13-26 cassettes

[pavel]

I really dont understand the point of these cassettes. The high isnt high and the low isnt low.


Can you guys explain the use case?

[oldpotatoe]

I really dont understand the point of these cassettes. The high isnt high and the low isnt low.


Can you guys explain the use case?

In use a 13-26 with a 50/39...and it perfect.......for me.

50-13 is fine and 39-26 is fine......for me.

[zmudshark]

I really dont understand the point of these cassettes. The high isnt high and the low isnt low.


Can you guys explain the use case?

Obviously, you are under 60. Good for you.

Old guys who don't wish to go over 40mph/65kph do just fine on them, and sometimes the one tooth up is appreciated on the hills, while still keeping the shifts close.

[TMB]

I am taking one with me this weekend as I head into the Rockies.

a 13-26 with a 50-36 is just about perfect for a 52 year old climbing mountain passes.

I have no need to go 50 mph. Or even 40 mph.

I'm not ashamed to coast.

[AngryScientist]

i very rarely use my 12t (or 11 on the bikes that have it). it's sometimes nice on long steeper descents, but i doubt i'd miss it if it werent there.

[witcombusa]

Hell, I like the Campy 8sd. 14-26 :eek:

[DRietz]

This is most likely a result of my WTB in the Classifieds.

Put simply, it helps comply with junior gearing regulations. In the off season I run an 11-25.

[pdmtong]

I really dont understand the point of these cassettes. The high isnt high and the low isnt low.

yup...if you are going to go low, go low. 13-29....

[ergott]

I'm comfortably under 40 so I'll chime in.

I rock a 13-26 with a 53/39.

I can sustain 22mph in the little ring (I spin up to 115rpm). It made my riding pal do a double take when I was dropping the group in the little ring;-)

I can also ride over 40mph in the big ring. It doesn't seem to slow me down. If you tell me you sprint with a bigger gear than a 53/13 I want to see your UCI license number.

If you have a naturally high cadence, that cassette is excellent. 22mph and under I'm mostly in the little ring. Over that, and I'm in the big ring.

[kceb_cire]

Im under 30, but I like my 13-26 w/ a 53/39 as well.
I don't race, and I don't push my luck going 40+ downhill, so there is no reason for me to have 130 gear inches anywhere in my cassette.
I like the close ratio, so it never feels like Im taking a jump anywhere in the cassette. If I can't get up a hill with the 39/26, I should probably re-evaluate a few things in my life.
13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-26. Perfect.

[ergott]

It's an 8 speed corn cob with two climbing gears;-)

[CunegoFan]

Im under 30, but I like my 13-26 w/ a 53/39 as well.
I don't race, and I don't push my luck going 40+ downhill, so there is no reason for me to have 130 gear inches anywhere in my cassette.
I like the close ratio, so it never feels like Im taking a jump anywhere in the cassette. If I can't get up a hill with the 39/26, I should probably re-evaluate a few things in my life.
13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-26. Perfect.

The 18 is nice.

I think it is more perplexing why everyone thinks they need a 12 or 11.

[TMB]

It's an 8 speed corn cob with two climbing gears;-)

Someone should tell Thwart!

[false_Aest]

brah,

53x12/11 is special needs gearing. Like -9% with the wind at your back and the mujahideen in teslas chasing you down. Or when you're stupidly trying to chase back on downhill cuz you were momentarily distracted by a hot girl in a wet t-shirt during a race and run off the road.

I don't think pro sprinters are using that gearing either (IIRC Cav + Cippo used 53x13/14)

26 is nice brah, when you just got your ass handed to you by someone 15 years older and balding with a gut and you just need a break or else you're gonna cry

[FlashUNC]

I use one. Love it.

I can count on one hand how often I've really needed a 12 or 11. Coasting down a mountain ain't the end of the world.

And a 39-26 is a great granny, imo with lots of good gear spacing in between.

With this kind of cogset, its what you gain in the middle, while losing a bit on the top end that I never really used anyways.

[Bob Loblaw]

Different strokes for different folks. I installed a 15-27 cassette (not a typo) for a customer with a 53-39-30 triple. He's an older guy who doesn't ride fast, but he is a real rider, covers some pretty formidable distances. He is perfectly happy with it.

BL

[rustychisel]

Weird question, IMHO.

The gears are what they are. My partner [isn't riding at present due to having been 'car doored'] uses a 13~26 with a compact front which enables her to get up into the hills. Occasionally she points out she runs out of top end gear but she still descends as fast as I do and usually leaves most other riders behind.

