Replace a 52/36 crankset with 50/34 - Project Sports
Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe | Tiếng Việt

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

Replace a 52/36 crankset with 50/34

5 min read

Asked by: Evelyn Dominges

What is the difference between 50 34 and 52 36?

Basically, the 52/36 will allow 5% higher top-speed before spinning-out compared to the 50/34. (Many say that your aero-tuck and other factors are more important at those speeds anyway.) But on the hills, you’ll find the 36 to be harder to turn than the 34.

Is a 50 34 crankset good?

A 50 34 crankset is better for climbing. The smaller chainring when paired with big cogs like 28 or 32 makes climbing a lot easier and faster than with a 52 36. The 36T is a lot harder to push and requires more energy.

Can a 52 34 chainring run?

Yes, you can. Although there is a huge tooth difference between the two chainrings which is more than allowed it can be used. You have more chance of changing a compact crankset to 53/34 chainrings instead of a standard.

Can I change crankset without changing cassette?

You certainly don’t need to change the cassette and chainrings every time you swap the chain, though, it’s just that you should check out the health and performance of these other drivetrain components as soon as you’ve installed a new one.

What is a 50 34 crankset?

Compact chainset



A compact chainset has a 50-tooth outer chainring and a 34-tooth inner chainring. This means that the gears are lower (easier to turn, but they’ll progress you a shorter distance per pedal revolution) than you get with a 53/39 chainset (above) with the same cassette.

What is the best chainring cassette combination?

Standard Setup. Currently, the most common gearing setup on new road bikes is a 50/34 chainset with an 11-28 cassette. This means that the big and small chainring have 50 and 34 teeth, respectively, and the cassette’s smallest cog has 11 teeth and its largest cog has 28 teeth.

Can I put a bigger crankset on my bike?

Yes, you can. This will make it suitable for diverse terrains and make pedaling easier. Putting a smaller chainring on your road bike isn’t a problem but you may have to change your crankset.

What gear combination is best for going uphill?

Low Gear = Easy = Good for Climbing: The “low” gear on your bike is the smallest chain ring in the front and the largest cog on your cassette (rear gears). In this position, the pedaling will be the easiest and you’ll be able to pedal uphill with the smallest amount of resistance.

What is the best gear ratio for cycling?

For flat places, a ratio of 2.6 to 3.0 is ideal for most people. The lower value of this range, with a cadence of 90 rpm, will allow us to ride around 30km/h, while the upper, 34km/h. If you’re just starting out on your adventure on a single speed or fixed gear bike, a gear ratio of around 2.7-2.8 will be ideal.

Can you change chainring size?

As a general rule, you can change the size of your chainring 2 teeth without changing your chain length. If you go more than 2 teeth smaller, you will need to shorten your chain. With smaller chainrings, you may find yourself spinning out on fast downhills.

What is a good gear ratio for hill climbing?

You will need even lower gear ratios for steep hills that are 8% or more. The most preferred gear ratios on such tracks are 50/34, 40/34, 36/40, 34/36, 34/32, 34/30, and 32/20. However, remember that using gears with such a low ratio will cause you to pedal more, but it will require less effort.

Can you mix and match chainrings?

Most likely yes, one thing to consider is that not all teeth are the same, they are very similar but different manufacturers use different tolerances and such. So between brands you may get some shifting issues, but often times they will work just fine.

How do you tell if a cranks will fit my bike?

Crank length is measured from the centre of the bottom bracket axle to the centre of the pedal axle. If you’re not sure what length the cranks on your bike are, the quickest way of finding out is typically to just look at the backside of your cranks, just below the pedal axle.

Do pros use compact crankset?

Although compact cranksets have a lot of benefits which we have discussed in detail, pros rarely use them. Pros prefer larger chainrings so they can get better power output and top-end speed for their races. They only require it for very steep hills.

Are crank arms interchangeable?

Quote from video: Похожие запросы

Is an 11 34 cassette good for climbing?

All other things being equal, the 34T sprocket on the 11-34T cassette is going to give you the easiest gear. If your bike is currently fitted with an 11-28T cassette, switching to an 11-34T cassette will make climbing less of a struggle.

What is a standard crankset?

Standard cranks are often called racing cranksets because they offer the fastest common gearing (bigger chainrings are available but must be bought separately). Standard cranks have 53/39 gearing, meaning they have a 39-tooth small ring and a 53-tooth big ring.

How do I know what size chainring to get?

Quote from video: And you could go around it just count the number of teeth on the chainring. And that's real easy or often the chain rings will have a number stamped on theirs this is 53. And this one's 39.

What is a compact crankset?

A compact crank refers to a road bike crankset with relatively smaller chainrings that can make pedaling easier. While ‘standard’ cranks come with a 53-tooth large chainring and a 39-tooth small ring, compact cranks usually feature 50- and 34-tooth rings.

Do PROs use compact cranks?

Compacts are definitely used by PROs, but only on really steep stages. The opposite end of the spectrum, PROs will often ride 53-42s (or some variation, sometimes 44, sometimes 40) for the classics.

Is a bigger chainring faster?

Bigger chainrings and cassette cogs run more efficiently than smaller ones but extreme cross-chaining can cancel out those efficiency gains.