Re: Tetra Pro Pic: Bikefanclub.com

When deciding on reg vs. compact cranks, this is how I looked at it.

34t ring = lower bailout gear without resorting to a triple (lower weight and better shifting on a double). Having a lower gear available is always good for fat guys like me.

When I crack, I want to spin as much as possible. 39x27=36. 34x25=35, 34x27=33.

50t ring = it moves me one cog more toward the center of the cassette for most of my riding. That gives me one more cog to shift down to without having to move to the smaller chainring. Does that make sense?

I don't sprint or push descents so I don't mind losing the biggest gear.

As far as popularity... compacts just came back into vogue when Hamilton used them to win stage 16 in the 2003 TdF. Before that it was hard to find a compact double.

For me this is a good example of how "what works for a pro" with 6x my power-weight, doesn't work for me.

Here's a review of the cranks I have.

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=2976

But Zinn says in his Cycling Primer that a compact crank "is too low to give a reasonably high gear for a bike with 650c or smaller road wheels." I noticed in your other post that the size of wheel you have.

HTH

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