looking to upgrade...

I started riding about a year ago. My husband and I go out together a few times a week. I just love it! I've lost about 34 pounds since November and its gotten much easier. I've been thinking about upgrading but not sure if I should wait until I no longer need a triple. I ride about 30 - 40 miles each time I go out. Even though I've gotten much better I'm not sure if I'll ever outgrow a triple. Would love to hear your thoughts on this? I saw a bike I just love the other day but it's a triple... don't know what to do.

Some people never outgrow their triple. It's all about where you ride. I have the muscle strength to not need a triple. But whenever I climb in a bigger gear - my knees scream at me. They love spinning up mountains though. :D

Veronica

I live in Georgia so there are lots and lots of hills. I'm also training for a six gap ride up in the GA mountains. I'm thinking I may need that triple in the fall :) Hills are getting much easier as I get in better shape and shed pounds though. I love that feeling! The bike I'm looking at is an '08 so the price is good but even though it came in both a double and a triple... the triple is all they have left. I figure I'll keep it for a long time so I want to make the right decision. Thanks for your help!

First, congratulations on your weight loss! That is outstanding!! :D

Second--how do your knees like hills? Would you be as comfortable on a compact with a few less granny gears or would you prefer a triple? Personally, I prefer a compact double for the shifting but if I lived in a really hilly area, I would probably stick with a triple since I have a bad knee.

What's nice about triples is they help in off season training. :cool:

I expect I will always want a triple. I use the small ring less as the season goes on and I get in better shape, but I like having it for the really steep hills.

There's this really steep hill that I've been avoiding. If I do it, I'll have to grab the mtb because it's the only triple I have, lol.

So far my knees are okay. I've never ridden a compact though... I guess I can try my husbands. My husband has ridden for a long time and is torn on whether I should stay with a triple or get a compact when I upgrade.

You know, if you're happy with your triple, why not keep it and get a great second hand/last year's model compact double? :D Then you'll have the best of both worlds.

Oh and thanks on the congrats for the weight loss!! I started weight watchers in November and have done very well. My husband is my trainer... haha
The cycling has really helped me out. I alternate between road biking and mountain biking so the pounds are coming off at a steady pace. I'm very excited... and I've gotten really into cycling... I like to find all the feminine gear. I love pink!

I also live in Georgia and do a lot of cycling on hills. I have a compact double cassette with a lower gear than the one the bike came with. I find that the lowest gear is as low as I ever need, even on steep hills, and I'm not strong-legged. As my bike person explained it to me, my lowest gear is only a tiny bit higher than I'd have on a triple; the replacement provides more range. I find the compact double to be easier to use (less shifting around) and more problem-free than a triple.

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Originally Posted by sundial

You know, if you're happy with your triple, why not keep it and get a great second hand/last year's model compact double? :D Then you'll have the best of both worlds.

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Enabler!

Would you lose anything by staying with a triple?

Some people think that you lose too much in the upper gears (read: speed) by having the really low gears.

In reality, it depends on the particular triple, and it depends on the particular double. Well actually it depends on the chainring in combination with the rear cassette.

If you want to know more about how gearing affects the ride of your bike, go here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/gear-theory.html

He explains all about gearing, crossover, shift patterns, etc. in a way that's comprehensible to those of us who are not gearheads. (Unintentional pun, btw)

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

Above is Sheldon Brown's gear ratio calculator, just plug your particular bike info in there and it will tell you how many gear inches you have in each gear. He's got about 30 or 40 standard sprocket combinations in the drop down for the rear cassette plus a custom setting. You'd need to count the teeth on each sprocket in your rear cassette (and ditto for the chainring). It's PROBABLY in the user's manual that came with your bike, if you still have that stuff or know where it is.

Heck, include your crank length and he's got it set up so you can even figure your speed for each ring/sprocket combination at a particular cadence.

The highest gear on a road bike is usually something like 108", and I think the highest gear on my triple is like 104". Unless you want to get serious about racing I don't see that there's much to be gained by going to a double from a (good) triple.

The weight of the bike is probably a bigger concern for a recreational rider who wants a bit more speed. Truth be told, for many of us it's the weight of the RIDER that's the biggest concern, LOL!

I don't think a triple is something you have to "grow out" of is all I'm saying. Of course all triples are not the same, I can't say what yours is giving you in those upper gears, but I've never maxed my 3rd ring out and I use those low gears all the time. Wouldn't give 'em up for love nor money.

I don't know how long Sheldon's site is going to be up, but I would strongly encourage people to browse and save all you can from it. The cycling world really lost something when we lost Sheldon. He explains all sorts of technical things in ways that are easy to understand.

You might be able to get a bit more out of the bike that you have just by swapping a sprocket or two out, or by changing one or more of your chain rings. There are technical issues that need to be addressed when you do something like that but a good mechanic should know what is and isn't feasible.

