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.
@angelo29455 жыл бұрын
Dont buy dura ace or ultegra they are a scam
@run_cycle_life40055 жыл бұрын
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.
@07419213 жыл бұрын
Or ride solo and do whatever pleases you
@Markbell735 ай бұрын
@@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.
@TheFightFooter5 жыл бұрын
I'm watching GCN for over a year now and I still don't even own a road bike, lol
@Janus10005 жыл бұрын
I started prepping for my road bike by watching them months ahead of time, really made the transition easier :-)
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
@@Janus1000 Hell yes!
@TheFightFooter5 жыл бұрын
@@gcn Where's my "hell yes!"? :(
@Velo10105 жыл бұрын
Get an inexpensive Fuji. I see them raced in the TDF.
@Grunchy0055 жыл бұрын
@@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?!
@Praxcycles5 жыл бұрын
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!
@Tacsi1115 жыл бұрын
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.
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Don't listen to them, use whatever works for you Armselmia! Happy miles. 🇵🇭
@mortenreippuertknudsen35765 жыл бұрын
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.
@ins1demanwhitaker5275 жыл бұрын
Your gearing is perfect
@andrealecrim24275 жыл бұрын
I use 50/34 12-30, lots of 15-20% hills in my area.
@xanthoptica5 жыл бұрын
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.
@matthewkennedy10315 жыл бұрын
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!
@JohnBatty5 жыл бұрын
I would love to buy into this new AXS groupset. But, on balance, I think I'll stick with two kidneys.
@hogdog5675 жыл бұрын
John Batty 1x kidneys are the next big thing.
@Jason__D5 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@JohnBatty5 жыл бұрын
@@hogdog567 OMG! I completely misunderstood Richardson's obsession with 1x
@defenderoftheadverb5 жыл бұрын
If you sell both kidneys you will remain balanced, lighter too.
@teamscoobydoo5 жыл бұрын
You don't need this groupset
@HorHeyAK13 жыл бұрын
I'm still running a Brittney Spears groupset on my Trek and it is glorious!
@Markbell735 ай бұрын
Oops, did she do it again?
@mikemartin67483 жыл бұрын
Ollie: "These ridiculous 20% gradients" Me, SF: "I have to do a 500ft climb at 30% to get back to my house"
@watmelberry5 жыл бұрын
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.
@333wheeler5 жыл бұрын
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.
@WheelersAtLarge5 жыл бұрын
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.
@ArisaemaDracontium5 жыл бұрын
This is a thinly veiled advertisement for SRAM's new groupset, but it is informative.
@FlypFlap913 жыл бұрын
Thinly? :D Its pretty straight forward if you ask me, but hey at least they tell you its an ad.
@nildex345 жыл бұрын
Excellent writing and presentation! Si's nerdy smile at 5:00 needs a meme!
@vincenicholls1024 жыл бұрын
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 👍👍
@smithytri895 жыл бұрын
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 :)
@MrSteamDragon5 жыл бұрын
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?
@tthheekk5 жыл бұрын
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.
@LazarusSlade5 жыл бұрын
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.
@durianriders5 жыл бұрын
Ive been pushing smaller chainrings and bigger cassettes for road for the last 6 years on youtube. Glad to see them finally listening! xD
@hernendezsanchez76465 жыл бұрын
And out of all the rubbish you usually vomit from your mouth, id have to agree its your best advice yet
@gregknipe87723 жыл бұрын
@@hernendezsanchez7646 now I'm not sure I need to visit his programming, thanks mate!!! singular salient point has been outed. bam!!
@schmojo335 жыл бұрын
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.
@michaltoman28055 жыл бұрын
:D good one
@davidlewis39245 жыл бұрын
Back in my day, upgrades were a faster horse and sharper swords for the chariot hubs.
@jamesangus85045 жыл бұрын
Air??? You had air???...
@osimnod5 жыл бұрын
Ha! Reminds me of the skit "The Four Yorkshiremen" - before Monty Python, I believe. Brilliant!
@schmojo335 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@sherryspencer13455 жыл бұрын
Which bring us back to the triple set on my silver Lemond, a gear set for anything! =
@quikesteve5 жыл бұрын
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.
@paull86785 жыл бұрын
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.
@brianchisnell15482 жыл бұрын
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!
@rebellis135 жыл бұрын
I still love my 52/42. Gotta note, that I have no mountains here.
@JPWack4 жыл бұрын
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-bq5xh3 жыл бұрын
@@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!
@Austin64033 жыл бұрын
Probably the best video GCN has done
@JMcLeodKC7115 жыл бұрын
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.
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Nice one John!
@michaelwillis45285 жыл бұрын
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!
@Rejor1115 жыл бұрын
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
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Very envious of your beautiful mountain climbs! Nice one.
@sandythemonk Жыл бұрын
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?