[john903]

I run a 50x38 and 13-26 it seems just fine for me. The cogs are close no big jumps, I have a great climbing gear in 38x23 and use the 26 as a
last resort, top end ya whatever i don't race anymore and i would rather enjoy the desent after climbing up that mountain. Some times I even ...gasp... pull over and stop to take in the scenery. Maybe there is an age correlation I will be 50 in a few months and top speed dosen't seem to matter as much as it did when I was 25 humm.
Whatever makes someone happy as long as there enjoying the ride thats important.

[dauwhe]

Love the 13-26 10sp, w/53/42/30. Lots of closely spaced gears, which is good, and lots of range, too. Perfect!

But then I started with a 13-24 5sp, so everything else seems awesome :)

Dave

[beungood]

How much different is the 13/29 from this? Ive been considering both. I run a 53/42/30 ..

[Chance]

I think it is more perplexing why everyone thinks they need a 12 or 11.

Can't you say the same thing about "needing" a bicycle when you could walk? Need is relative. It's probably more about want. It is for me.

A 53/13 top gear would drive me nuts. It's true. In the 80 to 90 RPM range a rider wouldn't even be hitting 30 MPH. And if you like pedaling downhill or motorpacing into the 40s just because you can (not because you need to) then a 50/13 or 53/13 makes you spin so fast that most of us can't do it efficiently.

In my case prefer cassettes with 11s over 12s most of the time. Don't know why that would seem perplexing at all.

For what it's worth, advantages to a 13-26 cassette seem clear to me. They just don't meet my needs. It's basically a very tight cassette with 2:1 range and ratios ideal for those that don't want to pedal while going really fast.

[DRietz]

It's basically a very tight cassette with 2:1 range and ratios ideal for those that don't want to pedal while going really fast.

Or for junior racers that ride Campy... :(

That said, my 49x13 has taught me the definition of a smooth pedal stroke...

[beeatnik]

can't you say the same thing about "needing" a bicycle when you could walk? Need is relative. It's probably more about want. It is for me.

A 53/13 top gear would drive me nuts. It's true. In the 80 to 90 rpm range a rider wouldn't even be hitting 30 mph. And if you like pedaling downhill or motorpacing into the 40s just because you can (not because you need to) then a 50/13 or 53/13 makes you spin so fast that most of us can't do it efficiently.

In my case prefer cassettes with 11s over 12s most of the time. Don't know why that would seem perplexing at all.

For what it's worth, advantages to a 13-26 cassette seem clear to me. They just don't meet my needs. It's basically a very tight cassette with 2:1 range and ratios ideal for those that don't want to pedal while going really fast.

+1...1

[pavel]

Can't you say the same thing about "needing" a bicycle when you could walk? Need is relative. It's probably more about want. It is for me.

A 53/13 top gear would drive me nuts. It's true. In the 80 to 90 RPM range a rider wouldn't even be hitting 30 MPH. And if you like pedaling downhill or motorpacing into the 40s just because you can (not because you need to) then a 50/13 or 53/13 makes you spin so fast that most of us can't do it efficiently.

In my case prefer cassettes with 11s over 12s most of the time. Don't know why that would seem perplexing at all.

For what it's worth, advantages to a 13-26 cassette seem clear to me. They just don't meet my needs. It's basically a very tight cassette with 2:1 range and ratios ideal for those that don't want to pedal while going really fast.



This makes perfect sense. Thanks, and I honestly did not mean to ruffle any feathers here.

[christian]

It has an 18, and I can't spin out a 53-13 on the flats (well, not for any real distance anyway). What's not to love? Oh yeah EIGHTEEN. It has an EIGHTEEN!

[DRietz]

It has an 18, and I can't spin out a 53-13 on the flats. What's not to love? Oh yeah EIGHTEEN. It has an EIGHTEEN!

http://www.allamericanblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/awesome.jpg

[saab2000]

How much different is the 13/29 from this? Ive been considering both. I run a 53/42/30 ..

I bought a 13x29 for a trip to Europe this spring. You give up a middle gear (I don't remember which one) to get the 29. It's a great bailout gear if you live around steep, long hills. It works just fine with a normal length rear der. You don't even know the 29 is there until you need it and then it is awesome.

I agree with the comments on the 11 or 12 tooth cogs. 11s are just spacers for the most part and you need to live in mountains or be Mark Cavendish to use one and even pros normally don't sprint in them. So a 12 is more than adequate 99% of the time and the 13 is more than adequate about 98.5% of the time. A 13x26 makes an awful lot of sense.

