Specialized Dolce/Road Bike Questions

[OakLeaf]

My 105 triple really isn't that particular. A couple of times the clamp-on FD rotated on the frame, and when that happened it wouldn't shift into the granny at all. Eyeballing was good enough to get the FD back aligned properly - though there's a narrow window to keep the cage from contacting the frame when it's in the granny. Once in a while the cable needs tightening, as all cables do - the first sign of that is the chain will rub on the outside of the FD when I'm in top gear, and it can rub in the top two gears well before it starts affecting shifting.

My old beloved touring bike had a triple, I don't even remember what, but likely SunTour/Sugino. I very, very rarely dropped the chain on that. My hybrid has a cheap Shimano MTB triple (SRAM shifters), and while it doesn't have a ton of miles, it's gotten pretty much zero maintenance - just last week I replaced the brake pads for the first time, and the drivetrain is seriously crusty. I don't think I've ever had to adjust the derailleur cables once the bike was broken in. I've definitely never dropped the chain.

I dunno ... maybe certain frame geometry doesn't work as well with a triple setup? Because it's never been a problem for me.

[Jo-n-NY]

I have a Compact on my Ruby and never had a problem. I have Sram Apex on my Dolce which is a Compact also and again, have no issues. I would go with the compact double as I think you will have less issues with it.

As far as the brand that would be up to you to try and decide. For me and my family Specialized fits us all right from the box and the brand we are most happy with. They have a wide array of sizes.