@germaincaron7163 жыл бұрын
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!
@JMcLeodKC7115 жыл бұрын
I see tons of riders cross chained on their 50x32s. They are never in smaller cogs. I always recommend a smaller outer chainring
@dooglasii7535 жыл бұрын
That's just inefficient gear changing
@hjshoon52445 жыл бұрын
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
@robertbennett12144 жыл бұрын
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!
@fishingwiththomas5 жыл бұрын
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.
@okantichrist4 жыл бұрын
The roads around where I live haven’t changed at all🥴
@JT-oo7sd5 жыл бұрын
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.
@marianneoelund29403 жыл бұрын
And here you are, still following cycling. Cheers!
@davidwithey87195 жыл бұрын
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.
@livebait22335 жыл бұрын
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
@liamm89925 жыл бұрын
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!
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Yikes! Haven't ridden that one but sounds brutal!
@grandad19825 жыл бұрын
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!
@blubaughmr5 жыл бұрын
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.
@JonFairhurst5 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@HooxNZ5 жыл бұрын
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.
@gja20005 жыл бұрын
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.
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Really appreciate it, thanks gja!
@owenrodgers80205 жыл бұрын
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
@leesloan82164 жыл бұрын
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.
@TiagoBortolotto5 жыл бұрын
At first we buy oversized jockey wheels, to reduce friction and now we buy smaller and smaller cogs.... yeah... make totally sense!
@DennisKrger5 жыл бұрын
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.
@Pionirish5 жыл бұрын
Larger jockey wheels were the con ;)
@astrayagrarian4 жыл бұрын
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.
@suminshizzles69515 жыл бұрын
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.
@princeedmunddukeofedinburg5 жыл бұрын
This is the content I subscribed for
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Cheers Domonic, glad you like it! 💪
@bengt_axle5 жыл бұрын
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.
@jaydesimone42973 жыл бұрын
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).
@natdlareg5 жыл бұрын
I've been hoping to see a video like this. Awesome content, GCN!
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Cheers Gerald!
@JimboMauiDownhill5 жыл бұрын
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 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
@wadewitbooi1635 жыл бұрын
Just love how Ollie cracks! 🤣🤣 Porridge legs
@douglastuck37365 жыл бұрын
We've all got it easy today, my first racing bike had 52-42 and six speed 13-21
@johns31065 жыл бұрын
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.
@MrFereshteyeh4 жыл бұрын
My actual bike has this gear ratio, in Shimano 105 from 1988.
@brsmedia20904 жыл бұрын
Quick tip for KZbin video makers, straight to the point, no crap background music, less talk more action, can never loose.
@rustygramm71045 жыл бұрын
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.
@markxkovacic5 жыл бұрын
You are right on all counts.
@astrayagrarian4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely correct. I complete agree with all your points; couldn’t have said it better myself.
@amblincork5 жыл бұрын
Wonderful light and crystal clear picture - can almost feel the heat !!
@poormansmtb52045 жыл бұрын
I ride a 53... because it's cheaper lol
@cup_and_cone5 жыл бұрын
I ride a 53...because I live in the flat rolling hills. Something bike makers have forgotten about.
@nateisright5 жыл бұрын
52 for me. It was on sale. Cassette 11-30. Honestly, I don’t remember sometimes that I have a smaller ring. #surlaplaque
@glennoc85855 жыл бұрын
I do because i can lp
@mattfoley60825 жыл бұрын
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.
@mattfoley60825 жыл бұрын
@emailnodata I love it.
@davidperkins36215 жыл бұрын
52/42 x 13 x24 got me up 25% grades without trouble back in the day
@owenrodgers80205 жыл бұрын
david perkins you must be such a tough guy
@cat3medstudent2035 жыл бұрын
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.
@Maddiegelenk5 жыл бұрын
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...
@bigring64245 жыл бұрын
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.
@tarstarkusz5 жыл бұрын
Most of this supposedly "new" technology is just utter marketing wank.
@bigring64245 жыл бұрын
@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.
@tarstarkusz5 жыл бұрын
+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.
@richardvincent53585 жыл бұрын
Ollie's acknowledgement of "shift" = quality
@lahyessam97255 жыл бұрын
I use a 53/42 11-18 (old retro guerciotti) and 52/42/34 11-25 (newer Marinoni)
@AndreaPasqualiniMe2 жыл бұрын
Don't know exactly why, but I like you guys so much! Great jobs and videos!
@gcn2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching, Andrea!
@gbshaun5 жыл бұрын
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.c13795 жыл бұрын
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?
@TriDaddy5 жыл бұрын
Exactly! 10 tooth goes completely against the branding of CeramicSpeed jockey wheels.
@officialvtuberrobijet5 жыл бұрын
I just bouth my first used carbon road bike! Thank you GCN for the inspiration!