My favorite combo is a 12x23 but having a 12x25 has been pretty nice I've noticed and the 13x26 would probably be even better. It's a rare day that I would really miss the 12.

[ergott]

and ratios ideal for those that don't want to pedal while going really fast.

I understand your preferences, but I have issue with this conclusion. This collection of ratios keeps me pedaling in my powerband up to 36mph. I can also stay within a 10rpm range in the 20-30mph range where I want to keep the power level consistent for hard efforts. There is a perfect changeover from the little ring to the big ring at about 22mph. With an 11-23, I would be mixing between the little ring and big ring more often and all the way up to 25mph. An 11-23 also has larger jumps in rpm in that same range of speed. It's harder to maintain consistent power that way.

If I consider what percentage of any given ride is spend on a straight enough descent to ride faster than 36mph vs. the amount of time I spend in the 20s I think I made a good choice.

I'm not sure what you mean by going really fast and not pedaling.

[saab2000]

I'm not sure what you mean by going really fast and not pedaling.

Probably means going downhill where pedaling doesn't necessarily make you go any faster. Gravity does all the work sometimes.

[Chance]

Two more thoughts on this:

If a rider where to cross the chain all the way over from small to small, he’d be in a 39/13. That’s only a 3:1 ratio which is lower than a common compact’s 34/11. To some that don’t pedal with natural fast cadence that can make the small ring almost useless on flats. Avoiding the very last cog (the 13T) and crossing chain only to the 39/14 would yield about 20 MPH at 90 RPM. On most of my flat group rides the small ring would remain unused.


13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-26. Perfect.

While the 18T is indeed nice, a 17-to-19 jump is not that hard to live with. Would gladly sacrifice the 18T for a 12T.

12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-26. More perfect (for me). Not speaking for others.

[ergott]

12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-26. More perfect (for me). Not speaking for others.

At that point it might as well be a 12-25 which I also have and use.

With a Veloce cassette (all individual cogs) I guess I could replace the 25 with a 26 and get that previously mentioned cassette. I don't bother buying anything more expensive than Veloce cassettes anyway.

[Chance]

I understand your preferences, but I have issue with this conclusion. This collection of ratios keeps me pedaling in my powerband up to 36mph. I can also stay within a 10rpm range in the 20-30mph range where I want to keep the power level consistent for hard efforts. There is a perfect changeover from the little ring to the big ring at about 22mph. With an 11-23, I would be mixing between the little ring and big ring more often and all the way up to 25mph. An 11-23 also has larger jumps in rpm in that same range of speed. It's harder to maintain consistent power that way.

If I consider what percentage of any given ride is spend on a straight enough descent to ride faster than 36mph vs. the amount of time I spend in the 20s I think I made a good choice.

I'm not sure what you mean by going really fast and not pedaling.

For me it's about 40 MPH. In the 30s a good bike feels fast but not too much. Once at or above 40 MPH a bike seems to start feeling like it's moving.

Don't understand what conclusion you are disagreeing with because as stated in my post above, a 13-26 has advantages. It just doesn't work that well for me. That's the only real conclusion in my post. And it remains valid.:confused:

[Bob Loblaw]

I am not sure I'm reading this right. Are you saying a closer ratio cassette = larger jumps in RPM between gears?

BL

With an 11-23, I would be mixing between the little ring and big ring more often and all the way up to 25mph. An 11-23 also has larger jumps in rpm in that same range of speed. It's harder to maintain consistent power that way.

[wallymann]

i live where it's pretty flat. (used with 53/29 rings) i have no serious ups so a 26 is plenty and as a result no serious descents so 13 is plenty. i'm some big-meat- gearhead so a 13 is plenty on the flat too.

[bobswire]

I can pretty well tell what part of the country and or how old someone is by the cassette they "swear" by. Different strokes folks makes the wheels go around. 13-26 will get me by in most situations BUT my cassettes range from 11-23 to 11-34 with many in the middle, all depends on what I'm riding, where I'm riding and how I feel on a given day.
You have commuters, racing and TT bikes as well as different terrain,no one cassette is ideal for all those venues.

[ergott]

For me it's about 40 MPH. In the 30s a good bike feels fast but not too much. Once at or above 40 MPH a bike seems to start feeling like it's moving.

Don't understand what conclusion you are disagreeing with because as stated in my post above, a 13-26 has advantages. It just doesn't work that well for me. That's the only real conclusion in my post. And it remains valid.:confused:

"and ratios ideal for those that don't want to pedal while going really fast."

