Compact Cranks
Home Up Choosing Wheels Enve Composites Mavic Topolino Wheels Compact Cranks Specialized Bontrager Speedplay Pedals

 

74 Main Street Middlebury Vermont (802) 388-6666

Compact Cranks

Compact cranks use a 110mm spider to accommodate a smaller inner chainring.  The compact crank typically comes in a 50-34, 52-36, or 50-36 combination. 

This allows you to gear almost as low as you would using a triple with a 30-tooth inside chainring.  The 34-28 combination allowed by an 11-28 cassette is very similar to a 30-25 with a triple crankset.  

With a medium cage SRAM road derailleur, you can take this a step further and run the new SRAM 11-32 cassette.  Or, for the ultimate in low gearing, add a SRAM 10spd mountain derailleur and an 11-34 or 11-36 mountain cassette.  Unfortunately, Shimano's new 10spd mountain derailleurs are not compatible with Shimano STI road shifters, so this is only an option with SRAM.

Is the compact viable for racing?  Division I pros are using compact cranks in the mountains in major stage races in Europe.  If the pros can successfully use a compact for racing, so can you.  If you feel under-geared with a 50-34, try a 52-36 or 52-38.  Compact cranks are a great choice for the events in the Bike Up the Mountain Point Series, even for stronger riders.

Compare high and low gears with your typical double or triple in the following chart: 

Gear Roll-Out (inches)
50 36 34 53 52 39 30
11 123 88 83 130 128 96 74 11
12 113 81 76 119 117 88 68 12
13 104 75 71 110 108 81 62 13
14 96 69 66 102 100 75 58 14
15 90 65 61 95 94 70 54 15
16 84 61 57 89 88 66 51 16
17 79 57 54 84 83 62 48 17
19 71 51 48 75 74 55 43 19
21 64 46 44 68 67 50 39 21
22 61 44 42 65 64 48 37 22
23 59 42 40 62 61 46 35 23
24 56 40 38 60 58 44 34 24
25 54 39 37 57 56 42 32 25
26 52 37 35 55 54 40 31 26
27 50 36 34 53 52 39 30 27
28 48 35 33 51 50 38 29 28
30 45 32 31 48 47 35 27 30
32 42 30 29 45 44 33 25 32
34 40 29 27 42 41 31 24 34
36 38 27 26 40 39 29 22 36