Is A Compact Faster Than A Standard Chainset? GCN Vs. The Mortirolo | Giro D'Italia 2015 

For those interested he climbed 1:02 hour on the compact and 1:06 on the standard chainset.

My bike came with a compact and 11-28 cassette. But most of the climbs round me are 15%, some sections over 25%. So I bought a sub-compact chainset (46-30) and fitted an 11-32 cassette. I very quickly got a ton of PRs and several KOMs on Strava.

Alberto Contador used a 34x32 gearing for this climb in the 2015 Giro. He was the eventual winner of the 2015 Giro. I'm amazed that some regular cyclists use standard crank and 25t or even 28t cassette. Maybe they're hidden gems who are faster than Contador. There are lots of hidden gems on the internet it seems.

You youngsters don't know how good you have got it these days !! Back in the day ( early 80's ) All we could get was a 41 chain ring from Campag and a 28 sprocket on our 'new fangled' 7 speed block. I remember going up a 20 - 25% hill in the Wicklow mountains during the Rás Tailteann. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be !!!

I believe they didn't show the data because he climbed faster using the standard. But if he indeed climbed faster on the standard, it was definitely because he had to put a lot more power to keep the cadence. I would say 90% of the riders who uses the standard should be using compact as they are not capable of keep a good cadence on climbs like this one.

I try not to think "easier" or "harder" gears, but "more efficient" gears. An easier gear IS technically slower as some here have said, but over the course of a long climb that more efficient element comes onto play. Being less fatigued from just trying to turn the crank over (as mentioned in the video) translates to more power, better pacing, and ultimately a faster finish. That's of course relevant to the rider, and the length of climb, but being less fatigued to any small degree is certainly a benefit. For me, I swapped from a 53/39 to a 52/36 (cassette stayed a 28t) and ALL my times on the local climbs got faster, instantly, just by going 3t easier. Instead of mashing up the entire climb, I could pace myself within my limits, and get faster and faster as the climb finished. NEW WORLD FOR ME. I was always used to suffering the entire climb. (These were all the 10+ minute climbs, so shorter climbs are certainly gonna be better to attack harder.) Or if you're a car person, being in 1st gear all day will wear your transmission out same as being in 5th gear all day. Gotta find the best gear for you. Ooo yeah! A story comes to mind: This fellow came into the shop one day (I work at a shop), and said he needed a bigger gear, that everyone one was passing him during the bike section of his triathlon. I asked what gear he was in, he said his biggest one, his 53x11, and again that EVERYONE was passing him. I asked his average speed, and he said about 20mph. (That translates to a cadence of about 50rpms. Not an efficient gear. The folk passing him were all in easier gears, yet going faster.) I suggested he try riding in an easier gear in order to go faster, he looked at me like I was crazy and left. That's of course an extreme case, but the inefficiency of ANY improper gearing choice (whether too hard OR too easy) will certainly slow you down.

There is always some gassed out bozo with a carbon fibre bike walking up the last part of some popular cat 1, 2 or 3 climb. Usually it's because they insist on having a 39-25 'because the pros do' but the pros usually don't, and most riders don't weigh 60kg , more like 85kg. I love my 34/50 with an mtb 36-11 cassette. Spin up all the local 8-20% cat 2 climbs and love it. I started on mountain bikes, can't understand the macho road bike mentality of using the wrong gears, and grinding your knees and hurting your back.

People here debating about "compact vs standard" but im in the clear ive got a 3x

the only thing with a compact is that you need the discipline to click up into a harder gear on flatter sections to avoid grovelling in the granny all the way up. on a standard, you don't need to worry - there is no granny gear

What were your times, power figures and average cadences, though?? We need data!!

You know why I think a compact crank with an 11-28 or 11-32 isnt more widely used than it currently is? Because of the elitist attitude that is so common in the non-pro cycling world. Ask a question on a bike forum about getting yourself a larger rear cassette because you're constantly stuggling on the climbs, and there will not be a single post talking about gearing. There will however, be twenty posts, about how the rider needs to HTFU, Get better, and stop leaning on the granny gear clutch. Listen Im not saying one way or the other about those who say such things.. it is what it is. But anyone who does their own research, knows that higher cadence is a far more efficient, and turns out, easier, way of riding your bike. If you can spin up ventoux on 39/25, congrats. Truly, whoever you are, you're an inspiration, and Ill hope you'll share your doping regimen with all of us who want to get better. Me, Ill take all the guff you wanna give me whilst I spin up the climbs on 34-32.

