED ME I READ DAR IN A BICYCLING MAGAZINES.

[@leesloan8216]

@@RafaelSantos-vd6be Why are you shouting? ( capital letters !)

[@RafaelSantos-vd6be]

@@leesloan8216 Im dorry but i dont mean to offend anyone person its dat these letters are so small dat i think im making it easier for persons to read because i have trouble reading such small letters sorry bye. .

[@drmoynihan]

You guys are just crazy!!! LOL :) I love biking, but as a 67 year old the idea of tec theories is just that - theoretical with a bit of theatrical. Thank you for these great videos and the trickle down advances that help us have a great amateur ride. :)

[@equalat]

Which bring us back to the triple set on my silver Lemond, a gear set for anything! =

[@gcn]

Haha always time for a triple!

[@robbchastain3036]

Any friend of a triple is a friend of mine.

[@nonamehere9658]

Oh Baby, a triple, oh yeah!

[@gking6100]

Three times the fun! I prefer grip shifters with my triple cranks. Unlimited trim on the front derailleur! So many possibilities!

[@robbchastain3036]

@@gking6100 So true and so clean, grip shifters. I like that look.

[@mvkatesvfc]

I don't know if the 10t sprocket creates more friction,but I am sure that smaller cogs wears faster the chain due to some factors. Also for some strange reason you will easily find out that track riders tend to use a higher tooth ring-cog set up instead of lower tooth set up. I know that bigger rings transmits the power with ''different '' step. I also remember Shimano to be skeptical for 11t sprockets in the past. Nowadays even Shimano made an mtb 10 cog cassette. For sure things change. We will see

[@JimboMauiDownhill]

I installed this on a customers bike and I gotta say, the gearing being closer together on the bottom end is nice and it looks beautiful. Oddly enough the shifting feels slower, its way louder when it shifts as compared to the original Etap. Not sure what went wrong but Im not sure if I would invest in it. Ive had Etap for 2 years and this didnt feel like much of a improvement besides the ratios and look 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

[@amblincork]

Wonderful light and crystal clear picture - can almost feel the heat !!

[@lahyessam9725]

I use a 53/42 11-18 (old retro guerciotti) and 52/42/34 11-25 (newer Marinoni)

[@suminshizzles6951]

The days of riding 52x11 are over, for me at least. I cant believe i pushed an 8 speed dura ace 21-11 in the back. I was also in my early 20's back then. Now i am riding a 50,36 in the front with 28-11 in the rear. I want to go 30 or more in the back now. I am now middle aged so cant be pushing those gears anymore. Also. The road pro's ride on have not changed. The stll ride the sme roads in the tour as they have the last 100 years.

[@marty197666]

My first proper bike when I was 16 had 52/42 with 12/21 7 speed 105. This was in 92 and not uncommon amongst the club riders I rode with. How we got up any climbs I have nfi 🤷🏼‍♂️ I do know that on my current bike which has a 36 30 my average speeds are a lot higher now! (I weigh the same so that’s not a factor)

[@nonfictionone]

my first bike was 42/52 with 14/19 cluster?! I remember reading Lemonds training book saying don't let your cadence drop below 75 on the climbs. I was like yeah er, that's not going to be easy with a 42x19

[@martinkrutz5698]

My Bike when I rode last, 53/42, with 12/18, (7 speed)

[@jen3800]

i still run my 10 speed 11/23 rear cassette and normal chainrings. I am in Ontario, lots of hills. the funny thing is, it was ignorance that set me there, because until very recently, the thought of swapping cassettes for situations never occurred before, though I was aware of gear ratios. I was happy and still am with what I have but might try these easy gears one day.

[@douglastuck3736]

We've all got it easy today, my first racing bike had 52-42 and six speed 13-21

[@johns3106]

I remember when a 13-21 was considered "standard" for a hilly road race, and was swapped out for a 13-18 "corncob" for crits and time trials.

[@angharadhafod]

I remember my 52,42,28 front, 13,14,15,17,20,25,32 rear (3 & 7) from around 1984. That was fairly radical then. How I'd have loved this, in the days when I was fitter.

[@maximthemagnificent]

Alas, the Spinal Tap "it goes to eleven" reference doesn't work as well when the smallest gear is ten tooth.

[@AndreaPasqualiniMe]

Don't know exactly why, but I like you guys so much! Great jobs and videos!

[@gcn]

Thanks for watching, Andrea!

[@TiagoBortolotto]

At first we buy oversized jockey wheels, to reduce friction and now we buy smaller and smaller cogs.... yeah... make totally sense!

[@DennisKrger]

How much of the time do you spend in the smallest cog? They're making the drivetrain more efficient most of the time, while making sure you still have that maximum gearing in the rare events where it is needed, at a cost of that single gearing being a bit less efficient. Makes more that sense.

[@Pionirish]

Larger jockey wheels were the con ;)

[@astrayagrarian]

Running latex tubes and an ideal tire pressure for your weight and riding style will save you more watts than spending a shit ton of money on crap like over sized jockey wheels and/or ceramic bearings.