Thinking that a triple is a weakness that you need to "grow out" of is just a false assumption. For example, I love the feeling of pushing the big gear on the flats, but when I do, my knees don't love me. Hence, if I was mashing up the hills in a bigger gear, the same would happen.
I guess I am not that strong, since I am small and short. Not getting any younger, either! I spin up everything. That said, I live on a fairly big hill that people train on and most rides I do have climbing. At one point, I considered getting a compact and then I ended up buying a new bike with a triple. I don't regret it. In fact, I love my granny gear and although I use it less as the season goes on, I do use it.
My husband, who is a very strong rider has gone from a double, to a compact, to a triple. He doesn't *need* it, but you can be sure he uses it.

Actually I just went and calculated my triple/cassette combination and my upper gear is actually 115.1".

Not bad for a triple.

And I went further and compared it to a double with Ultegra components, 10 speed 12/27 cassette and 34/50 double chainring, and that bike has a range of from 33 to 110 gear inches (bigger is faster, that's the small sprocket big chain ring combination)

20 to 115 for my bike and it's granny gears compared to 33 to 110 - I've got 'em coming AND going

BTW, if all you want is your gear range, you don't actually have to count the teeth on each and every sprocket in the rear cassette, just the smallest and the largest. Then pick anything from the dropdown on the calculator that matches the big and little sprockets on your bike, and plug in your chain rings. Or just fill out the first two spaces in the custom cassette with the smallest and biggest sprocket.

Ignore everything in between the biggest and smallest number this spits out.

You only need to know every single sprocket if you want to use the shift pattern table this generates.

Thanks for all your advice:D

The bike I'm looking at is a '08 Trek Madone 5.1 WSD.
Crank: Shimano Ultegra 50/34 or 52/39/30
Cassette: Shimano 105 11-25 or 12-27 (triple), 10 speed

My current bike is a '07 Fuji Professional 2.0.
Crank: FSA Gossamer Mega Exo, 30/39/53 teeth
Cassette: 10-speed, 12 - 25 teeth

I was happy with my Fuji until I got up off the seat the other day as I was going up a steep hill and almost lost it. I was in low gear and the crank just gave up. My husband fixed it and has ordered me a new crank set because the one I have is marginal.

I think staying with a triple is probably a good idea!

I have two bikes - one with a triple and one with a compact double. If I had to do it over again, the Surly with the compact double would have a triple. I'm getting used to the gearing, and I don't really mind riding the hills with the compact double, but it's more the spread between gears. With a triple I can always find that perfect gear, with my double, I end up shifting more often trying to get it just right - and sometimes I just can't. Weight is not a concern to me (well, at least weight on the bike :rolleyes:).

One thing I do love about the double, though, is the larger gearing. I can get going much faster on the flats because of the larger gearing and I enjoy that. :D But, I live in California and flat is not what I usually ride.

No weight to lose here, in decent shape, but I don't plan to ever buy a road bike without a triple crank unless I move to, say, Florida (which is unlikely as I like the mountains). I have a 52X11 which allows me to stay on a 50 km/h paceline on the flats if needed, and a 30X25 to go up a 20 km-long, 7% hill on the same day.

I also do not think triples should be "outgrown." I don't know how many times I have passed people on hills (men especially) who went on to say things like: "You could pass me because you have a triple!"

My father-in-law - an avid cyclist - could never get used to a triple. It does imply some different constraints with regards to shifting. But if you're accustomed to it already, embrace it!

Really, if there are substantial hills anywhere near you, do not feel like you have to change to a double. Unless you can climb any of those hills comfortably and enjoyably in your triple's middle chainring and NEVER use the 30-teether.

I wouldn't give up my triple for anything. I tried a compact double, but found I was gearing out on my top gears. I don't use my granny gear much, but I am really thankful it is there when I need it. DH has a triple too and is a heck of a climber. He can spin an incredible cadence and rarely gets passed even on the steepest hills. My knees just can't take mashing especially on a hilly century ride. The only thing I would suggest if you do go with a triple is to make sure it is higher end. Lower end triples won't shift as nice. I have Ultegra and it shifts beautifully.

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Originally Posted by ttaylor508

The only thing I would suggest if you do go with a triple is to make sure it is higher end. Lower end triples won't shift as nice. I have Ultegra and it shifts beautifully.

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Agreed. My bike came with a Tiagra derailleur on the front, and I had shifting problems that needed regular adjustments. It broke last year (while the LBS mechanic was adjusting it yet again) and he replaced it with an Ultegra, which is working much better.

The bike I'm looking at is high end... an '08 Trek Madone 5.1 WSD. It has an Ultegra. The crank on my Fuji Professional 2.0 is not so good.

From what I'm hearing, it sounds like a triple would be a good choice. Has anyone tried the 5.1 Madone WSD? How did you like it?

I love the advice from a woman's perspective. Keep it coming:D
Thanks!

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Originally Posted by ttaylor508

The only thing I would suggest if you do go with a triple is to make sure it is higher end. Lower end triples won't shift as nice. I have Ultegra and it shifts beautifully.

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I agree also! I had a triple with Tiagra and experienced ghost shifting from the middle to small front sprocket. :mad: I vowed to go with better components next time.

Funny thing....my riding partner has a triple and she vowed to never give up her triple.

