Tricks for Riding A Triple

[Crankin]

If I "hear" the noise, I switch gears. But that never happens in the situation I described (middle ring, lowest cog). It does happen once in awhile when I need to actually switch to the big ring. Mostly, I think once you known the "feel" of your gears, you learn which ones you should be using.
I had a lot of problems with the Ultegra on my Trek 5200. In fact, I could not get the front into the big ring hardly ever, until finally, my DH put Dura Ace on there. I am not sure why this was happening, but it did cause a lot of dropped chains. I am very good at getting it back on, without getting off the bike and stopping because of this!

[GLC1968]

FWIW, since you mentioned an 11-25, that's what I have in back too. I'd wanted to put on Ultegra when I replaced it, but they didn't have that gear combination in Ultegra, so I stayed with 105. When I was looking at the Ultegra parts diagram the other day, it says not to use the Ultegra cassette with a triple crank. Maybe that's the problem you were having?

What, why? I have an Ultegra triple and I've not only never dropped a chain, but I often use all 10 gears in the middle ring. Oh wait...I only have 9 gears. Maybe that's the difference? I forgot that mine's a couple of years old.

[OakLeaf]

What, why? I have an Ultegra triple and I've not only never dropped a chain, but I often use all 10 gears in the middle ring. Oh wait...I only have 9 gears. Maybe that's the difference? I forgot that mine's a couple of years old.

Whoops, I mis-read it. Sorry. It's only the youth gearing combinations on the CS-6600 (14-25, 15-25 and 16-27) that they say not to use with a triple.

It doesn't say anything more specific than a black-box warning that "gear shifting performance will drop, and a bicycle may fall over and serious injury may result."

[KnottedYet]

Seems like I've always ridden triples. My rule of thumb is: small ring going up hill, middle ring on the flattish, big ring going down hill. One of my bikes has 9 cogs and can use all 9 in the middle ring (it's deliberately geared that way), the others are all 8 or less and have no issues, either. Old technology/old habits. YMMV.

I spend most of my time in the middle ring.