Thoughts on triple vs compact cranks

[J9L]

Hi Ladies,

I am new to the forum and new to road biking. I bought a 2012 Trek 7.3 FX in April to get started with biking and became hooked. I am now ready to get a road bike as I am exceeding 20 mile rides and getting into group and charity rides. I have had my eye on the 2012 Trek Lexa SLX however; it is now sold out in my area of NJ. I recently attended a 2013 Trek demo and received a coupon for a a discount on a 2013 model. Naturally, I am interested in the 2013 Trek Lexa SLX because of my prior interest in that bike as well as the fact that it has an aluminum version of the new Domane frame. The rep from the Trek demo set me up with a high end model of the Domane and of course it was awesome but I asked to also do a short test ride on the Lexa and although heavier, it was still light and quick off of each pedal stoke. I find Trek bikes comfortable so I have been sticking with the brand. I also like the LBS I have been working with and want to stick with them.

All that said...I am deciding between the 2013 Trek Lexa SLX and a 2012 Trek Madone 4.5 WSD. My question is...what are your thoughts on a Triple Crank? I ordered the '13 Lexa SLX in Compact as it seems to be the standard and more simplified for road biking but the new bike has not come in yet. In the meantime, I noticed that they have a '12 Madone 4.5 on sale for $2,0000 (The Lexa SLX would be $1,500 w/ discount) but the Madone is only available in my size in a triple crank. I live in a VERY hilly area and currently use a triple 8-speed so a compact w/ 20 speeds would not be much different however; due to all of the hills, I wonder if a triple would not be a bad idea....thought...is a triple really not a good idea on road bikes? Lastly, I am 5'3, 115 lbs and Trek rep sized me as 50cm on WSD but said, "You have short legs and a longer torso." Should I be looking into to mens/unisex bikes as well due to leg length or are WSD still a good idea bc of the brake lever reach etc on the handlebars? The rep and LBS seem to point me in the direction of WSD but I just want to make sure I'm not limiting myself. Thanks in advance for your help - sry for the lengthy post

[Koronin]

The compact is the more common one. I have 2 road bikes and older one with a triple and a new one with a compact double. I much prefer the triple. I can't find a sweet spot on the compact double. I'm seriously considering changing it over to a triple at some point. Both my road bikes are unisex/men's bikes. I feel scrunched on the WSD bikes. I also have shorter legs and a longer torso (am shorter than you are though). My new bike is a Felt F-5, which does not come in a WSD version. I don't have any issues at all with the handlebars or break levers.

[Owlie]

I'll try to address both your questions. I'm tired, so I might miss something...

1) Crankset. That's dependent on your legs and the terrain you ride in. My bike is 24-speed (8-spd cassette, triple crankset) and in theory it has climbing gears, but I suck at climbing! There's a trend toward compact doubles for several reasons: 1)it's supposed to be easier to spin 2) you can accomplish the same spread of gears/gear ratios with less weight, and 3) shifting on a compact double is cleaner. And it's cheaper to manufacture and so the manufacturers have to pay less. Usually what they do is put some really huge cogs in the back so you get those climbing gears, and combined with a 10-speed cassette, they figure you're not going to lose much. They mostly sacrifice the high gears, but only a little. What can be a problem is that while there's a nice spread of gears, the jumps between gears are bigger. Your legs may not like that.
So no, triples on a road bike aren't a bad idea, but the industry--for whatever reason--is moving away from them.

2) Bikes, WSD.
All things being equal, if you can swing the extra $500, go for the Madone. Mmm, carbon.
Short legs, long torso would generally mean that you can ride the unisex frame. Many shops steer women toward WSD bikes because that's what they're conditioned to do. 5'3" on a 50cm bike sounds a little big, perhaps, but I don't know your inseam. Your height might be a bit of a challenge when it comes to finding a unisex frame in the right size (48cm?). Go with what feels better. I'm the "ideal" candidate for WSD (long legs, short torso), but unisex aggressive frames with a 52-53cm top tube might be the best way for me to go because I have long arms. Ride everything, if you can. If there are reach issues with the brakes, it is possible to shim things.