@iancanuckistan22445 жыл бұрын
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!
@williammorris60975 жыл бұрын
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.
@berndkiltz5 жыл бұрын
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
@steventrott87145 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I was so pissed when I found out my f150 transmission wouldn’t work in my Honda.
@williamkeys57015 жыл бұрын
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.
@WECR5 жыл бұрын
Amén.
@icejunki5 жыл бұрын
You guys slay me.....love, love, love the format, info and humor.
@danielbum9125 жыл бұрын
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?
@stepforward16055 жыл бұрын
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
@jannapravnik10175 жыл бұрын
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.
@danielbum9125 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@stepforward16055 жыл бұрын
@@danielbum912 you are right
@stratocaster6605 жыл бұрын
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?).
@sergarlantyrell78475 жыл бұрын
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.
@marty1976665 жыл бұрын
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)
@nonfictionone5 жыл бұрын
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
@martinkrutz56985 жыл бұрын
My Bike when I rode last, 53/42, with 12/18, (7 speed)
@moarkat34855 жыл бұрын
That Lance play on, was positively great.😂🤣👏
@gggfff6853 жыл бұрын
Lol that was such BS. They're all cheaters and Lance was just the most athletic cheater
@mabatz5 жыл бұрын
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.
@hogdog5675 жыл бұрын
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.
@mabatz5 жыл бұрын
Doesn’t help if you need less than 1:1.
@NeoPayneHK5 жыл бұрын
i wish they split up two different way pro/amateur
@binkzera27775 жыл бұрын
Neo Payne They’re not going to make a $2000+ amateur group set.
@timshears20995 жыл бұрын
I use 46/30 chainrings with an 11-36 SRAM cassette. On 11 speed Etap. Brilliant.
@pedrotrigueira7943 жыл бұрын
Guys .. never gets old .. thanks for the insights
@maximthemagnificent5 жыл бұрын
Alas, the Spinal Tap "it goes to eleven" reference doesn't work as well when the smallest gear is ten tooth.
@RiverSongMusic2 ай бұрын
Top Gear for bicycles! Another great vid, tnx!
@angharadhafod5 жыл бұрын
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.
@itarry45 жыл бұрын
Did Emma help write the science bit for Simon by any chance? 😊
@frkia495 жыл бұрын
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!
@madmonkeycycling90985 жыл бұрын
Still riding a 53/39 with an 11/26 in the back. Nothing in Flanders is too hard for this gearing
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
You're so lucky to be in Flanders 😍
@peekenn5 жыл бұрын
Cannot confirm. 39-26 will give you a hard time in Flanders for sure. That or you are very well trained.
@alexserrano28505 жыл бұрын
Holy god! I live around the mountains in central, rural Spain and can't imagine using anything than mountain bike gears.
@Demy19703 жыл бұрын
Same here but I did put a 28 tooth for my 9 speed campy system and I can get up any hill tried
@tonycrabtree34165 жыл бұрын
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.
@Dispariabooks5 жыл бұрын
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.
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Yikes, good training out there then!
@Dispariabooks5 жыл бұрын
@@gcn My next bike however...
@TuneDownUtilities5 жыл бұрын
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
@Dispariabooks5 жыл бұрын
@@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!
@TuneDownUtilities5 жыл бұрын
@@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
@mxkstfmk5 жыл бұрын
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..
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Cheers Max!
@ronalcasid38445 жыл бұрын
48/35 sounds about right to me!
@markfelstead2205 жыл бұрын
I remember the days when I climbed up col de tourmalet with a 52/42 chain set and a seven speed 13 to. 23 sprocket ! Ah nostalgia, not anymore what it used to be...
@ardvarkkkkk15 жыл бұрын
Bicycling is a good demonstration of how to squeeze the most out of less than 1 horsepower.
@stevek88293 жыл бұрын
At 746 watts per HP, top cyclists can exceed one HP.
@gudrune3 жыл бұрын
@@stevek8829 sure, a fraction of a percent of the time. Aka, a rounding error.
@stevek88293 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@gudrune3 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@stevek88293 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@AngelGonzalez-hc4zw3 жыл бұрын
Riders who started cycling within the last 10-15 years may never know how great it is to have a compact crank option. I remember going from a 42 to a 39 and thinking how awesome that was. The gearing today is definitely more user friendly on any climb and more enjoyable.
@jepulis66745 жыл бұрын
Yes, no other reason why people would not think of Oman or Morocco as a holiday destination.
@C345OFR5 жыл бұрын
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.
@davidlewis39245 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@MrHansBattle5 жыл бұрын
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?
@derpynerdy62945 жыл бұрын
I watch gcn yet I used hardtail MTB in roads with their techniques and guides
@lewis725 жыл бұрын
I remember trying, but failing, to get up the Ditchling Beacon back in '94 on a 52/42F 13-18R 6-speed gear set back in '94.
