Road bike - Compact or Triple?
- Thread starter Gixxerman
- Start date
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lukesdad
Guest
It depends on personal fitness etc as well as the hills ridden, I doubt that the Schleck brothers have a triple between them !
I'll be looking for a quadruple chainset soon
I was referring to ratios and chainrings, if you were commenting on my post.
The schlecks would always go for a smaller ring and narrow casstte.
dalewheeler
Well-Known Member
- Location
- East Sussex, TN33
I found that I never used the smaller [front] gear on my raleigh U6 comp, so removed it along with cables & mech. Rear cogs give me enough range for Sussex hills
lukesdad
Guest
I think what everybody 'else' uses is pretty imaterial to the OP as Alun has stated everybody s capacity's for hills will be different. The difference between the current bike and the new bike will be marked especially with a decent set of tyres on. IMO this may be the main factor in determining his choice.
Along with a suitable chain keeper of course!I was referring to ratios and chainrings, if you were commenting on my post.
The schlecks would always go for a smaller ring and narrow casstte.
lukesdad
Guest
Try looking at it a different way,the chainrings are your gearboxes and the cassette the ratios within them. Everybody would want ratios as close as they could get them. With the extremes as wide as they would need. Some can manage big gearboxes some cant. What you dont want is wide ratios because thats what makes for slow gear changes,knocks you out of you rhythm and loses you momentum. There is only one climb I struggle on with a 39/25, but i can ride them all a lot faster with a 30/23
Hi Gix
If I've done this right then your 28-24 option gives you a ratio of 1.17 - The lowest option on the compact would be 1.21 - On the triple it would be 1.07. If you are finding the 1.17 ratio easy enough then perhaps the compact would be ok. But, if you are having to drop lower than the 28-24 sometimes then think about the triple.
If I've done this right then your 28-24 option gives you a ratio of 1.17 - The lowest option on the compact would be 1.21 - On the triple it would be 1.07. If you are finding the 1.17 ratio easy enough then perhaps the compact would be ok. But, if you are having to drop lower than the 28-24 sometimes then think about the triple.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
I'd agree with that. It would be different if the OP already had a road bike. I found it a struggle initially switching from a triple to a compact on my road bikes. In the longer term, a compact forces you to build up your strength more than a triple will, as you'll always buckle and switch to the granny ring if you have one.
With a light bike, you'll zoom up the hills, but I'm sure you'll be fine with a compact.
totallyfixed
Veteran
- Location
- The only county without a McDonalds
I like a nice chain line and a chainring that does most of what I need in day to day riding, so ditch the gears and ride fixed 
Seriously though, triple every time, much less faff and no noisy changes you get from a compact when going from big to small chainring. Finally it's a get out of jail free option, bloody well needed it in Cornwall.
Seriously though, triple every time, much less faff and no noisy changes you get from a compact when going from big to small chainring. Finally it's a get out of jail free option, bloody well needed it in Cornwall.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I'm a great believer in using a triple when very low gears are needed, which for me currently is a lot of the time up here in the Pennines!
I don't think I'd like the huge step between the rings on a 50/34 compact chainset - that is 1.47:1. The steps on my triple are 1.33:1 (52/39) and 1.30:1 (39/30).
With my triple, I get a wider range of gears with smaller steps between gears.
If was fit enough not to need very low gears, I'd go for a normal double. When I bought my Cannondale, I was fit enough to get away with its 53/39 chainset on climbs up to about 20% with the help of a 29 sprocket.
I don't think I'd like the huge step between the rings on a 50/34 compact chainset - that is 1.47:1. The steps on my triple are 1.33:1 (52/39) and 1.30:1 (39/30).
With my triple, I get a wider range of gears with smaller steps between gears.
If was fit enough not to need very low gears, I'd go for a normal double. When I bought my Cannondale, I was fit enough to get away with its 53/39 chainset on climbs up to about 20% with the help of a 29 sprocket.
lukesdad
Guest
The other thing to consider of course, if you are riding in somewhere like the Pennines. Will the 50 on a compact be big enough for the job on the descents ?
Smut Pedaller
Über Member
- Location
- London
Most people (other than pros) would struggle to turn a standard top gear - 53 x 12 for very long on anything but steep descents. 50 x 11 is a higher gear than 53 x 12.
Of course triples give you a wider gear range and more options, but I think really compacts are a better alternative to a standard 53/39 double for most people who aren't super fit pros.
Of course triples give you a wider gear range and more options, but I think really compacts are a better alternative to a standard 53/39 double for most people who aren't super fit pros.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Generally true, but I wanted lower ratios on my cassette while keeping inter-gear steps as low as possible so over the years I switched from 12-23 to 13-26 and then to 14-28, the result being that I don't have a particularly high top gear (52/14).
Many of the descents are steep enough that I can freewheel at speeds of up to 55 mph anyway, but there are one or two more gradual descents that I spin out on. The 4.5 mile descent from Cock Hill on the A6033 (Keighley Road) through Pecket Well being the most obvious one. I pedal until I'm doing about 35 mph then get aero and freewheel. If there isn't much wind then I still end up going pretty fast, but when there is a headwind (which there often is) then I'd like another sprocket or two to boost my speed.
I'm not racing so pedalling beyond 35 mph isn't really that high on my list of priorities, whereas riding up 20% climbs is so I'll stick to my big sprockets for now but when I get fitter I'll switch back to one of the higher-geared cassettes.
andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
What happens if you sign up for an alpine holiday, and want lower gears?
With a compact, all that is possible is to buy an (expensive) 11-34 MTB cassette, and an MTB rear mech to go with it. You are already using the smallest chainring that will fit the cranks, so any change at the front will be expensive major surgery - new chainset, new (triple) STI levers etc.
With a triple, it's much cheaper to get lower gears, and you can go lower. Just swap the 30T chainring for 26, or that plus the MTB cassette for something suitable for going up the side of a house.
With a compact, all that is possible is to buy an (expensive) 11-34 MTB cassette, and an MTB rear mech to go with it. You are already using the smallest chainring that will fit the cranks, so any change at the front will be expensive major surgery - new chainset, new (triple) STI levers etc.
With a triple, it's much cheaper to get lower gears, and you can go lower. Just swap the 30T chainring for 26, or that plus the MTB cassette for something suitable for going up the side of a house.