[zoom-zoom]

I started with a triple on my first bike. Shimano 105...it just never seemed reliable and I had a lot of dropped chains, even when I was just pedaling along and not shifting the chain would plop off. Have had no such issues with my SRAM Rival double. Rode around Lake Tahoe a couple of weekends ago and never really wished that I had more gears. Lots of folks stopped midway up hills fixing chain issues, though. My bike performed flawlessly. I've put 6200 miles on my bike and only had 2 dropped chains.

I have a mountain bike on order...with that I am going for the triple, since that's what the 2013 version comes with. The 2012 was a double, but the fork on the 2013 looks like it will be an improvement over the 2012, so that played a role in my decision. I also rode a friend's bike with the same shifters and I like the Shimano shifters better than the SRAM--opposite of my experience on a road bike.

[TigerMom]

I'll try to address both your questions. I'm tired, so I might miss something...

1) Crankset. That's dependent on your legs and the terrain you ride in. My bike is 24-speed (8-spd cassette, triple crankset) and in theory it has climbing gears, but I suck at climbing! There's a trend toward compact doubles for several reasons: 1)it's supposed to be easier to spin 2) you can accomplish the same spread of gears/gear ratios with less weight, and 3) shifting on a compact double is cleaner. And it's cheaper to manufacture and so the manufacturers have to pay less. Usually what they do is put some really huge cogs in the back so you get those climbing gears, and combined with a 10-speed cassette, they figure you're not going to lose much. They mostly sacrifice the high gears, but only a little. What can be a problem is that while there's a nice spread of gears, the jumps between gears are bigger. Your legs may not like that.
So no, triples on a road bike aren't a bad idea, but the industry--for whatever reason--is moving away from them.

2) Bikes, WSD.
All things being equal, if you can swing the extra $500, go for the Madone. Mmm, carbon.
Short legs, long torso would generally mean that you can ride the unisex frame. Many shops steer women toward WSD bikes because that's what they're conditioned to do. 5'3" on a 50cm bike sounds a little big, perhaps, but I don't know your inseam. Your height might be a bit of a challenge when it comes to finding a unisex frame in the right size (48cm?). Go with what feels better. I'm the "ideal" candidate for WSD (long legs, short torso), but unisex aggressive frames with a 52-53cm top tube might be the best way for me to go because I have long arms. Ride everything, if you can. If there are reach issues with the brakes, it is possible to shim things.

Lately, I seem to be repeatedly agreeing with wise Owlie.

I tried both aluminum and carbon frames. The carbon frame was a lighter and smoother ride compared to the aluminum. So, I would also prefer the Madone.

As a short 5ft 1in lady with short legs and long torso, I fit better on a 48cm Amira than the expected 44cm Amira. But, I couldn't try out any small enough men's bikes because the LBS don't seem to stock them. Also, different manufacturer's sizings are different. So, for example, a 48cm Specialized Amira has very different proportions than a 47cm Trek Madone.

Ride, ride, and test some more. We always love photos of your bikes to celebrate with you when you finally decide.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[Crankin]

I have a triple, with an 11-28 rear cassette on a 48 cm carbon unisex frame, with WSD short/shallow bars and short reach brifters (Ultegra). I also have a custom titanium road bike compact double that has a mountain rear derailleur, with more relaxed geometry, with a combo of 105/Ultegra components, as the short reach brifters are not made in Ultegra anymore. The short reach brifters on the titanium bike are about 2 mm further away from the brake levers and that is a huge difference for me, though it sounds like nothing. I cannot easily grab the brakes from the drops, unless my hands are far up the bars. The shape of these WSD bars are slightly different and I need to change this.
As far as the compact VS triple. Well, I live in a hillier area and I have gone from a 12-25 to an 11-28 rear derailleur on my triple, as I age. I have no difficulty on the unisex frame, even though I am 5' 1" and about 105 pounds. This bike is twitchy, though. But, I love the way it feels. I had a lot of difficulty getting used to the widely spaced gearing on the compact. My average speed was lower for quite a few months. However, the feel of titanium trumped that and I ended up getting used to being in a harder gear while pedaling on the flats. Because of the mountain bike RD, I can spin up really steep hills at about 4 mph. At almost age 59, I am happy with this.
I know compacts are the thing now, but if I was getting my first road bike now, if I couldn't get the gearing range I have now (the mountain RD) and I lived in a hilly area, I would go for the triple. In a lot of places a compact with a 25 or 27 rear cog is fine. A close friend who started riding about 4 years ago bought a Ruby Expert last year and they set it up with the same gearing as I have on the compact, except it has SRAM. She is not a strong climber and she is very happy with this set up.
And by the way, I have managed to drop my chain on the compact on both the front and rear . But, as an experienced rider, I can get it back on while I am riding... when I couldn't, DH adjusted it and it's fine now.

