Quote Originally Posted by bounceswoosh View Post
I looked up the term, too, but I got a different description --

http://www.chainreaction.com/triples.htm

(search "compact")

"Just when you thought you had it all figured out, along comes the "Compact" crank. A new way (actually it's been around for some time, but forgotten) to get lower gears without a triple. Instead of the classic 53/39 front chainrings, you have a 50/36 (sometimes 50/34) combination that gets you quite a bit lower gears, while giving up a very small amount from the high end... all using standard double-compatible shifters & derailleurs. A high-quality compact setup is actually lighter weight than a standard double! The downside? You don't get as low a gear as a triple will offer, and you lose just a bit off your high end (the gears you'd be drafting trucks downhill in, but nothing you'd ever miss in day-to-day riding)."
thanks Monique, that's better than what Sheldon said about it.
The compact isn't going to help you up harder hills, it doesn't have the gearing options of the triple. sounds nice for moderate riding; for folks that don't want to go too fast and don't have a lot of hills to climb.