Whether or not a compact is 'faster' than a standard chainset is the wrong question - the main point is that you can *spin the pedals faster* for a given bike-speed with a compact chainset & large sprocket at the back (& so avoid damaging your knees).

Compact unless you are a pro. Then MAYBE there would be any doubt depending on the course. 53/39 does not make any sense for normal people unless you live in a 100% flat area

Judging from the bits of power data I saw and that Simon said he tried to keep it under threshold most of the time, I'd say it's safe to assume his threshold is at least over 300W. And he isn't a big guy either! It's pretty amazing (and ridiculous) how even ex-pros could beat the pants off of 97% of amateurs today.

I use a 3x. 35% gradients are typical where I live. In fact my commute has segments which are almost 20% average. I think a 3x doesn't add that much weight and aerodynamic drag, as it makes up for in climbing times. Not many road bikes use a 3x drivetrain, so I'm really happy to have found one. I couldn't ride without it.

I rode up the Mortirolo in 2003, on 39x25. I had to stop twice for a rest. Then I did the Gavia. That was one tough ride! Compact all the way these days!

Woah! Great job on the climb and proofing the point. That deserves two thumbs up.

'15kg less then me, and twice as many red blood cell, just saying'

I'm using 36x52 crankset with 11-32 cassette. Had 11-28 before. Never miss the old one. This setup pretty much gets me everywhere

one of the BEST episodes to date!!! Awesome effort Si!

Understanding the size of the gears is the most important issue. I would have liked to see a comparison riding 39 with a 32 cog, or even a 34 cog. Wide 12 speed cassettes now mean you can enjoy the efficiency of a standard chainset in nearly every situation.

I ride a Boardman hybrid bike with a 50/34T on the front and a 12-32T rear cassette. I beat all of the road bikes on organised rides up local hills because they have smaller cassettes. A lot of them can't believe it but it's true, having the right gears is the best thing.

He should have done the firs climb on the 53x39. Do the hard climb first then see if the 50x34 is an advantage, the second climb would have felt harder regardless.

I loved the shots with the gradients and corresponding power meter readings.

plenty of advice on here , 11-27 .50-34, plus in and out of saddle, trying not to go to deep early on ,pays dividends later , plus try the gcn training videos ,, they'll transform you as a rider :-)

Glad I had a custom-made bike where the exact same compact chainset and cassette were added. I can sure see how important it is now by this great video.

Man, looked BRITAL! You're one tough dude! I had that exact same gear ratio and had to quit due to not having the correct gear set. I have since upgraded to a compact group and put an 11-28 out back. I'm confident that I will get to the top next time!

Many years ago as a newbie, back in the days of steel frames, clip pedals, and friction shifting. I attempted to go up a nearby mountain with a 42x23. I stopped many times suffering incredibly and not knowing any better. Up the road comes a English chap on a touring bike, apparently he was on holiday bike touring in U.S. He stopped and immediately told me to me to quit what I was doing and go back to the bike shop and tell them to re-gear bicycle because my gearing was for flats and at best mild hills. I thanked him and had my LBS to swap the 42 for a 39 and the 23 for a 26. I still suffered, but not nearly as bad and I got to the summit and didn't have to stop numerous times.

I would like to see this comparison on a flat road also. I think that for most club riders the standard chainset is really too big even when spinning on a flat section of road. It may be advantageous to have more typical riders do the test (ie people that only average around 200 watts on their typical ride) so that the results aren't skewed by the still amazing fitness of the GCN presenters.

Hearing you yell "77rpm!" made me feel a bit more human. Although, there are times I yell "66 rpm"!

The best part about climbing a hill is the luxury of being able to go down it

What was the actual time difference? How did it affect wattage spikes as well?

Kudos to Si for going above and beyond in this video.

