For cycling enthusiasts, the crank set should not be an unfamiliar item. But do you know how to choose a mountain bike crank set? Let’s take a look together!
1.Standard crank set
Standard chainrings come with 53T (or 52T) large and 39T small, which used to be the default on road bikes and are the choice of most riders. However, there are times when professional drivers switch to larger chainrings for time trials or flat road races. Group set manufacturers Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM all offer standard wheel options in their higher-end group sets, but they generally do not offer standard crank set in entry-level group sets.
2.Compression crank set
The compression chainring is a chainring equipped with a 50T large chainring and a 34T small chainring, which means that if the same size cassette is used, it will be easier to be pedaled than the standard chainring, but the frequency of each pedaling will be higher.
Compression chainrings are very popular these days because of their ability to ride steep hills. Although it can be slow at times, many riders prefer to pedal a smaller chainring with a higher cadence because it reduces the pressure on the pedaling. The downside is that you will often find that such a gear ratio is insufficient on fast descents. In other words, in a downhill situation where you don’t hit the chainring, you can’t increase the speed at any higher pedaling speed, so you can’t increase the speed when you need it.
In keeping with the popularity of compression crank sets, the big three kit manufacturers offer compression crank set options on all of their road kits.
3.Ultra-small crank set
Ultra-small crank sets are smaller than the 50/34T of the compression chainrings, usually 48/32T or 46/30T, reducing the overall shifting range by a few percent. This is one of the main reasons why Gravel gravel bikes have always featured sub-smalls. Fat tires and mud terrain require lower gears, especially when carrying a lot of luggage.
In addition to the above two terrains, if you are riding off-road, you will encounter a gradient of 20% or more, which also requires the use of such an ultra-small crank set.
4.Three whee
The entry-level road bike kits offer three-wheel crank set options for Claris, Sora, and Tiagra, all in 50, 39, and 30T. Most riders will find that a shift kit with a wide-range cassette and dual chainrings provides enough range. Some of the shifting ranges of the three-wheel chainrings have overlapped, which not only increases the volume but also increases the possibility of mechanical failure. The three-wheel is only used for such bicycles as touring bicycles. If a rider wants to replace the double-ring chainring with the three-ring chainring, it will be a very expensive modification process, because it also needs to change the manual Components of shifting kits such as front derailleurs.
