BMC vs Giant
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Re: BMC vs Giant
While I like Giant bikes, and have owned one, that gearing of 36x30 is far too high and would have me struggling on some hills and walking on others.
It certainly wouldn’t be good for some of the climbs in the Chilterns. Chinnor Hill - ouch.
It certainly wouldn’t be good for some of the climbs in the Chilterns. Chinnor Hill - ouch.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
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Re: BMC vs Giant
N.B: you can get up Chinnor Hill on that gear but it wouldn’t be a pleasurable experience, painful in fact, as I’ve done it on a 30x25 and it hurt.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
Re: BMC vs Giant
But if you got up it was fine and you didn't need anything lower
Last edited by mattsccm on 3 May 2021, 1:42pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: BMC vs Giant
It was painful and not something to look forward to again: no bail out gear either.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
Re: BMC vs Giant
Glad you went for Giant -- that would be my choice and changing the chain wheel if you wanted a smaller one wouldn't be an issue. Sometimes the path of least resistance is the best choice to make. Safety in numbers etc.
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Re: BMC vs Giant
Exaclty what you said. You explained it nicely.
And here's also what I think: you become a better cyclist and overall athlete when you push things, when you work hard to make the uncomfortable feel comfortable.
Replacing chainsets in order to make life easier to me just sounds like a way to limit/slow progress and stay a mediocre cyclist for longer.
Re: BMC vs Giant
Assuming you can physically do it I tend to agree. Many of us ride to feel knackered at the end of the day. One of the reasons I commute by bike. I can be knackered twice in a day. Many here will no agree.
Re: BMC vs Giant
because you said
36x32= 29”Yes 11-30 sounds hard
I would most certainly swap to an 11-32 as a standard, with an 11-34 to be used for more hilly events
34x30= 29”
If you think you are going to get a lot of use out of that extra 5” on 52 then good for you.
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Re: BMC vs Giant
Scottish.cyclist.lad wrote: ↑3 May 2021, 10:45amand why would I want to do that?keyboardmonkey wrote: ↑28 Apr 2021, 9:08pmIf it's not too late I would recommend a conversation with your bike shop to see if they are able to swap out the chainset for a compact version at the point of sale. Admittedly it was before Covid, but I had a chat with the Giant dealer near me and he was happy to do that at no extra cost. It didn't happen in the end, but FWIW a 52/36 chainset on a bike would be a deal breaker for me.
Had I known you were only looking for replies from non-mediocre cyclists I wouldn't have taken up your time with my response.Scottish.cyclist.lad wrote: ↑3 May 2021, 6:08pmExaclty what you said. You explained it nicely.
And here's also what I think: you become a better cyclist and overall athlete when you push things, when you work hard to make the uncomfortable feel comfortable.
Replacing chainsets in order to make life easier to me just sounds like a way to limit/slow progress and stay a mediocre cyclist for longer.
However, you've come on to what is ostensibly a touring cyclists' forum to ask a newbie question about a road bike. No-one I know (although there's the odd one on here) - whose knees still function properly - chooses to push a 52/11 top gear. Personally, I would be cross-chaining from the big ring to get at the rear sprocket I wanted to use. I also see no point in wilfully denying myself a useable lower gear.
Anyway, I hope you will be happy with your purchase.
Re: BMC vs Giant
99% of cyclists are "mediocre".Long live "mediocre".(5500mls last year @ 14mph)!
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Re: BMC vs Giant
I’m a touring cyclist and definitely don’t aspire to be an “athlete”.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
Re: BMC vs Giant
It's worth looking at what gearing professional riders are using on steep climbs and considering how much more powerful than even the best of us are. It's not unknown to see a compact chainset and a 32t sprocket. Can you maintain 400W for an hour? What they do do is to maintain a high cadence and this is what is best IMO. When I was a lot younger I used much higher gearing and very narrow tyres until I discovered mountain biking. At this point I realised that lower gears and wider tyres, when applied to a road bike (not the same as the MTB of course) didn't mean slower climbing or more rolling resistance. Quite the opposite. Of course in those days we copied the pros. However the pros have learned a thing or two since then and are using lower gears and wider tyres and they are not going any slower. On the contrary they are going faster.
Re: BMC vs Giant
Remember the words of oncle Henri.....Scottish.cyclist.lad wrote: ↑3 May 2021, 6:08pm Replacing chainsets in order to make life easier to me just sounds like a way to limit/slow progress and stay a mediocre cyclist for longer.
Henri did admit people over 45 could use variable gears.
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