What makes a bike compact

Smaller triangles create a lighter, stiffer bike. Whatever the frame material, aluminum or composite, Compact Road Design improves the ride. Here's how:. Because the triangles are smaller, less material is needed. Everyone I know who is a convert from a standard to a compact frame describes something similar. Tags: carbon fiber , compact , traditional. You are commenting using your WordPress.

You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Yesterday was our first evening ride after Daylight Saving Time fell back. This means dark descends long before my cycling buddy and I can get…. Compact Vs. Standard Cranksets Compact Vs.

Standard Cranksets. Learn Center:. Compact or standard? The basics. By the numbers: comparing compact and standard. Standard 53x Compact 50x Cadence rpm. Speed mph. Standard 39x Compact 34x Low Speeds How slow can you go with a standard crankset, though? Related to the previous point, a compact allows you to tackle more terrain in your big chainring meaning less front shifting. This produces less wear on the chainrings, chain and front derailleur.

There is also less risk of dropping your chain. An added bonus is that frictional losses are minimized in the big ring because the chain makes a wider radius bend than in the small ring.

Compacts are more versatile due to more chainring options. The smallest chainring compatible with standard cranksets is a 38, while compacts can go as low as At the other end of the spectrum, compact chainrings are commonly available in 53 and can be as monstrous as 56 teeth! So you can effectively turn your compact into a standard if need be. Chainrings can be relatively inexpensive and swapping them only takes a few minutes.

It can therefore be practical to have a selection of rings to choose from based on course conditions. At least one study found that increasing cycling cadence benefited subsequent running performance. But the research is conflicting with other studies finding that a lower cadence benefits running or no relationship between cadence and running performance.

In summary, a higher cadence may improve your off-the-bike running and you should experiment to find out. Compacts are lighter due to the smaller spider, smaller chainrings, shorter chain and potentially smaller cassette. All of these factors could add up to a modest weight savings of grams or more. Compacts may facilitate shorter cranks. There has been a trend towards shorter crank arms among triathletes and time trialists, primarily to allow a lower and more aerodynamic position by opening the hip angle.

This, in turn, can lead to improved off-the-bike running. While crank length remains controversial, some studies have shown that its effects on power output or metabolic efficiency are small or insignificant.

Assuming this is the case, cyclists are free to choose crank length based on comfort and aerodynamics. With shorter cranks, some cyclists will naturally choose a higher cadence.