I climbed the mortirolo yesterday with a 50/34 at the front and an 11/28 at the back in 1h14m. To be honest with all of you guys I'd have loved to have a 30 or 32 at the back. If in the pro peloton they use a 30 cassette or more in order to spin up climbs like the mortirolo then us mortals need compact chainrings and big cassettes for such climbs. Spin to win, grind only in granfondos to look good in the photos 😂😂

Alex Dowsett recently proved that the fastest bike in the world is the one he set the hour record on. You should have gone up on that; you'd undoubtably be much faster.

In 1998 for the Giro, Tour double Pantani used an incredible lowest gear of 44/23. No thanks Marco I'll take the compact thanks!

"Is A Compact Faster Than A Standard Chainset?" - Only when riding uphill. I've used both on my road bike and I'm much faster on the flats and downhill on my standard crankset. I would only use a compact crankset if I were doing lots of climbing all the time. People in my group using compact cranksets can't keep up with other riders in the group using standard cranksets on the flats and downhill. Since 75% of my time is spent on the flats, a standard crankset is much better for me and I'll never go back.

Great video! i wish i had saw this before i bought a new bike with a 53x39 crank set

In my experience it's easier to pedal if I use 39/32. Using 39/25 you need to grind hard and I feel stiffness on my legs and. Using 34/32 I got easily gets tired because of doing fast cadence. Both 39/25 & 34/32 makes me slow. But with a combination of 39/32 or more gear in front and at back makes me pedal easier ang moving faster. It's not a professional point of view, that's just my experience. Hope you do a video on that.

loved the HUD with gradient and watts...more of this please

The ideal condition is climb in diferent days.You don't need to change the crankset.Maybe using 39 in front and 30 or 32 in the cassete can make climbing easy that with 25.

I live in a relatively flat area and have only ever rode compact with my 10-23 cassette. I spend a lot of time in the hardest gears and the small chainring spins out on me too much to really want to use it. I finally switched to a standard and will likely suit my riding and will finally use all my gears.

Very impressive in-the-field chain ring and cassette change!

The Chain link just above the cable housing (a link back form the split) looks broken - 46 seconds.

Right gear for the job? Our club captain took that as a challenge and tackled Sa Calobra in the big ring! 53x25 all the way up, some people are just machines.

Thanks for showing us the view below! Oh, and the mountains below were nice too. ;-)

I find that this is all very relative, I recently got back to riding after more than 30 years and I also think age might be a factor here. As we get older we develop greater stamina and tollerance for pain, it also becomes harder to spin at fast rpm's. Not knowing if I was going to like riding again at 50 year old, I opted for a cheap entry level bike with a 50/42 front crank and 14-28 rear 7 speed free wheel. I don't have enormous hills in my area 6-7% are average with a few small hills at 10-12%. My first month back on the saddle I put 1200km on this alluminum bike and warped the crank in the proccess. Big hills where a bit painfull but tolerable and at the other end I always ran out of gears not being able to spin for very long above 95-95 rpm. So, long storry short. I upgrade my bike for a carbon Devinci Leo SL with Sram Red Grupo, opted for a compact crank and have a 12-25 10 spd cassette. After 2 weeks and about 550km riden with it, I find myself not using the 34 at all. To put the 34 crank to good use I would need the ability to spin at much higher rpm that I can. Even with 50X28 the only time I really need to get off of the saddle is on a 12% or greater hill. I have to say though, that the difference in weight from the heavy alluminum frame to the new carbon bike + having lost 7lb lately must help quite a bit. I think I will tolerate the compact setting for this season but next year I intend to get a 53/39 crank since I think I will be more efficient with such setup. Now if I could only find a few people to ride with but, that's an other story )

" just gonna say it you twice as many blood cells " Simon Richardson 2015 Haha nearly died laughing at that

Doubles are old hat for climbing, great for flat/rolling stages but not for any decent lengthy climb. Though some people can't get over the macho BS, insecurities? A lot of the time a compact is the quicker, more efficient option. The difference between the 50 and 53 big ring paired with an 11 cog is tiny too, so not a great deal of advantage on the descents. I think semi-compacts will be very popular in the next few years, the 52/36 setup is a good middle ground. Some manufacturers, particularly Canyon are pushing it, a lot of their models only come with semi-compact gearing. Great effort on a brutal climb Simon!

excellent ! I was exhausted just watching that the first time. These sort of practical tests are so invaluable ,they illustrate a point better than a thousand words and testimonials ever can. 20 years ago I was a 52/38T 11-23T roadclub cyclist, too embarrassed to use a twiddly MTB chainring and cassette, until the day when had to climb off (read fall off) half way up Cheddar Gorge . Now I'm an equally avid convert to using the correct gearing setup for ones ability and riding terrain. I now enjoy my riding again with a 46/34T 11-28 and don't need to struggle on hills anymore .

