compact double v triple? (my new bike!)

[Veronica]

I wouldn't call the hills around San Francisco moderate.

V.

[Triskeliongirl]

I had a triple on my bike for 5 years. I recently rebuilt the bike and put a compact (50/34) on it. The bike lost a lot of weight in the process (the rebuild shaved over 2 pounds off the bike - not insignificant when it was already just a 20 pound bike.) and the drivetrain is much less complicated. ....

I bet you made other changes besides the triple to double to shave 2 LBS. I didn't find much of a weight change at all going from a triple to a double, although I agree that I like the mechanical simplicity (and if you end up having to put on a larger rear casette and longer cage rear derailleur you are adding weight in the back as you take it off the front). But I think for the poster in question, she is better off with a triple.

[spokewench]

I have a compact double and I have a triple. I miss that very lowest gear when I am riding the mountains around here.

V.

I ride with a normal double (not a compact); I have a triple on my cyclocross bike since I ride it off road and the extra gears come in handy there. I do not like how slow the triple is to shift up front in comparison to a double.

When I bought my carbon fiber giant I went with the normal double cause the bike is so light and I didn't need much more than than because of the lightness of the bike. This works for me for 99% of my riding. The only time I was wishing for a COMPACT double was in the mountains of Colorado last year on the 5th riding day of a 6 day ride - Bicycle Tour of Colorado - mountain passes every day and on average 80 miles or so per day. But, I still made it with my regular double. I have been riding a long time, but am not really a great climber, just a steady one.

If I had a choice between a compact double and a triple, I would go with the double. For me the triple is just not responsive enough when shifting and too heavy.

[Veronica]

I've never ridden in Colorado. I have ridden where the original poster rides. This is the profile of just one of the climbs around here, and incidentally one she may do on the Marin Century. It's not a moderate climb.

The original poster hasn't been riding for years. Unless she is already really fit, a compact double probably won't serve her well.

V.

[spazzdog]

I'm (surprisingly) with Veronica and jobob on this in regards to the original poster...

If she's just starting out, riding in any of the states with big bumps, go with the triple. It'll be far more satisfying to be able to finish a ride without blowing out a knee... believe me, her butts gonna be sore as it is. The triple will give her a break.


I say surprising above, not because I ever disagree with you girls (nope, not me ), but because of my own "triple-avoidance-syndrome".

spazz

[jobob]

Have fun on Tunnel Road & Skyline today, spazz!

[jobob]

You know what, RHG? There are very good arguments for both the compact double and for the triple. You know your needs and temperment and fitness better than we do, and we can talk about what's better ad nauseum, but in the end you need to decide what's best for you.

Here are a few other threads where we hashed this all out - and there are a lot more where that came from...

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=6898

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=9187

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=9740

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12463


Good luck on your decision. I don't think you'll go wrong either way (I'll always side for the triple, but I'm an old fart )

[7rider]

Well, you're right. I don't know what the hills are like where she's riding. And V., I would certainly not call that hill profile "moderate"! (That's why I load my response with caveats.) If that's a routine ride in her area, then a triple might be a viable option.
Here's a gearing chart where you can look at your gearing options. http://i1.net/~dwolfe/gerz/index.html
I think it's always good to have the numbers in front of you when you're making your decision. Look at the low end (and the high end) of your gearing options. Are you really losing anything? If you are losing more than you're comfortable with - then, sure - maybe it's worth it to opt for a bike with a triple. I think converting that bike to a triple might not be worth the added expense, when perhaps there are similar bikes in the Giant line that already have it. I don't know. I'm not familiar with their line (and haven't gone and researched it before posting this).
p.s. And yes, there was more to my rebuild than just the crank. There had to be to allow the bike to shift. And some of the rebuild was just bling.

[roadie gal]

I like up in the mountains of California. My old roadie had a triple, my new one has a compact double. I think I'm pretty fit, but there are still quite a few times when I wish I had the triple. I say go for the triple. The times you use the granny gear you'll really appreciate it.

[Triskeliongirl]

We need to bear in mind that this isn't so much about what each of us rides, or even what would each of us would ride in the original posters situation, but what would best serve the original poster with the information we've been given. I think given her current level of fitness, where she wants to ride, and the negligible difference in cost if she has them change it out for a tirple now, she will be best served by a triple, especially if its her only high quality road bike.

[roguedog]

Hey RHG!