[@icejunki]

You guys slay me.....love, love, love the format, info and humor.

[@ardvarkkkkk1]

Bicycling is a good demonstration of how to squeeze the most out of less than 1 horsepower.

[@stevek8829]

At 746 watts per HP, top cyclists can exceed one HP.

[@gudrune]

@@stevek8829 sure, a fraction of a percent of the time. Aka, a rounding error.

[@stevek8829]

@@gudrune There is no fraction of a percent of the time or a rounding problem. Why make such an unrelated reply? There's something about KZbin. What I said applies to athletes, not most.

[@gudrune]

@@stevek8829 the FTP of a pro is below 400w, AFAIK, so how much of racing time is spent above 750w? That's all I'm saying.

[@stevek8829]

@@gudrune I can't say I know how much time at any output. They seem to do 1,000 to 1,500, depending on rider, for a minute or two though.

[@johngrossbohlin7582]

My Campy equipped 1975 Motobecane Le Champion had 42/53 up front with a 14-26 5 speed cluster. Considering my riding was in the Catskill Mountains and hilly Hudson Valley that seems crazy to me now... My mountain and touring bicycles all wear triples up front with a wide range of gears in the rear. I am partial to Strumey Archer 3 speeds and my 1983 "city biked" Trek 850 around town however.

[@dadventuretv2538]

Hmmm. I wonder where Sram got their ideas from. Oh yeah- mountain biking and the Eagle. The circle is now complete.

[@obi-wankenobi9871]

Even as a mountainbiker i find your comment to be ridiciolus. Changing the gear ratio is not an innovation.

[@dadventuretv2538]

KZbin User Like I give a shit

[@gamma_dablam]

@@obi-wankenobi9871 I think the point is that it isn't an innovation

[@CaptainShiny5000]

Dude! Just a few months ago I changed my Tiagra 50/34 to a 46/34 crankset on my Trek Checkpoint. For exactly this reason! I noticed that the jump between the 34/50 was so jarring that it always cost me a great deal of speed, strength and even a bit of stability on the bike, particularly on rough terrain. I live in a medium large city in germany which is surrounded by hilly areas. So, in the city, there's a lot of stop and go and that means a lot of switching between the large and the small chainring and having a smaller jump between those improves accelerating by a country mile! And in the woods or hills it's even more pronounced if you run on greatly varying terrain. Obviously 1x would also be an option but you do start to appreciate the smaller gear range of a 2x on several hour long rides so this is a great option for a do-it-all Bike! Great video guys, I really appreciate it!

[@jeffreywilliams3646]

I'm not Eddie Merckx, nor do I play him on television. I need all the help I can get.

[@hbade]

For the price between an AXS groupset vs a regular SRAM Red eTap, you could hire a trainer and nutritionist that will help you far more than a gear ratio ever will.

[@Bugumir]

E-bike. Technology has your back.

[@Alan-xxxxxx]

The drugs helped him though

[@mxkstfmk]

Thanks for hitting on this subject! The explanation here on ratios is something I've been wondering about a lot since a 10 at the back was available..

[@gcn]

Cheers Max!

[@fastrack9]

Lance did not spin easy gears, he used a 39x25 on mtn stages in the tour. He was spinning because of the speed he was going.

[@Charles-A]

@Jafar - I'm positive about that;in fact as positive as Lance himself

[@frkia49]

36% increase in chain articulation between the 11T and 10T meaning you loose 6w for every 250w produced as there is almost a liner increase in this it means if you do a 1000w sprint you have a 24w penalty. Great work SRAM!

[@numberreyes]

At last, Road bike groupsets are now designed for us mortals and not for pro riders. Go out and ride that steep climb!

[@gcn]

Heck yes! Where's your local steep one?

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

But only if you have deep, and I do mean deep, pockets.

[@DavidvdGulik]

Anyone can get up basically any climb with a 34 - 32 as smallest gear. If you need to go even smaller, you're already looking at idiotic climbs like the Angrylou or the Zoncolan. If you can't scale that type of climb on 34 - 32, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're not fit enough to attempt the ascent. (34-32 at a realistic 85rpm is 7.1 kph, at that point you're basically falling over) Lastly, if you're buying a 4000 dollar groupset specifically so you can ride up 25%+ gradients for several kilometres, you're not the average cyclist anymore

[@tonycrabtree3416]

my first modern road bike had a triple chain ring 52/42/32. 8 speed. 12/25. Had all gearing options I needed at the time.

[@itarry4]

Did Emma help write the science bit for Simon by any chance? 😊

[@gameking50P]

Truly the best cycling channel!!! I actually understand what's Si's talking about 😆

[@Dispariabooks]

I'd love to have that drivetrain for riding Utah's HC climbs and steep kicks...I'd also love to not spend thousands on a drivetrain conversion. So...grinding FTW.

[@gcn]

Yikes, good training out there then!

[@Dispariabooks]

@@gcn My next bike however...

