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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@frank I actually built the CX pretty much exclusively for gravel racing, so the compact sort of made sense, but the shifting is so bad that it's in the parts drawer now, and I race gravel with the VMH on the back of a tandem now, anyway. Jealous much?
@PeakInTwoYears "perfectly well" might mean "is possible", but the huge difference between my now-deceased steel 52/42 and the shifting on the carbon CX with a compact was so huge so as to make it not even worth it to shift in the front. I found myself putting 11-28 on the back just to avoid messing with the sluggish FD. It would eventually shift (or drop the chain), but it took some serious planning, not good for racing. The difference was also too much for CX or gravel, resulting in some fall-through-the-pedal situations. As for macho ranting, guilty. Something about the words "big ring" just seems to bring it out.
@Balexander A curious business. FDs can act weirder than they ought to be able to. They look so damned simple.
@dgran
"Check out the gearing that pros use to climb the Angrilu in the Vuelta and you can feel good about your compact setup. Choosing the right gearing for the terrain seems more pro to me than riding a single gear arrangement 52 weeks of the year."
This. Having said that, I've never owned a compact, and rode STP a few years ago with a 12-21 cassette because I'm stupid that way. I've seen the light re bigger cassettes for bigger hills, though, and feel no shame in slapping on the 12-27 when the terrain calls for it.
@PeakInTwoYears
When I'm feeling a bit more like it remind me to tell you the story of the FD of my Giordana - if there was ever evidence for an inanimate object being possessed by a malevolent spirit then this is it
@starclimber
I'll cop to riding a 53/39 on the tt bike, a 50/34 on the road bike, and a 46/36 on the cx bike. All of them are exactly the right gear for me, but I will admit not a single one of them looks pro.
@Chris
Chris, I'm also a Cannondale man and have the Si crank extractor and lockring tool, which you are more than welcome to borrow if it helps you (I'm assuming you're based in the UK). I could also come up with a compact spider and rings if needed. This could overcome the first part of your reason for not swapping, but sadly I can't help with the second part...
@dgran Amen - same for us out here in the hills of the SF Bay Area Peninsula. Up and over Skyline Drive a couple of times and the compact is de rigeur. Does not reduce the aspirations, the drive or the need to revisit Rule #V. 50/34 is defintiely the right gearing for me.
@Geraint
That's a great offer, thanks. They're tools I need to replace, I tend to pull the cranks off on a regular basis when I'm riding alot. I've also got a compact spider and rings as well as a compact FSA chainset that came with the bike that I've kept as a back up.
Where about in the UK are you? I did say a while ago that I'd organise a London cogal. Given today's sad news it seems like that should be something we should be getting on with.
@Chris - disagree, sorry mate, if Rule 65 means disassembling the bottom bracket and shovelling in fresh grease every bloody week just so it doesn't creak like a whores bed then said bottom bracket must be a crock of shit ...I know my way around a bike: 4 sets of bearings @ 200 - 250km per week over two years would suggest I'm probably right. One day they'll figure it out and BB30 will be awesome. For now I think your non-creaking BB30 is the exception rather tan the rule (no pun intended)