[Amira]

I agree that bikes seem to be moving to compact set ups, but a triple in a hilly area is not a bad idea either and switching them out later if you change your mind is fairly expensive. Like another poster above, I just got back from a Tahoe ride and I was okay with my compact, but I was pretty worried about whether it was enough going in (coming from flat Texas, the climbs at Tahoe were, to be blunt, freaking me out). But, bottom line, you could be okay with either a triple or a compact set up. I'd probaby look hard at that Madone for a lot of reasons - carbon frame being one of them, plus my guess is that it has a little better component set up.

As for WSD or not, I tested a number of WSD and non-WSD last year. I'm 5'5 and so height wise, I was okay on either one, but I personally found my riding position/shoulders and arms are a lot more comfortable on the WSD option I picked. I don't have to reach as far (small hands) on the brakes, for one. If you can, you should really ride them both at the same time for a fair comparison of what feels best for you.

[J9L]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to offer your advice and feedback. It is much appreciated. I was fitted for my bike and am just petite all around and therefore; the WSD definitely feels better. I bought the 2013 Trek Lexa SLX in 50c compact. Although carbon would be minumgreat, I would be stretching my budget from $1,500-$2,000 and there isn't a huge weight difference from the "higher end aluminum" on this bike versus bottom level carbon. Of course, the ride is smoother but it wasn't enough to justify the cost difference. There is always the future if I want to upgrade one day and sell this bike but I am very happy with it! It is so comfortable and packs a punch for the price point. I am happy that I went with the simplicity of the compact crank. I test road it up a very steep nearby hill and it sailed over compared to my '12 Trek FX 7.3 haha. I guess my legs have grown used to pushing a heavier hybrid that the compact road bike felt absolutely fine. Thank you all again and I will be happy to post a pic soon

[TigerMom]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to offer your advice and feedback. It is much appreciated. I was fitted for my bike and am just petite all around and therefore; the WSD definitely feels better. I bought the 2013 Trek Lexa SLX in 50c compact. Although carbon would be minumgreat, I would be stretching my budget from $1,500-$2,000 and there isn't a huge weight difference from the "higher end aluminum" on this bike versus bottom level carbon. Of course, the ride is smoother but it wasn't enough to justify the cost difference. There is always the future if I want to upgrade one day and sell this bike but I am very happy with it! It is so comfortable and packs a punch for the price point. I am happy that I went with the simplicity of the compact crank. I test road it up a very steep nearby hill and it sailed over compared to my '12 Trek FX 7.3 haha. I guess my legs have grown used to pushing a heavier hybrid that the compact road bike felt absolutely fine. Thank you all again and I will be happy to post a pic soon

I'm happy that you love your bike and that you are flying over hills! Excellent!
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[J9L]

I went out for a short 15 mile ride on my new bike today and wow....i have been missing out! This was a route i took my hybrid on often and i would feel quite tired midway and dread some hills..well not now. This bike flies....and the new isospeed for the trek domane frame is used on this bike but in aluminum and it soaks up bumps along with the carbon fork. The 105 shifts nicely and overall...such a smooth ride. This is a quality bang for the buck...im excited to hear about its reviews as it begins to be more widely released. The ride is comfy and all i kept thinking was how hard i worked on these routes and the exertion i used as compared to this ride...i hope i still get a workout haha! Guess ill just have to ride further... Below is a pic from after my ride today! As you can see...im not ready for clipless pedals yet...maybe next spring.

[TigerMom]

You look super happy. Glad you enjoyed the ride.

Gorgeous bike!

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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle
2010 Santa Cruz Juliana with R kit and Crampon pedals
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle (sold)