Road bike - Compact or Triple?

[Gixxerman]

I hope that I am not going over old ground here but...

I am currently looking to get a Trek Madone road bike.
I just cannot decide whether to get the Triple or the Compact double.
I am a fairly fit 46 year old and live in Lincolnshire, which is a strange mix of quite flat and short steepish hills (the wolds).
When out on my current Trek 7.3FX hybrid, I only use the inner ring for the very steepest of hills, coupled with nothing lower than the 3rd largest rear sprocket.
I prefer to ooomph rather than spin.
I rarely run out of gears at the top end, except for steep decents.

The hybrid has 48/38/28, 11-32, 8 speed gearing.
The roadie compact double has 50/34, 11-28, 10 speed gearing.
The roadie triple has 52/39/30, 11-28, 10 speed gearing.
Now given the lighter bike and more agressive riding position, would I miss the inner ring for climbing?

 

[TheDoctor]

I make the lowest gear you use to be 36 inches - 21T at the back on a 28T ring.
The lowest gear on the compact is 33 inches, so you're OK there. I'd go compact in your position.

 

[Alun]

I'm guessing that your 3rd largest is about 26 teeth.
Therefore the lowest gear on the road triple will approx to your lowest used ratio. The compact is a good bit higher.

 

[lukesdad]

I would nt think you would need a triple with a 28 on the back for lincolnshire.

 

[Kestevan]

Compact.

The setup/maintenance will be easier, the differencein ratios is not that big, it looks better and lets be honest, you live if Linconshire, so it's not like you have any "proper" hills anyway

 

[Smut Pedaller]

I'd also add that a double setup generally shifts better than a triple setup. It's less fiddly to setup and adjust as well.

 

[srw]

Triple.

There's no difference in setup/maintenance, the difference in ratios is big enough to make a difference, you get a middle ring so you don't have to make that annoying big/small - small/big double change, worrying about what it looks like is for the shallow, and you'll probably want to ride somewhere else than just at home.

 

[Smut Pedaller]

I've always found setup for a triple front derailleur to be a little more fiddly, particularly with Shimano STIs with the big click shifts and little click trims, Not much tolerance in them. I like how on a double setup you can basically force the chain to shift up into the big ring with the narrower cage of the front derailleur. I've always found triple derailleurs with their wider shorter cages a bit slow to shift comparatively.

I will also add that a triple increases Q-Factor, not always an issue though as some people prefer this.

 

[Gixxerman]

Rear cassette on hybrid is HG40 with ratios 11,13,15,18,21,24,28,32.
So the lowest I use is F28, R24.

 

[albion]

Hopefully the Madone will handle an 11-30 or even an 11-32.

The 32T HG41 has the same ratios as the above HG40 but does anyone know why it is 100 grams lighter?
edit - slightly pointless post condidering you need the expensive 10 speed cassettes.

 

[oldfatfool]

Lets put it this way, all the guys riding compacts on ColinJ's recent forum ride wished they had a triple, non of the triple owners wished they had a compact.

The triple you have quoted gives you both higher and lower gearing at the cost of a few grams, but if you are confident you won't come across a long climb or steeper climb than you are used to and can't benefit from a higher top end then save that weight.

 

[srw]

then save that weight.

Alternatively, fill your water bottles 95% full instead of 100%.

 

[Hacienda71]

In Cheshire I don't make use of my granny ring on the triple, but heading up into the Pennines I have been known to be found grovelling even in the Granny ring up some seriously steep long climbs, for that reason I have a triple, but if the op is not intending to ride anywhere really hilly then a double should be fine so the compact he has mentioned should cover all likely eventualities. If however he is thinking of at some point going further afield then the triple may be worth considering. He may rarely use it but it is there for that emergency.

 

[I like Skol]

Lets put it this way, NEARLY all the guys riding compacts on ColinJ's recent forum ride wished they had a triple, non of the triple owners wished they had a compact.

Fixed that for you

IMO unless you intend to ride some steep long, long, long hills then the compact will do. I have a triple on my hybrid and apart from accidental selection, I have only intentionally used the smallest chain ring at most 2 or 3 times in the last 12 months. Either set-up will do you but don't let people scare you into getting the triple if it really isn't neccessary.

 

[lukesdad]

Of course how fast you want to ride up said hills will have a bearing also.