Categories: Accessories and GearDefining MomentsFolkloreNostalgiaThe Hardmen

Les Choix

A 10 speed cluster; too many choices or not enough?

I’ve never been able to decide if choices are a gift or a curse; a lack of choices introduces simplicity but also with it the risk that the simple choices do not meet the demands of a complex world. An abundance of similar choices, on the other hand, often reduces the impact of getting things a little bit wrong, but also decreases the thoughtfulness in decision making. Finally, having many divergent choices mostly just leads to a lot of planning and ultimately indecision, assuming my experience in Corporate America is anything to go by.

These days, we tend to ride bicycles with 10 or 11 speed clusters made up of sprockets that are closely matched to their neighbors. This development removes the rider somewhat from the art of gear selection, a fact carried further by bar-mounted shifters; as gradients increase and decrease, we glide from gear to gear maintaining our cadence with hardly any consideration given to the ratios hard at work for us. It is a beautiful freedom to ride like this, but it is also another degree of separation between rider and machine.

I recently read an interview with Sean Kelly, who was discussing his defeat at the hands of Greg Lemond during the 1989 World Championship Road Race. With only seven sprockets at his disposal over a route slightly too hilly for a rider of his ilk, he was faced with a difficult choice: spare the legs on the climb with a 25T at the bottom end, or hamper his sprint with a 13T at the top end.

Kelly faced a tough decision: mount a gear that would carry him over the climb to contend the finale with the handicap of a 13T, or overload the cannons on too big a gear for the climb and never have the chance to go for the win in the first place. He deliberated over the decision while training on the course and finally decided for the low gear. Kelly made it over the climbs to contest the sprint, but his 53×13 was hopelessly outmatched by LeMan’s monster 54×12.

More recently, the Cycling world was aflutter about Tony Martin’s choice to ride a 58T front chain ring during a time trail. This wasn’t a display of bravado but rather a highly refined choice of chain line: knowing the speeds he wanted to ride, he chose his big ring in such a size that would provide the straightest chain line in the gear he’d be riding in during the majority of the race. The result was less friction, and a Tour de France stage win under his belt.

There is an art to gear and cluster choice that is nearly lost with today’s expanding sprocket ranges, but it remains within our grasp if only we are willing to seek it out. Don’t settle for knowing the maximum and minimum size gears in your block; know exactly which gears you have across the board, and understand what sizes you’ll be missing and gaining when switching between 11-23, 12-25 and 13-26 – there is more to it than just taking one off one end and slapping it on the other.

It might not make any material difference to your Cycling, but it will show the quality of your character.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

sthilzy says:

Jan 25 2014 at 1:01 am

@SloKenny 16-20 wooh! Juvi gearing.

Dug this out from deep in the man cave,

Campagnolo 13-18 six speed aluminium straight block, double butted SS spokes laced to 28 hole Dura-Ace track hub and Mavic GEL280 rims. Tied and soldered, hence the broken spokes. The wheel-n-cluster weighs in at 903 grams with out skewers and tyres. Use to run Panaracer Comp 21's.
sthilzy says:

Jan 25 2014 at 1:04 am

When I started riding again in 2010 I rode up to a gut who was test riding a bike with 11 speed. Pissed me off all the gear changing he was doing to find the right gear.

Flipping 16-15-16-17-18-15-17-16-15-19. I asked him "Gears OK?" he replied shifts Ok, but I can't find a comfy one!

Too many choixes!
bear says:

Jan 25 2014 at 5:28 am

@frank

@bear

Gentlemen. It is as always inspiring and interesting to read the various views on a topic that only very few outside the cycling world would know the significance of. While I understand that some select their gears following complicated formulas involving fitness and terrain, my simple approach is trying to deny the fact that 15 years has passed since I rode my last race on the UCI calendar. 53/39 and 12-23 is still my setup, and 39 is never used in public. The consequence is of course that my guns from time to time feels like overheated 5.56"²s and not like the 12.5"²s like they once were.

_______
I'm new around here - been lurking for a year or so. Couldn't find an intro thread, so not sure where to make the introduction. In short I can answer yes to the following:
* Have you lived by the rules?
* Do you think that the "V" mentioned in the "Da Vinci Code" refers to this site?
* Do you shave your guns?

