Compac double vs triple

[Koronin]

While I do still have my 16 cog, this was my experience as well. With my compat, I also find myself either mashing or spinning at times, but I have gotten more used to it over time. Like Crankin, I more or less "hung out" in the middle ring of my triple, and I sort of miss the ease of that and the ability to fine tune my gearing.

I switched to a compact originally because the triple's wider q factor (a fancy term that basically means the width between the pedals) aggravated my right IT band. Campy has a new triple coming out soon with a narrower q factor, and I'm seriously considering getting it. The shifting on my old Campy crank was great once set up properly so I don't care all that much that compacts are generally easier to shift, and I could care less about weight savings.

This is also my issue with the compact double and my reason for really looking at changing the bike to a triple. The not being able to find the sweet spot is aggravating to me.

[indysteel]

This is also my issue with the compact double and my reason for really looking at changing the bike to a triple. The not being able to find the sweet spot is aggravating to me.

I hear ya. I feel like Goldilocks some days on my bike. This gear is too big. That gear is too small. Part of it is that I'm lazy. I've gotten better about shifting between chainrings, but the middle ring of my triple spoiled me, so I often don't shift between chainrings when I really should.

Oh well, as somebody upthread reminded us, many of us used to get by with just 10 gears or less. I guess I'm spoiled in more ways than one.

[Koronin]

I hear ya. I feel like Goldilocks some days on my bike. This gear is too big. That gear is too small. Part of it is that I'm lazy. I've gotten better about shifting between chainrings, but the middle ring of my triple spoiled me, so I often don't shift between chainrings when I really should.

Oh well, as somebody upthread reminded us, many of us used to get by with just 10 gears or less. I guess I'm spoiled in more ways than one.

That is exactly my issue as well. I love the middle ring on the triple and it also spoiled me in not needing to shift much. One thing my husband was looking at was just swapping the smaller ring on my compact double with what would be equivalent to the middle ring on the triple. I live at the coast, it's not like we have many hills around here, unless you count the bridge to Emerald Isle.

[ZenBiker]

I was having doubts similar to the OP when I bought my first road bike, a compact double, after riding a hybrid with a triple. I expected to zip up hills because of the lovely carbon road bike, and instead I was struggling with them. I felt like I needed some lower gears. (These are hills I didn't really even try on my hybrid).

BUT - I now love my compact double. Three things happened to change my perspective:
- I did the math and realized I hadn't really given up very much in terms of my lowest gear. (I have an 11-28 cassette on the road bike).
- I got stronger
- I got better at knowing when to shift and how to breathe on a hill

Now I can ride hills - I'm not the fastest in my group, but I'm not the slowest either. And if I keep riding I will just keep getting better. So the limiting factor was never my bike, it was the engine (me). if you love being on your bike because it fits, you will ride more, and you'll be able to do everything you want to - unless you literally want to climb mountains, then I'm guessing a triple would be in order!

Can't comment on the wheel size, I haven't had a chance to compare.

[Chile Pepper]

I love my compact double, but I remember how weird it felt when I first switched from a standard. After about a month, something just clicked and I never thought about it again. Maybe you just need to give it time.

[ny biker]

When I had a triple I only ever used the big chain ring when I was doing spinning tapes on the indoor trainer. I mostly used the middle ring, and used the small ring for steep hills.

With the compact double, I mostly use the smaller ring. When I use the larger one it tends to bother my knee (I have a patella tracking problem), though I do sometimes use it when I know I'll be on flat ground for a while. When the cassette wears out and needs to be replaced, I plan to have a chat with the LBS folks about possibly getting a smaller large chain ring so that I'll have something I can use with less pain.