Everyone knows that the quality of one’s character is measured by the size gear they can push, particularly when going uphill. It is also a well-established fact that no self-respecting Flemish Pro would ever ride a Compact, no matter what condition their knees are in or how ferocious the gradient. Which, by extension, means that Compacts are for sissies. In fact, a true Flandrian would rather lose their national race than ride a Sissy Gear.
The first time we rode with Johan Museeuw, we were shocked to find him aboard one of his carbon/flax race machines – and a compact chainset. Not wanting to offend an Apostle by suggesting he’s riding his son’s bike, I asked him what he thought of it. “I don’t like it. The big ring isn’t big enough for climbing.”
The standard Flemish chainset is – and has been for as long as the Ancients have tracked these details in their sacred scrolls – either a 53T or 52T outer ring paired to a 42T inner ring. On the occasions when the parcours will see them scaling the Koppenberg or Kapelmuur, the Belgians make a concession and dust off their trusty 41T inner ring in order to shorten the gear by a whopping single tooth. In the mountains or over in Wallonia (the land of savages) where they are far from the prying eyes of their proud public, the Flemish hardman may allow his mechanic to bolt on a lowly 39T ring, so long as no one brings it up at the dinner table. (It is worth noting that in Cyclocross it is standard practice to ride a 38T inner ring.)
Museeuw has never been a grimpeur, not when he was a Pro and not now. On Keepers Tour 2013, we had the opportunity to do several more rides with him, one of which was over the roads of Liege-Bastogne-Liege. It was customary for him to suggest alternate routes that avoided the steep hills, and so it was that he tried to talk us out of riding the Stockeu. We rode up side-by-side, taking our time. As we alternated between pedaling and doing track stands, he asked if I was riding a compact. I feigned a combination of exasperation and insult at such a question and told him it was a Flemish Compact.
“Oh, a 39? Goed.”
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Belgian Compact/”/]
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Fun article, thanks Frank.
Back in the day, when I was a teenager, my race/summer bike had 52-42 x 13-18, and on principle I never used the 18 cog. There was something psychological about not using the lowest gear, even when I was dying a death and chewing my Benotto tape; it would have been like having my back to the wall with nowhere to go. Just couldn't do it. My winter bike had 52-42 x 13-21, so that I had a 19 cog as a bail-out gear for when the man with the hammer had paid me a visit. This is in South Wales, with plenty of 15-20% climbs.
Looking back, I honestly don't know how I managed it.
These days, I'm 100-odd-% older and 50% heavier, got back into road cycling after some time off road, and went straight to a 50-34 x 12-26. I prefer a high cadence and rarely use anything higher than 50x14, let alone spin it out, so I don't see the point of bigger chainrings. Maybe when I've dropped 15kg and worn my current chainrings out, I'll give it a go. Or maybe not.
@Cyclops
If you follow that line of reasoning through to conclusion, all Deacon bikes may only be assembled using groupsets built by crazy people in their basements.
@wiscot
(Psst!)
That ain't a Huffy, and I don't see a 39 either.
Ahhh, fuck it, time to confess. I ride a 50/36 with an 11-23 at the back. I live in a very lumpy part of SE WI and I hit the big 50 next month. All you young whippersnappers can ride all the 53-42s you damn well like, but I get around quite nicely thank you on my set up. (eg, 92 kms last night. Two bottles, no food, 29kmh/hr average over lumpy terrain) I hate having a big cassette at the back and the 36 looks better than a 34.
I grew up in the age of 52-42 being standard and a 12 straight-through at the back. Try getting up some steep hills on 42-18 and then tell be about how shitty compacts are. Been there, done that, not going back. While I'm at it, I sport an epms. Why? Because I came of age in an era of wool and then shitty acrylic jerseys. I have images burnt in my brain of riders with so much shit in their saggy back pockets that you couldn't see the saddle. For me, it's emergency gear in the epms, wallet and cell in the middle pocket, gels in the right pocket, solid food in the left. Other than that, I do my very best to obey the rules, but sometimes age and experience trumps the written word!
@wiscot
Jesus Man!!! What do you think this is? An AA meeting??? Keep that shit to yourself and obey the masturbation principle!
@Buck Rogers
Honestly. Fifty years old! No one needs to know about that.
OK boys and girls, any one want to play frame builder?
Here is the CAD drawing of a carbon frame I've ordered from Alchemy (Helios model).
I specified that it was intended to be a "go-fast" bike (haha, I know), not meant to be plush, all-day comfortable.I also specified I wanted a horizontal top tube and a head tube that came in at 23 cm max. The BB-saddle length is correct, as is the setback and saddle tip-bar center reach. My saddle-bar drop was submitted as 10 cm.
This is what I got. Huge head tube, sloped top-tube, reduce saddle-bar drop, ginormous wheel base. Am I asking the physically impossible? Do I radiate so many "old and slow" vibes that the engineer has intervened humanely?
Any comments? Gentle mockery is acceptable.
OK boys and girls, any one want to play frame builder?
Here is the CAD drawing of a carbon frame I've ordered from Alchemy (Helios model).
I specified that it was intended to be a "go-fast" bike (haha, I know), not meant to be plush, all-day comfortable.I also specified I wanted a horizontal top tube and a head tube that came in at 23 cm max. The BB-saddle length is correct, as is the setback and saddle tip-bar center reach. My saddle-bar drop was submitted as 10 cm.
This is what I got. Huge head tube, sloped top-tube, reduce saddle-bar drop, ginormous wheel base. Am I asking the physically impossible? Do I radiate so many "old and slow" vibes that the engineer has intervened humanely?
Any comments? Gentle mockery is acceptable.
@Buck Rogers
Sorry fellas . . . slinking off with head hung in abject shame. (In my defence, there did seem to be a few confessions being posted and I must have gotten carried away.)
At 60 years of age I continue to long for the days when I had my Regita corn cob freewheel and 53/42 as the #1, it is #4 on the Coppi. Living in Seattle I continue with the 53/39 and 11-23 on the clinchers but do have 12-27 for the mountains tubulars. It was all power low RMP as a kid. I PROMISED MYSELF NO compact until I retire, Then I hope to be able to ride more and avoid it till death. Just saw the 70 year old guys that did RAAM in 6 days 13 hours. What really matters is getting out and make the guns burn