And yes, I am an enabler. ;) But one should *always* have a back up bike. :D

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Originally Posted by sundial

I agree also! I had a triple with Tiagra and experienced ghost shifting from the middle to small front sprocket. :mad: I vowed to go with better components next time.

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Can you elaborate a little bit? I have a Tiagra derailleur on the front also, and I've had trouble adjusting it as well as a strange dropping-the-chain problem.

What's ghost shifting?

I can't remember now, but it will drop the chain when I'm climbing, but I can't remember if it's when I'm shifting UP or when I'm shifting DOWN. I was told by the SAG mechanic that it was the opposite of what he would have expected under the circumstances.

They finally replaced the chain thinking it might be a flaw in the chain somehow, and I've not been healthy enough to ride the bike for distance since. It wasn't dropping while I was commuting back and forth to campus, but that's not exactly a demanding ride with many (or any) hills on the way.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=27019

Hmm, that doesn't sound like what I've had going on. This only happens when I'm trying to shift the chainring while going uphill, or at least it was by far more likely to happen then. And I can't for the life of me recall if it was going from smaller to larger or larger to smaller sprocket.

It's chain drop, no problems shifting except for this. No gear that's hard to get into, no chatter at odd times, as long as I stay out of the crossover gears I'm good for that.

Like I said, the mechanic said it was the opposite of when he would have expected a chain to drop.

My memory is so bad. I guess I'll find out if I ever get to the place where I can do some real riding again, whether or not the chain replacement fixed it.

If you like a triple and you ride in the hills, why should you get a compact double? because you shave off a few ounces? You can do that by skipping lunch! i mean really. I see no reason why you should give up what works for you!

Another lover of the triple here. I ride an Ultegra 9-speed triple and I LOVE it. I don't have knee problems, I'm quite strong and I LOVE hills and riding in the mountains. My bike came with the triple, but there was never a day where I felt I needed to change it out. There were often months at a time where I didn't use my granny gear at all, but it's there when I need it.

In fact, I remember passing a guy I was riding with on an uphill and he said "hey, no fair, you have a triple!"...I yelled back "sure do, but I'm in the middle ring right now...what gear are you in?" ;) There are plenty of guys (and probably women, too) who think having a triple means that you are less of a rider. And of course, the weight-weenies will tell you that carrying around that extra chain ring when you hardly ever use it is stupid, but it weighs what, a couple of ounces? Whatever.

If you are planning on 6-gap, you'll be very thankful to have those lower gear options, I promise!

(and if, heaven forbid, you ever gain a bunch of weight like I did...you may find that a triple gear gets a bunch more use than it used to! :o )

I've had two comments about my triple recently. Not the encouraging kind. Like I was some kind of loser for having it. I don't care. :)

Karen

Another triple lover here! I can't imagine giving it up. When I ride locally, I use the full range of gears. I love my big power gears for descents and I absolutely rely on my granny gear to get me up the big hills. I also like the flexibility...depending on what I'm training for and how I'm feeling on a particular day, I can power up hills in my middle ring or spin up hills in my granny ring.

There is a misconception is that triples and doubles are better than the other. Neither is an indication of quality, it's more of a difference in purpose. It's like asking which is better... a truck or a sports car? Well, the answer would depend upon what you need a vehicle for.

Someone who races and looks for every split-second advantage would have different needs than someone whose primary goal is for recreation and to save their knees.

In a nutshell...
Triple advantage = wider gear range
Compact double advantage = quicker shifting, lighter weight

That said, there is good–better–best" within the triples, and within the doubles. The quality within that range is what you pay for. An "upgrade" is to go from 105s to Dura-Ace. To go from a triple to a double (or vice versa) is simply a change of gearing.

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Originally Posted by Bluetree

An "upgrade" is to go from 105s to Dura-Ace.

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Really? Not 105s to Ultegra?

Seriously, I'm out of date on the good-better-best thing. I'd never even heard of SRAM until a week ago.

Now it's on at least some high end bikes????

Dura Ace Di2 > Dura-Ace > Ultegra SL > Ultegra > 105 > Tiagra > Sora > 2200

Dang! Ultegra's are only middle of the pack now!

:eek:

Ana - have you ever done any of the gaps? I have a compact with a pretty big rear cassette and I run out of gears on Hogpen Gap - there are sections that are 15-18%. I'm a lousy climber, but if 6-Gap was my goal, I might lean towards a triple.

I am having this debate with myself as we speak. I am buying a new bike and the bike that I really love comes with a compact double. My second choice bike comes with a triple. The first bike is the avail alliance and the second on my list is the avail 1. I really loved the feel of the avail alliance but im not sure if i can live with the compact double. I have hills everywhere around here. I very rarely use the "granny gear" on my current bike but when I need it I NEED IT! I could of had this bike over a month ago if I could just make up my mind. Hopefully this weekend Im going back to ride them both one more time and I WILL make my mind up. Its good to hear all of your opinions.

I have never done any if the gaps but I'm training for a 3 gap. It's in the fall. I'm sure I'll need my triple then.