Any girls here that have experience with a compact double?

[melissa]

I love the cyclocross bikes, especially the Giant TCX but it has a compact double. Am used to a triple crankset, and since I live on a mountain am not so sure if a compact double will do?
Anyone can tell me?

[Cataboo]

What gearing do you have on your current triple in the front and back?

basically, if you spend a lot of time using your little chain ring up front to get up mountains - you may have a hard time with a compact double unless it's got a mountain bike cassette in the back.

[indysteel]

What gearing do you have on your current triple in the front and back?

basically, if you spend a lot of time using your little chain ring up front to get up mountains - you may have a hard time with a compact double unless it's got a mountain bike cassette in the back.

I don't necessarily agree with this, athough I do agree that a comparison between a compact and a triple depends on the specifics of each. I have a 50-34 compact with a 13-27 cassette (which is not "mountain gearing"). Previously I rode a bike with a 30-tooth "granny gear" and a 12-25 cassette. With the compact, I lost only my smallest of small gears. So, from that standpoint, there really isn't a marked difference between the two setups.

Take a look at Sheldon Brown's gear calculator. This is the best way to compare a triple and compact setup. You can mitigate the difference between the two by choosing the right cassette. Where I notice the difference between my triple and my compact is on the flats. It's slightly harder to find that "sweet spot" because there are just fewer gears. When I set up my compact, I made sure to use a cassette that offered the gear ratio that I use the most on the flats, since I live in a relatively flat area. I also have to shift a bit more in the front. I used to use my middle ring for all but the hardest of climbs and the fastest sprints and descents. But it was an easy adjustment for the most part.

[Eden]

Remember also that it will depend on the size of the front rings too. The "compact double" on a cross bike is not necessarily the same that you might find on a road bike. Typical for a road bike is a 50 x 34, cross bikes often have a 36 x 46. (triples on cross bikes are usually smaller too 28x38x48)

Like Indy said - plug the stats into a gear inch calculator to get a much better picture.

[melissa]

Does this information help?
What I have now:
Freewheel: SRAM PG-950, 9 speed, 11-34
Crankset: Shimano FC-M442, Octalink BB, 44/32/22

Giant TCX
cassette SRAM PG 950, 11-26T, 9SPD
cranks FSA Tempo, compact 34/50T

I read so many different opinions about having a double instead or triple. Some say it is much harder for hills, others say its just a matter of training.

[tulip]

I read so many different opinions about having a double instead or triple. Some say it is much harder for hills, others say its just a matter of training.

I've found that it's different. I have one bike with a compact double and one with a triple. I do find that when I'm in mountainous areas with my CD, I often wish for another easy gear or two. I could get them by changing my freewheel but I'm too lazy and cheap to do that right now, so I deal with it. I've never had to walk, so I figure I'm okay.

When I ride my triple, I'm never displeased with it. My future bikes will have triples, but that's just me.

[Cataboo]

Does this information help?
What I have now:
Freewheel: SRAM PG-950, 9 speed, 11-34
Crankset: Shimano FC-M442, Octalink BB, 44/32/22

Giant TCX
cassette SRAM PG 950, 11-26T, 9SPD
cranks FSA Tempo, compact 34/50T

I read so many different opinions about having a double instead or triple. Some say it is much harder for hills, others say its just a matter of training.

Are you currently riding a mountain bike or a road bike? You currently have pretty low gearing - Your front chain rings are 44, 32, 22, a normal road bike has 53 or 50, 39, 30. The smaller the # of teeth on the chain ring up front, the easier it is to get up hills. So the compact 34 & 50 tooth double on the giant is pretty close to road gearing, but you already have much smaller gearing than that up front. If you're on a mountain bike with fat tires, you may find that you get such an advantage from a thinner tire cyclocross bike that the bigger chain rings up front might be okay.

In the back, you have mountain bike gearing - 11-34. In the back, the more the number of teeth you have, the easier it is to get up a hill. So 34 is a fairly easy gear. The giant has 11-26 teeth, so the easiest gear is 26 tooth compared to the 34 you already have....


So the cyclocross bike doesn't have a lot of the gears that you currently have - your middle chain ring up front is already a smaller gear than the cyclocross bike. So... It kinda depends on how strong a rider you are on hills - if you don't need all the gears you have to get up a steep hill, then you might be okay on a compact double. YOu can change the rear cassette on the compact double to mountain bike gearing 11-34 (possibly going to require a new derailleur, and whether or not the cyclocross bike is 10 speed could complicate this).... But you would still have bigger chain rings in the front than on your current bike and you wouldn't have anything that approximated the 22 chain ring you currently have up front. You could look for a cyclocross bike with smaller front chain rings than the giant you quoted.

Indysteel and Eden are right - you are going to have to run the gear ratios through a calculator, which is why I originally only said you MAY have problems before knowing what gearing you're actually used to riding - but you're currently riding gears much smaller than that of a cyclocross bike.

I live in a hilly area - our mountains aren't quite tall, and I'm fine with a compact double. I also have a triple, but I prefer the simplicity of the compact double. I have an easier time getting into the right gear. But my compact double with a bigger cassette in the back, pretty much approximates the gears that I have on my triple.

[indysteel]

Does this information help?
What I have now:
Freewheel: SRAM PG-950, 9 speed, 11-34
Crankset: Shimano FC-M442, Octalink BB, 44/32/22

Giant TCX
cassette SRAM PG 950, 11-26T, 9SPD
cranks FSA Tempo, compact 34/50T

I read so many different opinions about having a double instead or triple. Some say it is much harder for hills, others say its just a matter of training.

Those two setups are REALLY different. Your current gearing yields some tiny gears. Again, I would suggest running the actual numbers on Sheldon Brown's gear calculator. From there, ask yourself what gears you actually use on your current setup to see whether the Giant would work for you as a cross bike.