Okay so I've been reading about gear ratios and what not all morning and I can't make any sense of it. Some of it is registering but it's still kind of over my head.
I'm ordering a Tiagra group set for my commuter bike. It will be around 10-15 miles a day (5 days a week) carrying approximately 35 pounds on panniers. The commute will be mostly flat, couple small hills and some easy elevation increases.
I used to cycle quite a lot (200 mi/wk) but haven't ridden in a year due to time constraints.
So my options for the cassette are:
- 11-25
- 12-28
- 12-30
From my understanding I would want to go with either an 11-25 or 12-28. The 11-25 would be more for speed/power and 12-28 would offer a wider range of gears (i.e. lower gears for climbing hills)?
Crankset options:
- 39/52
- 34/50 (Compact)
Crankset I have no idea about, this is where I keep getting lost with everything.
Any advice or recommendations would be very much appreciated.