What is a Compact Crankset?

If you are still new to cycling you may have heard of the word compact crankset, but were uncertain as to what that meant. What's the difference between a compact crankset and a standard cranksets and what are the advantages to using one? You will learn what it is, the applications for using them, and who helped popularize them.

As the name implies, a compact crankset is going to be smaller than an everyday crankset. It'll have a 110 millimeter size, which is seriously smaller than common 130 mm or 135 mm sizes. This in turn lets you have smaller chainrings, with fewer teeth, as well .

One of the major elements of a current compact crankset is that it's a double crankset, which means it features two chainrings as opposed to three. The smaller crank arms and configuration allow for this without losing the low gear pliability and power of a triple crankset.

One of the benefits of all of this is that you can start shaving weight off your cycle. As heavy cyclists know, when it's crunch time, two oz can go a ways to making or breaking your performance against the competition and against the clock.

Another benefit to the compact crankset is that you can do and maintain higher rpm's when you are climbing because you are staying in a lower gear. This is one of the methods that helped make Lance Armstrong so successful in the mountainous stages of the Tour de France. By maintaining such high r.p.m's he was in a position to gain a maximum amount of power and speed without tiring himself out.

Also, with less room between the gears you'll be able to keep up your pace with less work through adverse. This also includes a sudden wind changes, elevation changes that might affect your effort and pace.

Please note the above describes compact cranksets for road cycling. For mountain biking, a compact crankset refers to a triple crankset that has been made smaller to help the rider avoid more difficulties in the course.

clearly, a compact crankset has lots of various advantages. Many cycle riders make lighten their bikes and maintian higher RPM's up inclines and also maintain their pace in other conditions. A compact crankset can help give you the additional edge you've been searching for. .


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Stephen Nepstein is an expert in the bike crankset field. Visit his blog at http://atlchains.com to learn more.


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