[@TuneDownUtilities]

You might want to consider shimano r7000 and r8000 which also offer a 1:1 gear ratio at the lowest at a fraction of the cost of etap axs

[@Dispariabooks]

@@TuneDownUtilities I've got mid-compact DA on my race bike now with a 11/28 and that's perfect for up to 10%. After that it's still grinding. I live around enough 10+ climbs that it's worth looking into something like that for my training bike at the very least, thanks. Cheers!

[@TuneDownUtilities]

@@Dispariabooks you can still get an 11-30 cassette for your race bike from the current generation (cs-r7000, cs-r8000 or cs-r9100) or a 12-30 (cs-6700) if you are running 10s. On 11s the gear steps only increase on the last 3 cogs (...-21-23-25-28 vs ...-21-24-27-30) so you don't lose the small steps on the flat (like 11-32 which changes gear steps with the 5th cog) while gaining about 5 rpm at the same speed at the hill I'm currently running da 9000 with a current gen 11-30 cassette and it works perfectly. (Current gen. short cage Rd's obviously are officially supported by shimano to run 11-30) i.imgur.com/sNZTInj.jpg

[@ragwort3369]

An interesting watch. Speaking as someone who still rides 7 speed 11-30 with a 42-52 up front (or a 30-42-52 on one bike), I'm intrigued by these new chainsets with a 13 tooth difference between rings. I tried a 34-50 chainset and couldn't get on at all with the huuuuge jump between chainrings, and I finished up fitting a 40 tooth inner ring.

[@benzzoy]

@2:11: For God's sakes, with GCN's humongous budget, one would think you'd use a better motor-doping system that's quieter!

[@dannyhanny1191]

I've suggested that they invest in an electric motorcycle before, but they don't want to do it. They'd rather try to sell us on electric bikes while using motorized support.

[@gcn]

Pretty tricky to ship electric bikes all over the world, it turns out!

[@aerojetrocketdyners-2538]

@@gcn HAHAHAA

[@C345OFR]

Don't you have contacts you could borrow/rent one from _in_ Oman?

[@officialvtuberrobijet]

I just bouth my first used carbon road bike! Thank you GCN for the inspiration!

[@DavidvdGulik]

So by making the chainrings smaller and the sprockets smaller, they've effectively kept the gear ratios the same. That means that at best they've wasted a big chunk of their R&D budget, at worst, they've kept everything the same while worsening drivetrain efficiency. With smaller sprockets and chainrings, the chainlinks are turning at sharper angles which increases friction. You know this Sy. You've done a custom build by CeramicSpeed to get a KOM and a large part of improving the drivetrain efficiency was making sure you could ride on the big chainring and big sprockets To me this is just SRAM selling bad design with marketing babble

[@hogdog567]

David van der Gulik the ratios aren't the same, they're wider and they have less of a jump between gears.

[@joco8587]

The smallest gear is smaller than previous, and the biggest gear is also bigger than the previous. Still. I would not buy this groupset as I don't like the ratios. I like small jumps, but keeping all the small jumps at the higher gears, I don't understand. As a climber, I want those small jumps to be at the smaller gears as well.

[@DavidvdGulik]

@@joco8587 100% agreed. If you're going to make a 12-speed. Make an 11-30 with an extra sprocket between the bigger ones to make the jump smaller where you need optimal cadence the most

[@davidlewis3924]

@@hogdog567 Compare, say, SRAM 50/37 + 10-26 cassette with Campagnolo 12sp 53/39 + 11-29 cassette. The ratios are virtually identical (or as close as makes no difference in real world conditions on the road). The same for 46/33 + 10-28 compared to 50/34 + 11/29. You can't re-invent the wheel. I guess if you ABSOLUTELY had to go 2.3km/h faster downhill you could always pedal at 103.77 rpm instead of 100 rpm (and save yourself $4000 in the process).

[@jkk916]

@Anonomosomous Just partially true, they have less jump between gear at climbing speeds while at high speed that gearing is actually less smooth because of smaller front chainring. I don't like that at all. I would rather go in opposite direciton with bigger front chainring and 12t cassette. 10t? No thanks.

[@fishingwiththomas]

I remember as a kid riding 52-42 with an 18-13 6 speed cassette. Now days I wouldn't even think about that gearing.

[@jepulis6674]

Yes, no other reason why people would not think of Oman or Morocco as a holiday destination.

[@C345OFR]

Oman is becoming increasingly attractive. I visited a couple of times in my teens and hated it because it was so quiet. Now that I'm older, quiet is exactly what I'm looking for. I also like that they appear to be actively catering to cyclists.

[@davidlewis3924]

@@C345OFR www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/oman# www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/oman Interesting read before you book your trip.

[@RoaldvandenBerghen]

It's nice for people that live in the hills. I live on the flat and i love my 52. I have a bike for climbing with a 50/34, but riding on the flat is way to bouncy (weight plays a part in it too). The feeling of a bigger chainring is just different 2. It's easyer to keep momentum once its up to speed...

[@ronalcasid3844]

48/35 sounds about right to me!