Welcome, and obviously you are going to fit in perfectly. The bolded phrase highlights this fact. Denial is a lifestyle.

And, since you've stuck around for a year, I assume you would also answer yes to this question: Is the movie Team America funny?

Thanks Frank. If "Team America" is considered funny by the majority of Velominati, then I probably also will enjoy it - so yes. I haven't seen it (have been busy memorizing the rules) but will find it on Netflix asap.
Deakus says:

Jan 25 2014 at 6:56 am

@bear

@frank

@bear

Gentlemen. It is as always inspiring and interesting to read the various views on a topic that only very few outside the cycling world would know the significance of. While I understand that some select their gears following complicated formulas involving fitness and terrain, my simple approach is trying to deny the fact that 15 years has passed since I rode my last race on the UCI calendar. 53/39 and 12-23 is still my setup, and 39 is never used in public. The consequence is of course that my guns from time to time feels like overheated 5.56"²s and not like the 12.5"²s like they once were.

_______
I'm new around here - been lurking for a year or so. Couldn't find an intro thread, so not sure where to make the introduction. In short I can answer yes to the following:
* Have you lived by the rules?
* Do you think that the "V" mentioned in the "Da Vinci Code" refers to this site?
* Do you shave your guns?

Welcome, and obviously you are going to fit in perfectly. The bolded phrase highlights this fact. Denial is a lifestyle.

And, since you've stuck around for a year, I assume you would also answer yes to this question: Is the movie Team America funny?

Thanks Frank. If "Team America" is considered funny by the majority of Velominati, then I probably also will enjoy it - so yes. I haven't seen it (have been busy memorizing the rules) but will find it on Netflix asap.

You need to get that movie dialed in and numerous quotes memorised asap....Welcome!
The Pressure says:

Jan 25 2014 at 7:39 am

Team America??? Look out, here comes "The Fry Guy"!
brett says:

Jan 25 2014 at 12:51 pm

@minion

@brett WHAT!?!?

I have no idea what this conversation has to do with me. 53-39 and a 12-25 cassette. That's the bottom line on everything that's been discussed here. I ran a straight block on the courier bike till it wore out and just got really slow legs.

They were making sheep jokes... your department.
minion says:

Jan 25 2014 at 2:43 pm

@brett Fuck they must have been subtle.
geoffrey says:

Jan 26 2014 at 1:11 pm

There is a lot of disdain on this site for low gearing. Quintana ran an 11-29 last Thursday. For most people high cadence riding uphill produces more power that grinding, burns more fat and less glycogen, allows quicker recovery and puts less stress on the knees and hip flexors. I'd rather spin a dinnerplate and last a few more years on the bike than succumb to a macho fantasty based on misunderstood biomechanics. Not advice, just my opinion.
frank says:

Jan 26 2014 at 7:05 pm

@geoffrey

Just like I am not Ullrich, you are not Quintana. You should ride the cadence that suits your physiology.

You're not wrong, but keep in mind that while I'm not accusing Quintana of anything because spinning could well be his magic way of riding especially considering his size, spinning for big riders is an artifact of blood-doping where it is more important to save the muscles than the cardiovascular system knowing you could just stock up on new blood every few weeks.

Side note: there's no disdain around here for low gears; we're just taking the piss. We only joke about it because we'd rather spin a 53x11 up a wall at 100rpm than a 22x28. That is all.

@minion

@brett Fuck they must have been subtle.

It had to do with mispelling and people smarter than me. I had to google it before I got the joke.
andrew says:

Jan 27 2014 at 12:27 am

@frank

You're not wrong, but keep in mind that while I'm not accusing Quintana of anything because spinning could well be his magic way of riding especially considering his size, spinning for big riders is an artifact of blood-doping where it is more important to save the muscles than the cardiovascular system knowing you could just stock up on new blood every few weeks

EPO also has a huge impact on endurance, but not so much on power, so spinning putting the load on the cardio-vascular system makes the most of this, too -- I think David Millar wrote about this in his book.

@geoffrey

Don't forget to pack your sense of humour!