Gearing: Anyone running 53/39 and 13-29 on Campy 10-spd?

majl · #1 03-14-2009, 02:47 PM

Reason I'm asking is I put a compact Record crank (50/34) on my De Rosa at the end of last year and I'm not completely satisfied with the results. Cassette is a 13-26.

Find myself having to shift between the big and small chainrings a lot to avoid cross chaining, and I'm spinning out pretty easily on descents.

On my previous bike which was equipped with a 9-spd Shimano triple drivetrain (52/42/30 and 12-25), I found I was able to spend most of my time in the middle chainring (apart from long, extended climbs).

I like to have the bailout gear offered by the 34/26 combo (34.4 gear inches) as I live in a hilly area and do a lot of climbing.

By going back to the standard rings and a 13-29, I have an almost equivalent bailout gear at 35.3 gear inches, plus 53/13 should give me some added legroom at the top end.

I suppose another alternative would be to keep the compact rings and swap out the cassette for a 12-25, which would solve my top end problem, but I'm not sure if it would resolve the back and forth between chainrings that I'm currently experiencing.

FWIW, I have most of the parts on hand to make these various changes, except for a long cage rear derailleur, if needed.

If anyone's running this gearing set-up, I'd be interested to know if you're happy with it, and if you're able to make it work with the short cage rear derailleur (mine is Record). Thanks.

PCR · #2 03-14-2009, 03:00 PM

FWIW, I am running a compact 50/34 with 12/25 and live in a hilly area... I find the gearing to be just about perfect. I stay in the large ring 95% of the time. I have a triple on my other bike (52/42/30 ~ 12/25) and I like the compact more (less shifting) and about the same rage of gearing.

Johnny P · #3 03-14-2009, 03:22 PM

I did ride a 53/39 with a 13-29 a couple of years ago and liked it. I have switched to a compact crank (50/34 with a 13-26). There is more double shifting with the compact, but I've gotten use to that. The 39/29 was a nice low gear to have, but it's very similar to a 34/26.

93LegendTG · #4 03-14-2009, 03:23 PM

I ride in the hilly finger lakes region of NYS and have a Serotta w/ Campy 10s 53/39: 13-29 and a Titus Vuelo w/ Campy 9s 50/34: 13-26. I prefer the compact set-up. It is lighter, shifts just a bit better, (med. cage on the Serotta), and is aesthetically more pleasing to me. I do not have the problem often mentioned of having to constantly shift the ft. der. on either bike. I ride the big ring for everything but the climbs. I don't thing you'll notice a big difference with a three tooth difference up front. If you are spinning out a 50/13, get in an aero tuck and enjoy the ride. Just a thought, but maybe to avoid the cross chaining issues, you might want to try a 48 or 46/34 with a 12-25. FWIW, the Campy regular cage der. will shift the 29 just fine, but it does not have the required chain wrap for a 14t difference up front with a 16t difference in the rear. You can run it if you never/ever shift on to that 53/29.

SamIAm · #5 03-14-2009, 03:26 PM

I have it on my Weigle and love it. More so than the compacts I have on most of my other bikes. I use the regular RD and it works fine.

ols · #6 03-14-2009, 03:54 PM

I usually run Campy Record 53/39 with a 13/29 and like it a lot. My set-up uses the long cage rear derailleur and shifting / chainline work well in every gear on my Kirk Terraplane. (FWIW, I'm using a Wipperman 10sp chain with the Connex link rather than the Campy chain.) I dont know if you'd be able to run the short cage RD and have every gear combo. That said, I was strongly recommended to try compact for some pretty steep rides last year, and found I really appreciated having an extra climbing gear or two over having an extra descending gear, so if anything, I'm now experimenting in the opposite direction from you. (!)

Hope that helps.

97CSI · #7 03-14-2009, 04:34 PM

Same experience with a compact. That is why I'm back on a triple (Centaur/Chorus/Record mix). Compact gearing with 12-26 or 13-29 simply did not work for me. But, I had to give it a try.

caleb · #8 03-14-2009, 06:12 PM

If you live in the mountains triples are a better idea than compacts.

tuco · #9 03-14-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majl

[snip...]
FWIW, I have most of the parts on hand to make these various changes, except for a long cage rear derailleur, if needed.

If anyone's running this gearing set-up, I'd be interested to know if you're happy with it, and if you're able to make it work with the short cage rear derailleur (mine is Record). Thanks.

53-39 w/ 13-29 and a short-cage rear derailleur. Never a problem. Despite what you may hear, read, see and so forth .. it works. Let me qualify my comments. It works for me using a Chorus 10-spd rear derailleur.

Some time back, when this forum was hosted at fly.com .. or perhaps even on that one before that (?) I recall someone mentioning that the tensioning spring (?) may need replacing more frequently I don't know that I am in the 29 so much that this matters.

Shifting is delicious.

MarcusPless · #10 03-14-2009, 08:54 PM

I've run a 53/39 - 13/29 setup on several different bikes. I've still got one running this setup with a short cage derailleur. I've never had a shifting problem. I'm pretty sure the short cage derailleur was at one time blessed by Campy for this setup, but I think they now recommend at least a medium cage.

--Marcus

Jack Brunk · #11 03-14-2009, 09:29 PM

I run the 53/39 X 13/29 on almost all my bikes. At long distances it's nice to have a 39/29 to be able to spin up >7% grades. Today at mile 90 or so I actually used the 29 on a long steep climb and was able to maintain a 100 to 110 cadence. I was able to outclimb most riders who were trying to climb in their 23 or 25. It's a great combo for me.

PaMtbRider · #12 03-14-2009, 09:40 PM

I am using 53/39 13-29 on two of my bikes. I had one of them set up exactly like you with a 50/34 13-26 and didn't like it at all. Always seemed to be shifting in the front and spinning out the 50-13 on top. The 53 -13 is a noticeable improvement on top end. I even tried switching the 34 for a 36 chainring on the compact and still didn't like it as much. One of the bikes has a chorus short cage and it works fine.

Charles M · #13 03-14-2009, 09:56 PM

I would swap the casette for a campy comp KCNC or the like in 11-27...

that 13 29 was a nutball gig designed ahead of compacts going main stream. Sram and others get it right with their broader combinations.

majl · #14 03-14-2009, 11:09 PM

Appreciate all the comments.

If I could ride in the 50 most of the time, I would just swap out the cassette for a 12-25 and be done with it. However, given that I'm one of those who finds myself shifting the FD back and forth means that my legs aren't there yet to run in the big ring all the time.

I'm going to make the swap to 53/39 and 13-29 and give it a go.

One thing that came to mind though - when I initially put on the compact crank, I shortened the chain by two links. Now that I'm going back to the 53/39, I was thinking that I could just add back the two links, but then I found this note in the chain length primer on the Park Tool website: Do not attempt to lengthen an old chain by adding new links.

Does this mean I need to get a new chain?

palincss · #15 03-15-2009, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majl

Now that I'm going back to the 53/39, I was thinking that I could just add back the two links, but then I found this note in the chain length primer on the Park Tool website: Do not attempt to lengthen an old chain by adding new links.

Does this mean I need to get a new chain?

Do you have a better way of doing so without adding new links?