Help - Triple vs. Compact & loads of hills

[RolliePollie]

Thanks Sarah! I appreciate the validation on the triple and on the fact that it's hilly where I live! Today, like every day that I ride, I try and try and try to shift even though I know there aren't any more gears. But then I make it to the top of the hill and everything is good again.

I would imagine there aren't too many compacts on the Death Ride...and I want to do that ride next year or the year after that. So...perhaps I should contact Felt and see if they can make a bike with a triple just especially for me!

[maillotpois]

I would imagine there aren't too many compacts on the Death Ride...and I want to do that ride next year or the year after that.

No, there are plenty of compacts on the Death Ride. I just don't use one.

We have folks on our team who do have compacts. Our racer boys don't need anything else with them, but we have some folks who use the compact with a shimano XTR or XT mountain bike rear derailleur and big cassette. That seems to be the best option. However, you do lose your big power gear if you use that. (Which I do.) Most of our people have triples.

Good for you for setting a big goal for yourself. It is a very doable ride if you prepare, pace yourself, and keep your sense of humor throughout the day.

[RolliePollie]

No, there are plenty of compacts on the Death Ride. I just don't use one.

We have folks on our team who do have compacts. Our racer boys don't need anything else with them, but we have some folks who use the compact with a shimano XTR or XT mountain bike rear derailleur and big cassette. That seems to be the best option. However, you do lose your big power gear if you use that. (Which I do.) Most of our people have triples.

Good for you for setting a big goal for yourself. It is a very doable ride if you prepare, pace yourself, and keep your sense of humor throughout the day.

I would hate to lose my big power gear...I love to pedal away at high speeds on downhills. So...it's looking like I'm a triple kind of gal.

Thanks everyone for your quick responses and advice!!!

-sara

[Triskeliongirl]

But you wouldn't lose your high gear if you put an 11/34 on in back. 50/11 isn't very different from 52/12. What you lose are the tight increments between gears, or in other words the gaps between gears would be larger. But the advantage is you cover a wider range of gears in a single ring, avoiding front shifts on changing terrain.

But it sounds like you love your triple, so probably this isn't the bike for you unless the shop would be willing to swap out the components for what you want.

[Triskeliongirl]

I just ran the numbers. A 50/11 is a higher gear (119.5)than a 52/12 (113.9)!! You can run the numbers easily yourself here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
I assumed you are running 700c x 23 tires.

52 50
11 124.2 119.5

12 113.9 109.5

[RolliePollie]

I just ran the numbers. A 50/11 is a higher gear (119.5)than a 52/12 (113.9)!! You can run the numbers easily yourself here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
I assumed you are running 700c x 23 tires.

52 50
11 124.2 119.5

12 113.9 109.5

Great link! Thanks!

[violette]

I would change to a triple. I bought a Roubaix comp and had to change the cassette. Hills or even rolling hills were almost impossible and I was getting discouraged. I had a triple before and I could do big hills with no problems.

[madscot13]

No, there are plenty of compacts on the Death Ride. I just don't use one.

We have folks on our team who do have compacts. Our racer boys don't need anything else with them, but we have some folks who use the compact with a shimano XTR or XT mountain bike rear derailleur and big cassette. That seems to be the best option. However, you do lose your big power gear if you use that. (Which I do.) Most of our people have triples.

Good for you for setting a big goal for yourself. It is a very doable ride if you prepare, pace yourself, and keep your sense of humor throughout the day.

how many compacts can run as 9 speeds? I thought that those were speed specific. I am intrigued!