GCN! You guys should do a video on how to change out your front chainring and cranks! I've always been curious too see how it's done and the tools needed.

You don't have to have ether you can chose what ever chainrings you like for where ever you live and what suits best .. for hampshire in the uk 42-48 11-25 is perfect

wait, what happened to the results?

i could manage it on a motorcycle now. when young (1970s) we race on prairies, no hills, five gear clusters in the back 14-18 front usually 52x 44 or 45. yes we thought small gears were wimpy then, not now!

Good job Si making it look relatively easy!

What about.......39-32??? Only asking because I'm converting my Commuter to 1x9 in the future.

Glad i run a compact with a triple chainring cranks. Really helps on those steep hills!

@47 seconds. You can see a pin has slipped out of one of the chain links. Did your chain break later in the filming?

Great video guys! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

This is why Eroica is so much fun riding old 42/52 with 6 speed max 28 teeth, with some on even less gearing up bloomin tough stuff. And riders used to ride up that with probably 25 on the back, crazy but how many could do that today? The right gearing does make it so much easier but depends on style and sometimes it is fun to make it harder, especially when I struggle with 42-28 but I know if I was on a 34x32 it would be easier, but I don't want modern gears on my 40 year old Alan, which is my only bike at this time.

Chapeu. It would be interesting to see the power stats from the two climbs. What was your NP and TSS? What was your average cadence also? BTW -- You will need to repeat the experiment in reverse order tomorrow.

Respect to Simon here for this... How long did he ride for ?

I would have loved to see how you indexed the new rear cassette on the fly like that outside of the shop.

My favorite scene is when Simon goes, "Oh.... :| Oh my word :]"

Much respect for the change of the gears on the side of the road... #gcn

I used compact in front and 11-25 rear for almost 10 years... I’m 90 kgs, then I tryied 11-27 and it was much better... Then the bike broke, I tryied another bike with 50-34 and 11-30 and was such better... Then the new bike, Dogma F10 disk with compact and 11-32!!! What a difference, even if the dogma is a little bit heavier than my old one (maybe because the disk brakes)

Probably for me one the best bike shows on the Tube would be nice to see you guys on terrestial too.

Excellent video, but I think the better test would have been 39x32 vs 34x25.

Remember the old boys on Campy NR/SR had a 42 inner ring and probably not more than 24 on the back!!!!

You absolutely need a compact on this hill,it's way harder than it looks,not as crazy as zoncolan but relentless,if you think you can do it on a fixed gear, try to get past three bends before you crack.i think I can say this as I've done it many times,the other day I did stelvio,gavia and mortirolo in one day,you absolutely need a lower gear than you think! Btw, you can do mortirolo from tovo st agata as well,but it's way harder than even zoncolan,road is near bend 6,did it but I'm smashed!

YES! having gears that allow you to spin up the hills is important for knee longevity. I would have kept the 32/11 cassette with the change to the 53/39 chain rings for your climb. Like most riders, we don't have this long steep assent on our typical route. However, one steep segment that we do have, prompted one of my riders to get an 32/11 to allow him to spin up this segment with his 53/39. However, when we got back on the flats, he found the spacing between to gears to wide and even with 1/2 step shifting, he was at a disadvantage with the riders with 27/12's or 25/11's which feature closer spacing. I suggested that he get a compact (50/34) and a 27/12 cassette. After he did, he had both the inch gears to climb and the close mid range gears required for the flats!

