Don't Laugh.......I have a triple

[si_c]

Not sure the 22 has ever had the chain on it .... A total waste of time, particularly in Cheshire

Take a wander over to Mow Cop.

 

[raleighnut]

Take a wander over to Mow Cop.

Or over the Cat & Fiddle to Derbyshire.

 

[Alan O]

My main ride runs a 48/38/28 triple with a 14-28 six speed freewheel.

After many years (though the years themselves are certainly part of it), I've settled on exactly the same setup on my tourer (which is my main bike). I don't really care if there's some overlap, and I don't do double-shift changes, as I see my setup as three sets of gearing rather than one wider set. I use the middle ring probably 80% of the time, the big ring on longer downhills or if it's flat and I'm feeling fast (which usually means a tailwind), and the little one on steep hills.

Sometimes an even smaller gear might be nice, but as I don't really climb hills much I don't need it often enough to disrupt what otherwise seems just about perfect for me - the 28 front with the bigger four of the 14-28 block is actually pretty nice.

At the top end, 48 to 14 is plenty. I've probably used it less than half a dozen times this year and only ever on long downhills. It's big enough to get me a bit over 30mph, and that's plenty fast enough for me these days - I look back on some of the much faster downhills of my youth and I realize I was lucky to get away with them.

My other road-ish bike is lighter, has skinny wheels, no mudguards or carrying capacity, and I thought I could set it up to be a faster bike now that my tourer takes most of my load. So I tried 52/42 front and 14-24 rear now that it doesn't have to be so versatile.

I quickly found that was way too highly geared for me, and I've reverted to its original 48/36 front. That's still a plenty fast enough setup for me and it's fun - but if I could only choose one it would have to be a bike with a triple.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

The triples in the HC stable:

Audax: 50/39/30 11-32
Tourer: 48/36/26 11-32
Cargo: 48/36/26 11-36
MTB: 40/32/22 11-36
Daughter: 52/40/28 13-30

 

[DCBassman]

My three are:
Scott modified: 52-42-30 Ritchey with 11-34 8-speed (mixed Sora/Alivio)
Norco: 48-38-28 Shimano with 11-32 8-speed (Altus)
Trek 800 Sport: Sun Race 48-38-28 with 13-30 7-speed (Altus)

 

[Nigelnightmare]

I run a 55-42-30 with a 9-32 capreo 9 speed.
When I'm fresh I'm mainly in the 55-42 even on the hills.
At the end of a 40 mile long ride (or the day after) it's more 42-30 on the same hills.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Or over the Cat & Fiddle to Derbyshire.

That is a gentle climb but plenty of steep stuff in Cheshire nevertheless.

 

[Grant Fondo]

The triples in the HC stable:

Audax: 50/39/30 11-32
Tourer: 48/36/26 11-32
Cargo: 48/36/26 11-36
MTB: 40/32/22 11-36
Daughter: 52/40/28 13-30

That's a bunch of triples and no mistake

 

[crazyjoe101]

My tourer/winter bike has a tripple, my bottom gear is 24/42. Good fun riding uphill in the saddle at normal cadence while everyone else is grinding out of their saddles.

 

[si_c]

My tourer/winter bike has a tripple, my bottom gear is 24/42.

 

[Andrew1971]

I also have a triple on carrera subway one and my recumbent trike.
Andrew

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

50-39-30 on my Cannondale with a 26-12 on the back. I'm getting older and don't need to keep up with anybody!.

 

[Specialeyes]

I'm unashamed to commute on a Colnago Tecnos with a triple* - it's absolutely unstoppable and a massive hoot to ride. Should the lightest thoroughbred frame Colnago ever made be carrying 150g of extra weight? Pfffft - who cares - just ride whatever works and enjoy it. I see plenty of folks with more 'pro' setups walking up hills or bursting their knees.

It's not a granny ring or bail-out gear, it's just another set of ratios to use.

*and some weeds to take care of, now I look at the photo!

 

[freiston]

I would never laugh at a triple. If you want to compare sprocket/chainwheel combinations that you have with combinations that you don't have, try www.gear-calculator.com - here's my gearing (on the web page, you can drag the chainwheel and sprockets along the slider to the tooth count of your choice and see the change that it makes - you can also create two set-ups to compare side by side):

 

[HLaB]

I remember going up the Galibier in the middle of the Marmotte with my mate who had a tripple. I had tripple envy