io5 double or 105 triple
- Thread starter surfdude
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Alembicbassman
Confused.com
Go for a 105 Double, compact chainset - Mine's a 34/50 Best of both worlds with a 12-25 cassette. Plenty of range for hills. I assume you're not planning on doing over 40MPH that often so you don't need over 50 teeth on the big ring.
jazzkat
Fixed wheel fanatic.
- Location
- The Cumbrian Riviera
It depends on what you are going to ride over and how strong you are. For example you won't get over some of the Cumbrian passes on a double, unless you have very strong legs.
I wouldn't be without my 105 triple for those times when the gear just isn't low enough. But then I'm an ancient, forty-something, weakling
I wouldn't be without my 105 triple for those times when the gear just isn't low enough. But then I'm an ancient, forty-something, weakling
shrew
New Member
- Location
- St Neots , Cambs
i asked myself the same question a month ago, what helped me decide was im not exactly fit but i plan to be, a compact should be fine for most hills but its also a challange as you know you have to get fitter then to rely on lower gears, Compact chainsets are lighter & have Snappier acceloration, anouther thing that swung me that way.
ill be honest, in the last month ive been very glad i went for the compact.
its important to note that a "compact" (2 big rings) is differnt to a "double" (also 2 big rings). a compact bridges to gap between a standered double and a triple, giving you the best of both worlds imo.
also Jazzcats comments on where you plan to ride is a contributing factor if you in the peak district or somewhere insanely hilly you may want a triple.
just my 2p worth.
ill be honest, in the last month ive been very glad i went for the compact.
its important to note that a "compact" (2 big rings) is differnt to a "double" (also 2 big rings). a compact bridges to gap between a standered double and a triple, giving you the best of both worlds imo.
also Jazzcats comments on where you plan to ride is a contributing factor if you in the peak district or somewhere insanely hilly you may want a triple.
just my 2p worth.
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Having just finished a climbing camp I have a few things to say on this subject, though I am talking about performance orientated riding with reasonably strong to very strong riders.
Firstly a chainring change is a lot more disruptive than a sprocket change on rear cassette. With that in mind on though on a triple you often don't need to double shift making each change quicker you change chainrings you change chainrings more often, this makes is harder work & a real issue when on steeply undulating roads (stronger riders with triples were getting dropped by weaker riders on compacts when at racing pace). With compacts you almost always have to double shift when you change chainrings, with STIs this means you lose a little more momentum on a chainring shift where you'd need to double shift on a triple but this impact was far lower than the more frequent chainring changes required by a triple rider.
Riders with a climbers physic (generate less power but have a higher PWR) were better off with a compact & a closer cassette setup where as those who where naturally sprinters (more power but lower PWR) faired better on doubles with a wider ratio cassette. The only times the people on triples to a real advantage was those running a wider ratio rear cassette on the really steep sections (>20%), then really they rode on a 39/52 double all the time except when it got really steep & they could drop to the bottom chainring. This is very similar to what SRAM have done with their road ratio 12-32 cassette compared to their MTB ratio 11-32 :
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 32
11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 32
The 11-32 is a much more progressive cassette however in the context of road riding that jump from 24t to 32t is almost exactly the same as dropping to the 30t chainring with ##-25t cassette, exactly what the guys using the triples were doing but giving a much more efficient gear change!
For the record using the same cassette a 30t chainring gives you 1 more lower gear than a 34t compact & 2 more than a 36t compact.
It depends on what you are going to ride over and how strong you are. For example you won't get over some of the Cumbrian passes on a double, unless you have very strong legs.
I wouldn't be without my 105 triple for those times when the gear just isn't low enough. But then I'm an ancient, forty-something, weakling
iam forty plus over weight but still got the looks and live in cornwall so i think will go triple