@dadventuretv25385 жыл бұрын
Hmmm. I wonder where Sram got their ideas from. Oh yeah- mountain biking and the Eagle. The circle is now complete.
@obi-wankenobi98715 жыл бұрын
Even as a mountainbiker i find your comment to be ridiciolus. Changing the gear ratio is not an innovation.
@dadventuretv25385 жыл бұрын
KZbin User Like I give a shit
@gamma_dablam4 жыл бұрын
@@obi-wankenobi9871 I think the point is that it isn't an innovation
@tonyjames54446 ай бұрын
Late to the party here but I've recently been the victim of chain ring size snobbery:). Stopped off in a cafe mid ride and overheard some cyclists discussing my 50/34 11-28 set up on my old Synapse. Didn't think nothing of it and got my own back when I passed them going up Old Winchester Hill lane, they didn't return my wave😂
@waynosfotos5 жыл бұрын
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!
@MaximRecoil3 жыл бұрын
When I was a kid in the '80s I had a 10-speed (2×5), and the vast majority of the time I left it in first gear (the lowest gear), since my town was probably the hilliest town in America, if not the world (not just a lot of hills, but most were very steep too), and I wasn't usually in a hurry anyway. If I wanted to pedal fast down a hill I'd use fifth gear, or tenth gear if I wanted to go even faster. I never bothered with any of the other seven gears.
@vernweller39245 жыл бұрын
Informative video but, get rid of the distraction background music at least I believe the noise was meant to be music.
@johannesduenser5 жыл бұрын
if it is measurable you could do a "gcn does science" about power loss from small cogs vs big cogs. i would be very interrested what you loose by being say in a 10 vs a larger (11 or even higher) cog! also for the front rings...
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Now that would be interesting...
@-Bonobo-5 жыл бұрын
When you see pro riders grinding up the mortirolo and angliru with 34-28 then you know you need smaller gears as an amateur ;)
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Oh yes!
@JanKowalski-pe9lo5 жыл бұрын
You kidding right???? How many amateur cyclist doing clims like Angliru or Mortirolo? All this propaganda is the same like with disc brakes and carbon wheels. It might or might not be useful for you or anybody else yet generalisations says cmon guys take it cos disc brakes saves you 2 sec in your everyday loop and carbon wheels another 15secs and this 10secs. And all this to barely 200w ftp guys... Use your head lads and spend excess of money for spinner classes, trainings or even good cycling trip.
@-Bonobo-5 жыл бұрын
@@JanKowalski-pe9lo Who says you need to get this 12 speed? a 46/30 chainset in the UK is £67.
@JanKowalski-pe9lo5 жыл бұрын
@@-Bonobo- No one... I said only that "consume" propaganda programming people minds for buying goods enters biking industry. It should be more like train and be better cyclist. Kind of "Don`t buy upgrades, ride up grades..." stuff. Imbalance in promoting former against the latter is tremendous.
@chrisplatten22935 жыл бұрын
@@JanKowalski-pe9lo Maybe not the Angliru or Mortirolo, but as a decidedly amateur cyclist I had a go a Hard Knott pass in the Lake District. I was very glad to have 48/32 with an 11-34 cassette. Even with better than 1:1, I barely kept going on the steepest section. Very pleased to get up without stopping, even if I was the slowest ascent on Strava that day. Also, plenty of 1:10 or 1:8 climbs on minor roads just outside the M25. They might be short, but are often steep, not mountain steep, but steep nonetheless. I love my low gears.
@gameking50P5 жыл бұрын
Truly the best cycling channel!!! I actually understand what's Si's talking about 😆
@fastrack95 жыл бұрын
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-A5 жыл бұрын
@Jafar - I'm positive about that;in fact as positive as Lance himself
@bradphillips93674 жыл бұрын
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.
@jakehammond123455 жыл бұрын
" they simply didn't have the technology in the 70's "( to make a sprocket larger than 24, or a chainring smaller than 42) . What a gem.
@BelperFlyer5 жыл бұрын
Quite. We were riding our tandem in the 1970s with a triple chain set (52/42/30) and a 13/28 5 or 6 speed block and succeeded in climbing 18% hills (I wish I still could!)
@mmoorms88035 жыл бұрын
I Hope all The GCN Team got new SRAM group sets for the brilliant AD you just presented.
@gcn5 жыл бұрын
Heya M. Like we disclose on our thumbnails, videos and descriptions, we're super lucky to work with brands we really rate, like SRAM. This helps us to make the hundreds of videos that are free to view online every year. Having said that, we always retain complete control over what we say in our videos. Hope you enjoyed it!
@karenrichardson9455 жыл бұрын
I miss my granny gear so much!
@supernoodles9083 жыл бұрын
You can still get them
@pedrocaldeira16045 жыл бұрын
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