Low Gears and Internet Shaming

[fourflys]

Interesting video from Russ today.. I can only imagine the type of comments he and other folks get from the keyboard warriors.. as I've said many times, no one will ever pay me to ride a bike, I will never be "fast".. I've raced cross, didn't finish last, was pretty proud of that! I imagine a lot of the trolls in the comments are just that, trolls.. but I can see how it can affect the content creators and that sucks as Russ just wants to make content for the niche audience he has..

anyway, here's the video-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-XlicNnLyA&t=197s

[mhespenheide]

I'm relatively fit, but nowhere near my racing fitness from my teens and 20's.

I raced USCF juniors with a 50x14 and raced collegiate with 53x12. I very, very rarely needed the 53x12. Sometimes I used the 53x13. A 52x13 is very, very similar to a 53x13.

Shimano insists on offering cassettes with 11-tooth small gears. If I only need a 52x13, I really only need a 44x11. Yet even a 50/34 is supposedly a "compact" chainring. Either give us smaller chainrings or give us cassettes that don't waste the first two gears.

As always, only my opinion. If you like and use bigger gears, more power to you and I'm glad you have that option.

[jdanton]

I raced as a Cat 1, and did a lot of pro races. I won a lot of high level time trials. I didn't really need an 11t then and I really don't now. Agreed that I wish there were more cassettes with 12s, but I'm guessing the wide availability of compact cranks kills that.

We were dumb about gearing. We are smarter now, there is no need to shame anyone about the gears they choose to ride. Remco always uses an 11x34.

[Elefantino]

I run a 46/30 with an 11/32 on one of my Serottas, a 50/34 with an 11/34 on the other.

I feel no shame.

[fa63]

I ride a 43/30 crankset with a 10/36 cassette most of the time, and always find the reaction from others amusing It has somehow been engrained in people's minds that a 1:1 ratio is as low as one needs to go on the road... At least I think that the industry is moving in the right direction, albeit slowly.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by fa63

I ride a 43/30 crankset with a 10/36 cassette most of the time, and always find the reaction from others amusing It has somehow been engrained in people's minds that a 1:1 ratio is as low as one needs to go on the road... At least I think that the industry is moving in the right direction, albeit slowly.

For sure! I think a 1:1 is just an opening argument..

[jamesdak]

How can someone on the internet shame you?

Self-confidence is a real thing. Why care what ANY one else thinks?

[hokoman]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

How can someone on the internet shame you?

The internet is a dark place, everyone will message you privately and post publicly about their opinions. It gets old real quick. I would hate to be anyone famous - just read the comments online about any subject/topic and you realize there are a lot of pathetic people who must wake up trying to ruin other people's day.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

How can someone on the internet shame you?

Self-confidence is a real thing. Why care what ANY one else thinks?

As discussed, one or two comments are one thing.. you can brush those off, but if that’s all you see.. one’s psyche is a interesting thing for sure.. I know for me, I can get down if I think I’m not doing a good job, etc..

[bigbill]

When I raced in the 90s, I had Dura Ace 8S STI with 53/39 and 12-21 and would install a 12-25 to do Mt Mitchell. For racing, 12-25 and 12-23 weren't useful because of the jumps between gears, plus 12-23 took away the 16, a bread and butter gear for pack fodder like me. In VA Beach, I used a 39/53 with an 11-23 because of the pancake flat routes and huge packs of riders. Sprints over 40 mph were not unusual. Otherwise, I have no use for an 11, but that is what we're fed these days. Campy 11 was great for me, a 12-27 had the same gears as an OG 12-21 with three extra climbing gears.

I used 39/53 cranksets until 2019 when I started swapping to 36/52. My Shimano 8000 has an 11-28 or 11-30 depending on the wheels. The 11 is clean. My gravel bike has a 34/46 and 11-32 and it hasn't limited me yet. I turn 60 next year, we'll see.

My Red AXS bike has a 35/48 and 10-33 which changed my mindset on gearing with the tremendous range in the big ring.

I'm happy to see anyone on a bike.