Yes the back will hurt, using tougher gearing on hills. I find that using a fixed gear on the mountains here in Italy gives me serious back problems; however my abdominal muscles have really strengthened. I use a 46/17 gear with 165 cranks, because I struggle on the downhills I am going to fit a brake on the bike when my broken leg heals

So, that's why I find a local 20% gradient a bit tough. I'm on a 53-39 & 25-11. Maybe I should try using the smaller chain ring for once.

If you go up the Mortirolo twice in the same afternoon, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the 2nd time is slower. I bet you'd still have gotten the same result if you'd gone up with the standard first and compact second! :) Also, what were the times, or at least the relative difference? Doesn't seem like we learned much! :)

Cadence, cadence, cadence. Compact is great for climbing but it may pose a great challenge during a race.

I was trying to tell someone (who thinks he knows about biking) this about compact "But no the pros ride a 54/39 and maybe a 30 in back, because compact would no good for down hill". How are you going to speed down a hill if you can't get up it. I think the pros change their gearing for steep climbs...and everyone is pretty equal on the descent.

Good riding man.. well done!

Rather nice view at 6.29 summary, well done.

You never actually answered the question....?? What was faster, as you didn't provide the times? Can't have a video title what is faster and then not provide times

I really like these segments...chapeau for doing the Mortirolo twice in a day. I would have liked to see you "dig" into the data a bit more. Comparing the Strava totals for each ride would be interesting. I would also liked to have seen the threshold data between the 2 rides.

Where was this video last year?!?! I rode La Marmotte with 39x28 last year and Alpe d'Huez nearly killed me! I think I averaged less than 50RPM for the approximately 100 minutes it took me to get up it! Lesson learnt, going with 34x28 this time round ...

Durianrider should use this for his spinning is winning videos, which is most of them, the rest are pure CTFU ones.

I use a Specialized tarmac with a gossamer BB386-- 52/36. 11-28 cassette. Live in a very hilly area. After 50 klms, I just poop out, really think that changing to a 50/34 & a cassette ending ina a 32 should provide. This way I believe my rides will be more, should I say... enjoyable.

The bike I bought came with compact 50/34 crank and a 12-25 casette, so sorta in the middle between a standard and a compact, and 34x25 is ok for most climbs but there's a reason I'm switching to a 11-28..

haha... "going well..." Love GCN and the amazing videos!

Can you share with us some data? First of all time. Secondly looking at average power versus normalized power could be interesting. I mean the closer the two numbers are the better - it means you paced yourself better. So please share it with us:)

Glad I've hired a bike with a 32 rear sprocket for the Alpe D'Huez tour in September :-)

Wow! there is no way I could do that with that gearing, I have 52 - 42 and 11-28 on the back and I grind going up miner hills

It is true. I see proof of this all over the place. i live in a hilly city, right next to mountains, so low gear ratios are the proper choice. being less fit, then most riders relying on lower gears, allow me higher cadence and lower effort, but higher average speed because of cadence. i actually overtake on hill climbs, most power riders, because they struggle on their way up. the truth is that the proper gear ratio choice is real critical, for your performance, for the given terrain.

Ain't know if it's just me, but this was really funny! Great work, Si. Now I know that I can attack the mountains with my bike, but that I'll suffer like you. I'll let you know when that happens. Cheers!

I've been foolishly leaving the granny ring out of commission on my Triban thinking 39-25 is more manly! Think I'll bring it back in to play.

I like a bigger chain ring, it is more efficient on most roads. Some pros even road race on a 54 tooth big ring as it is slightly less resistance by a watt or two on flats. Anyways, on a climb with a 39-32 you can keep a reasonable cadence on all but the biggest climbs. It just doesn't make sense to me, the compact.

I gained knowledge from this video. "The better is the enemy of the good." Voltaire.

Can you do a behind the scenes video of the whole operation and how you set everything up it'd be really interesting

At :46 you can see that his chain is at the point of catastrophic failure...one of the rivets has already let go.

I've been fortunate enough to own compact and standard chain rings. I must confess there's a big difference between the two.

Would really appreciate seeing the timed results and power meter data from this ride.

Magnificent beautiful presentation love it thank you very much

Mighty tight shorts Sir.

So how is a 53 /34 for those climbs and that 53 for flats attacks + 11/26 for the cassettes? I believe that is a whole package