Quote:
Originally Posted by woob
1. I ride a compact: 50/34 with a 12/27 rear cassette. You probably will hardly use 53-12 anyway unless you're planning on pulling a 35+mph sprint in the near future. Also, downhill speed can be achieved with a good tuck instead of pedalling on your biggest rings. I hardly use even the 50-12 on my compact. I have, however, used the 34-27 for steep hills in Vancouver (18% grade for 140m near my house) and elsewhere. But really, it's up to you. If you foresee yourself not ever needing the small ring, then by all means get a standard double.
Here's a nice little webpage that calculates achievable speeds at certain cadences and gear ratios.
2. Tektro has served me well so far. I hear the pads make a big difference, though, so I plan to upgrade to Kool Stop pads once the Tektro once wear siginificatly. |
Thanks for the info. I ended up ordering my parts from CRC in the UK. Got Raceface Cadence 53/39 crankset/bb, SRAM 1050 11-28 cassette, 10 spd chain, 105 rr der, R501 wheelset, and 3 Vittoria tires for ~$330 with free shipping. Not sure what I'm doing with brakes, but I'll probably look for a good used set of 105 or Ultegra in the classifieds or Ebay. Goal is to keep the complete build under $750. That way if road riding doesn't work out for me I should be able to sell the bike at a minimal loss. With any luck the bike will come out around 20-21lbs. If I love the sport, then I'll invest in a nicer set of wheels at a later time to ditch some rotating weight.