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/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@RedRanger
Eh, it's the nature of the site really. Frank writes a poetic but fundamentally wrong article, then sits back to watch the fireworks.
It's not about being "butt hurt" (you Americans and your funny sayings), it's more like putting some surely polarising ideas out there and sitting back to watch the fun of everyone going at each other's throats - in the nicest possible way....
I'm toying with the idea of getting a medium cage derailleur and an 11-32 for a particularly hilly 255km sportive in October. I figure that 9 hours of suffering will be enough without having to spend a couple of them below 50 rpm and whimpering like an abandoned puppy. At least I'll be able to stick with my 53/39.
@ten B
11-27 at most and you are never allowed to actually use the 27, that way you'll only suffer 8 1/2 hours.
now where's this ride? Details details....
@Barracuda
Actually, that's exactly what happened to me a couple of days ago at the (brutal) Tre Cime di Lavaredo climb. The night before the ride my friends and I were discussing the compact v standard issue, and I was very pleased to see the hamstrings and the calves of the most fervent advocate of 39T on the verge of muscular failure while I (slowly) overtook him two km to the summit on a 17% ramp...
@piwakawaka
It's in the Brindabella ranges south of Canberra. If you Google Fitz's Challenge you'll find it. I did the 205km version last year on my old bike with a compact and 11-25. The last big climb was a one-hour symphony of agony. No real flat sections the entire way either - just rollers. Over 4000m of climbing, all up. This year's plan is the 255, unless I can convince my VMH to play, in which case I'll be her domestique for the 105.
Here' a counterpoint.
Any bike with a rear cassette bearing anything larger than a 26 tooth cog should be either a MTB or a CX bike, not a road bike.
....aaaaand, go!
Ah, who am I kidding. I don't really care. If it gets you up the hill, what does it matter?
@frank
Indeed. I know he got lighter as his career went on but the guy must have laid down huge amounts of V to have survived as a pro cyclist in his chunkier years. An inspiration to the too fat climb like myself.
There's so much awesomeness in this photo, the way it shouts speed at you, the chromed surfaces glinting in the sun, the Coke bidon, Addidas shoes, gum sidewalls, lack of V-meter, studded saddle, low set brake levers and some fucking huge blood pipes. Only minor downside is that he should have given his wrench a slap for that rear QR.
@Teocalli
@ten B
Looks great enjoy, oh 5k vertical on the website!