Welcome to the Giant club.. and welcome to the Bike Nut one. Guys there are really, really nice and patient. It's how I ended up with my baby.. also a TCR.

I love my bike.

I bought it used from Huseyin since I didn't really want to spend that much on a bike.. and frankly cuz I think he just wanted me outta his store. I was standing there for hours trying to decide on a bike (and on whether to go with him or another bs).

Tell Huseyin that my black 03 TCR is doing great and that I've doubled the mileage on it since he sold it to me!

My bike did come with a double. A normal double... ok, ok, with a big honking cassette on the back that Huseyin put on for me. I don't know what a triple feels like..

I think as someone similar to your profile.. I'd go for the triple. And having grown up in Marin.. uh.. ya.. go for the triple. Gives you options. When you toughen up and have more mileage under you, then you can convert back if you really want to but I think for now, it's better to have options and to build up that confidence than to worry about weight (50-100 g) or whatever.

My newbie, unknowledgeable, .002

[lacyliz]

I went through what you're going through - what gearing to get- did all the research, asked new roadies, old roadies, my LBS etc. I ended up really learning a lot about gearing/gear ratios from various websites.

I ended up getting the TCRw with the compact (34/50)- and swapping out the cassette to a 12-27 (instead of the standard 12-25 that comes with it). This gave me all but the very lowest gear from my old triple (I had a 30/39/52 with a 11-28 cassette). The compact shifts gears easier and supposedly does not wear out so quickly. It is, as others have said, lighter.

Conrats on your new bike - it's beautiful!

[SadieKate]

We need to bear in mind that this isn't so much about what each of us rides, or even what would each of us would ride in the original posters situation, but what would best serve the original poster with the information we've been given. I think given her current level of fitness, where she wants to ride, and the negligible difference in cost if she has them change it out for a tirple now, she will be best served by a triple, especially if its her only high quality road bike.

I couldn't agree more with Triske and all the women who actually ride in the hills of Marin. Until you know what the grades and climbs are like here, the person's fitness level or other challenges (such as knee and back health), you can't really make a accurate recommendation.

One thing I do is look around at the strong and fast riders who ride these hills every day and put in the lots of miles and guess what? They're riding triples. They're riding triples with a 30 inner and a 29 to a 34 cog. Sorry, but a compact double with a 34/50 does not give you the range of a triple. Many of us use 24-26 inner rings. Until you know the hills of the California Bay Area, it's tough to understand the challenge.

Realize that a claim of 5.5 percent is the average not the maximum. You can easily run into sections of 10-15% that added into the entire climb are stated as an average of 5.5%. The top of Diablo is 17-18% for a long enough period that only the strongest riders can stand. Coleman Valley from the west - oy vey. And pavement condition can cost another gear. Northern California roads can be horribly rough which just makes them harder.

If in doubt, get a triple now while you're coming back to cyling and building strength. You can swap to a double much more cheaply, but if you put in the miles and climbs that it sounds like, you'll be loving that triple. Having a few extra gears now will help you get up hills and build fitness. You don't have to use them if you're strong enough, but if you don't have them you could be walking instead.

Sheldon Brown provides some great info and you can calculate gear inches easily.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

BTW, all this talk of weight. If you run a touring triple (aka compact triple) with a 26-36-48 chainrings and a smaller cassette, I truly doubt there is much, if any, weight difference -- and that smaller cassette provides much more closely spaced gears for the times you're on flat roads and still have low gears for the climbs.

[maillotpois]

I have been riding for years. I am in good shape and am a strong climber and long distance rider. Most of my riding is in Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties.

I have a triple and use EVERY SINGLE ONE of those gears.

At least two people on my Death Ride team are regretting their compacts and going for an XT setup in the back to try to compensate. I have a friend who's a powerhouse and misses his big juicy power gear in his new compact set up. I love that power gear and would never give it up!

[IntenseRide]

I bought my first road bike last month and have ridden it twice. I have a double with a 53/39 set-up and I'm a fit 'mountainbiker' but here in Minnesota I'm unsure as to the hills and what there is to ride road-wise. After reading this, I'm wondering if I should have gone with a triple, but was told since I'm a strong rider I wouldn't need it. The bike is 17.3 pounds and riding it up hills hasn't proven an issue...yet. I figure long rides will tell. I'm wondering if my LBS will still swap it for a triple. This is great information!