This one. I wasn't disagreeing with anything else you posted. I guess fast is relative.

A 13 puts me at about 126rpm for 40mph. That's not an unrealistic cadence for me and definitely not an unusually high cadence for a sprinter at any level.

I would prefer to have an 11 for long descents. Around me that's not going to happen much. I'm in rolling to flat country. If a ride is all up and down with no real flats I would prefer something like an 11-28 which Shimano and Sram make. That give me the climbing gears and still allows me to bomb down the other side. When the climbs are consistently 10% and over I need a lower gear than a 23 or a 25 for that matter. I rode in the Blue Ridge mountains over Memorial Day weekend and even a 38/28 low gear got to be a bit too hard for the last climb of an 82 mile ride. Put another rider with us on his feet walking and we aren't weekend warriors.

For me an 11-23 is super human. As much as I'd love the 11 for mountainous descents, I still need the climbing gears to get up those mountains in the first place;-)

Out of curiosity, how much of your riding is in the 30s? I wish I was that fast.
:beer:

[ergott]

I am not sure I'm reading this right. Are you saying a closer ratio cassette = larger jumps in RPM between gears?

BL

The smaller the cogs the larger the ratio change between them. 1 tooth changes in the 14-18 range are smaller ratio changes than 11-13. If you want tighter ratios, use the 14-19 tooth range and pick your front rings accordingly.

[Chance]

Out of curiosity, how much of your riding is in the 30s? I wish I was that fast.
:beer:

Not claiming to be fast at all Ergott. But do enjoy going fast when the rare opportunity presents itself. It’s that old “rather have it and not needed it” thing….

As a percent of mileage or ride time the amount of time spent over 30 MPH is probably miniscule. Technically the point could be made that riders like me don’t need anything more than a 13T and it would be understandable. However, the exhilaration that pedaling at 40 MPH or faster brings to cycling for me makes it worth having that high a gear even if it goes unused much of the time. As stated above, would gladly sacrifice a mid-range 18T for a 12T in order to not miss out on an opportunity if (or when) it comes up. It’s a personal preference that can’t really be justified with numbers on a spreadsheet or the like. Just enjoy it and nothing more.

There is a small group of riders in one group that when coming over the top of a climb into a descent of say 5 to 10 percent (just guessing) will pedal hard up to about 40 MPH in order to get the fastest speed possible before going into an aero tuck. If other riders don’t do the same they will be left behind.

For what it’s worth, can recall pedaling hard between 40 and 45 MPH on many occasions. Once even tried breaking 50 MPH on a given hill by pedaling but couldn’t spin that fast. At that speed tucking tighter may have been faster but was running out of real estate.

[TMB]

Remember when your highest gear was a 52 - 14?

[Jaq]

I find that hills around where I live are rarely steep enough, straight enough, long enough to really spin my 53/12. Where there are hills like that, they're usually signaled once or twice to keep traffic slow. And then there's the age factor; my reflexes are good, my descent skills (which I find to be perishable) aren't bad, but I'm not 25 and racing anymore. The main reason I still push a 12-23 is vanity.

That said, I'm probably going to do the Pike's Peak thing in July; I'm hoping a 39/26 and being in good shape will see me to the top. My only gripe is that they cut the ride in half; it's 11 miles instead of 20.

[cloudguy]

My only gripe is that they cut the ride in half; it's 11 miles instead of 20.

Why don't you do Mt. Evans instead?

[Jaq]

Why don't you do Mt. Evans instead?

Next year. Pike's Peak has some sentimental reasons behind it, and living in So Cal, I can't make two trips back to back like that. The Peak is on the 14th, Evans is on the 21st.

[Johnny P]

the 18 is nice.

I think it is more perplexing why everyone thinks they need a 12 or 11.

+1.

[redir]

I have one on my Campy 8-speed bike with a 54X40 up front. I do wish on occasion that it had a 12 and almost always wish it had a 27. So I hear ya. My shimano 12-27 9-speed has a lot more to offer not just because of the extra cog but because of the lower and higher range.

[Chance]

This 13-26 cassette talk and comparisons ignores that the cassette is only one part of a bigger picture. By itself it means little.

If you want to see for yourself just compare a 13-26 with 53-39 rings against one of the newer Shimano compact cranks for CX that has a 46T big ring. Match that with a 34T small ring and 11-23 cassette and it’s not that different. In some ways it’s better.

The same can be done with a 12-25 cassette if only the right rings are selected. Almost any cassette with a near 2:1 range will work pretty much the same. It's not rocket science.