compact double v triple? (my new bike!)

[RoadRaven]

Back on page 1 Regina said something I agree with...

A compact with a 27-12 cassette is probably all you will need.

A compact is lighter, narrower and less subject to dropping the chain.

I have only ever had a double and my most recent bike (EMC2 Fem Etape Pro) is a compact and is all I need. Our house is 600 feet above sea levele and all rides involve going down the hills to get anywhere and therefore always involve the climbs to get home again.

Also... If you look through a gearage chart for a triple, you will see there are a number of duplications.

[ehirsch83]

Also... If you look through a gearage chart for a triple, you will see there are a number of duplications.[/QUOTE]



That is the whole reason why I have never seen the point in a triple! I forgot to mention that yesterday in my semi-glazed state.

[maillotpois]

Sure there are duplications, but I do not want to give up my power gearing 52/12 or my long hill gearing 32/28 - there is no duplication at either extreme end and I want those gears.

Greedy, I suppose!

[Veronica]

You all do what you want.

Me - I'll stick with the gearing I have on my bikes. Heck, it got me through three double centuries so it must work all right for me. And in my world, it is all about me.

V.

[spazzdog]

You go Ms. V.!!

I think it comes down to personal preference/comfort... or in my case, stubborness (I probably fall into SK's #2 category, except I only fall over when I'm off my bike)

spazz-of-the-broken-left-buttock

[jobob]

You all do what you want.

Me - I'll stick with the gearing I have on my bikes. Heck, it got me through three double centuries so it must work all right for me. And in my world, it is all about me.

V.

Ditto for me as well. It's all about V (err, me).

Enjoy whatever you end up getting, RHG. It'll be a lovely bike no matter what.

[GLC1968]

Coming in a little late here, but the original poster sounds a lot like me only 2 years ago and I wanted to share my experience. I have had 3 bikes...all with triples. I live in a hilly area where I rarely get a nice long flat section, but where super long hills are not the norm either. For my first 2 years of ridng (I'm a recreational rider), I used my granny gear quite frequently and I was in good shape. Now, I'm even stronger, and 100% of my riding near my home does NOT require my granny gear and as such, it sits idle.

BUT, when I head just a few miles west, my terrain more closely resembles what you girls in No Cal ride....hills that take hours to climb, grades in the double digits, etc. You better believe that I'm happy to have my triple then! My road bike is 19 lbs for short club rides and it flies up hills. When I load up for long (60 miles +) rides in unsupported areas, it's closer to 30 lbs...and that granny gear is a damn blessing.

My husband recently went through a double/compact double/triple debate as he bought a new (used) bike that came with a double on it. He switched to a compact, and didn't like it. Then he switched to a triple and now rides like I do...using the 'double' part around here and only using that granny gear when we head west.

Yes, if you are racing and every ounce matters, who wants to be carrying around that extra gear "just in case"? But for those of us who can save more weight by losing it off our bodies than by having a lighter crank set, a triple is quite often the best choice.

[RussianHillGal]

But for those of us who can save more weight by losing it off our bodies than by having a lighter crank set, a triple is quite often the best choice.

I love it! That's definitely me!

Veronica, DOUBLE centuries, wow, I can only dream!! Thanks for the gearing specs, now I know what to ask for on Saturday!

[jobob]

Wow, spokewench, you're really strong. I'm very impressed.

[Veronica]

Thanks for the gearing specs, now I know what to ask for on Saturday!

I don't know if you'll be able to get something that small with STI. I use friction shifters.


I have bad knees and am not a little person. With just under 21% body fat I weigh 152. But with that gearing, I have yet to meet a climb I can't do while seated. To be able to finish a double century I need to keep my HR down, which for me, means not standing on a long climb. I actually tend to stand on the flats for the butt break and the stretch.

Have fun shopping!

V.

[SadieKate]

Well said, MP.

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 an accurate recommendation.

Every single person who rides the same hills RussianHillGal will be has many years' experience riding centuries (or longer) and recommended a triple. These aren't newbies lacking fitness making the recommendation. Many of the strong male riders in this neck of the woods use triples. Those that don't are generally in split into two categories: 1) racers and genetically strong freaks and 2) idiots who due to their ego (or stubborness ) prefer to grunt, groan and fall over on the climbs (assuming they haven't already destroyed their knees).

[Veronica]

Every single person who rides the same hills RussianHillGal will be has many years' experience riding centuries (or longer) and recommended a triple. These aren't newbies lacking fitness making the recommendation.

But SK that doesn't matter.

sarcasm on You need to save that two grams or whatever a small chain ring weighs and the two seconds in shifting. And really only FREDS ride triples. How could we be encouraging a NEW rider to use a triple? Everyone will laugh and point as she spins her way up those 18% grades. Don't you know you're supposed to stand and have a cadence of less than 30 when you crest these big climbs? You've heard them laughing at us haven't you? sarcasm off

Actually I usually get the question, "Where did you get such a small chain ring?" And despite the smallness of my chain rings (48/36/24 with a 12x27 and 46/33 with an 11X34), oh maybe I'm not a REAL cyclist, those are tiny I still routinely get into the high 40s on descents and the twenties on the flat. Low to mid twenties, but still the twenties. Yes, MPH.

I fail to see how a triple will hamper RGH's progress in anyway. I think a standard compact double on the MOUNTAINS she wants to ride will make progress tough. Right Spazz?

V.

[spazzdog]

Yes Veronica... (and my memory suddenly floods with scenes from Archie comics).

I would bet (and put my stubborness aside for a moment) that had I lived here when I bought my bike, it would have had a triple.

I did have my stock double changed out to a compact after my Cinderella visit back in 2005, which DOES make things easier here than they would have been otherwise. But, it isn't easy... and I do have to work harder.

spass-hurts... er, I mean spazz

[Veronica]

spass-hurts... er, I mean spazz

Sorry, but this made my laugh. I hope you feel better soon!

V.