Compact Double vs. Triple

[Aggie_Ama]

I searched and there are several threads addressing this, but none seem to address my question. I apologize in advace for being a bit clueless on gears, I hope I make sense.

Currently I have triple and am thinking about getting a new bike sometime this year. Most of the bikes I am looking at come with a compact double. The shop can swap it out (I am sure) but I am wondering if a compact double might be a good option for me?

My Fuji I am riding is a 52/42/30 (I think that is the right number). I find that I spend most of my time in the middle ring. There are only a handful of hills that drop to the little ring. I do prefer the larger ring for flats. My DH thinks a compact double might be the right fit. How do I figure out my lack of gear knowledge? I don't want to be a clueless when shopping for a $2000+ bike. I just let my DH and the bike shop owner put me on my first bike, I haven't loved it for half the time I owned it.

[Veronica]

Sheldon Brown has a gear ratio calculator that has probably been linked to some discussion here. If not you can Google it.

Anyway when I decided to go with a double I used that to decide what gears I wanted for me and where I ride. I just made sure my new bike had a similar gear ratio to my old bike. I do not have a stock compact double however. It would not have worked for me.

V.

[Velobambina]

I never use the puppy gears on my bikes w/triples. My 'cross bike has a very nice Campy Chorus compact crank. I just love it and intend to switch out the Shimano stuff on my Luna road bike to Campy Chorus w/the compact crank sometime in late 2007.

[Offthegrid]

I bought a double road bike while I was living in New Jersey (where it's flat). I moved to PA and regreted it because here it's hilly. I took my bike shop into a nice shop near AG, and to switch to a triple would have required a new crank (of course), bottom bracket, derailler and shifter. $$$

I went compact. And guess what? The shop put on a crank and cassette combo that actually gives me virtually the same gear range that a triple would have -- the top top gearing is MORE than I would have had with the triple. Plus no hassle of three chains in the front means less shifting for the rings and not having to worry as much about cross chaining. All in all it's a good thing. I had thought I'd buy a tri bike eventually with a triple, but now I think a compact double will be perfect.

[Artisan]

Amanda, I've been reading a little on gear ratios and compact cranks lately. I'll be going to Leakey, Texas in a few weeks and the hills there have me a little nervous. I found an article in my search that you might like reading too.

http://www.trainright.com/articles.a...splay&uid=2091

I have a compact crank on my new bike and I really do like it compared to my last road bike which had a standard double. I've never ridden with a triple, so I can't make any comments on them.

[anakiwa]

I concur with Veronica's suggestion to look at gear ratio charts. I'm in the process of purchasing a bike and have spent a ton of time staring at them.

Basically if you take a triple and replace it with a compact double you'll lose the high and low gears (assuming you keep the same cassette). If it's only one end of the range (high or low) that you need, it's pretty easy to get a cassette with higher or lower gears and that will take care of things. If you need both the high and low gears you'll need a cassette with a really wide range, or you'll lose one end of the range.

For my tri-bike I went with a compact double and it works really well (though in retrospect I should have gotten a cassette with an 11 to make up for the fact that I went from a 52 to a 50). I mainly use it for racing, and when I'm really pushing, I don't need the really low gears (plus most triathlons don't have as many hills as I'm used to- I live in a pretty hilly place). After a fair amount of soul-searching I decided to put a triple on the new road bike I'm buying- I just didn't want to lose the wide range I can easily get with a triple.

Good luck!

[SadieKate]

Me three on the gear ratio chart. You need to determine the gear ratios you ride in now for comparison.

[Aggie_Ama]

Thanks for all your help ladies. I am still studying up on gear ratios to understand better. I went with a triple on my new bike we bought today. There were several steep hills to test ride on and the triple felt comfortable. I am just not quite ready to give up my granny gear. I don't use it that often, but I like knowing it is there. Honestly, I think I could do just fine with the double, but here the hills are steep. Short and steep, long and steep- it doesn't matter as long as steep is in there!