Struggling with compact chainset

[Old Plodder]

Regarding 'real cyclists' standing on the pedals, it is the lightweight rider that does it more often than the heavier one, for two main reasons.
They don't have to waste muscle energy supporting their lack of weight compared to the heavier rider, & it is a way of adding extra power to the down stroke of the pedal by using their body weight.
(The only time I would consider standing on the pedals is to get over the last bit of hill without having to change down & then immediately change back up.)

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I certainly don't think that triples are lesser beasts, or their riders. Who cares how you get up or down the road if you are happy with it? I ended up with a compact because I liked the bike and it wasn't available with a triple. Actually, compacts do have some advantages. The cage on the rear derailleur of a triple tends to be longer, and that makes gear changes a bit more spongy compared to the shorter cages of a compact. My previous bike had a Shimano 105 triple. The new one has a Campagnolo Veloce compact. In terms of shifting, there really is no comparison. It's simply more fun for me.

I love my triple set up as I have an Alivio rear mech I can gear it pretty much how I want, when I started I did put on a touring front crank for about 8 months but the rear gears kept getting smaller and the chain run wasn't to good ( Acera at the time), I upgraded the right sora shifter from 7 to 8 and I have a pretty good range 30-40-52 front 13/15/17/19/21/23/25/28 rear, most general riding I hardly ever use the 30th, but I do use it on extended long climb (very few around here) for better gear selection as 30x21 is the same as my 40x28

 

[jdtate101]

I personally wouldn't recommend buying a triple when you already have a compact fitted as it's not a trivial expense, (new mech's and shifters, recabling, possibly new bar tape). As you ride more you will get stronger and be able to get up the hills easier. There's not much in this country that can't be done on a 34x28, you just need to cultivate the fitness and strength to do so. I started on a 50/34 and moved to a 53/39 after about 18 months of riding as I found I was spinning out too much. It's not massively hilly where I am, more rolling. On a 39x28 I can do hills up to 20% as long as they are not too long. Saying that I do have a compact for very steep events, for example I did the Marmotte on a 34x28 and was very glad for that bottom gear, it got used a LOT.

 

[Pjays666]

I think the problem for me is that (like most I think) when I started cycling again I bought a hybrid with a triple and got used to it. Now 16 months later, and bitten by the bug, I have bought a road bike with a compact double, it feels like I need another gear especially as my average ascent over 20ish miles is 1502 ft so not exactly flat. I am doing shorter hilly routes at the moment to try and bed myself into it and it seems to be getting easier so hopefully all will be ok

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I agree with @jdtate101 in most of his statement, but it actually easier to change than you think, just costly, you should be able to pick up a triple left shifter to match your group set, cables go to same place so is easy enough, a new front mech and chainset, if I had the kit i could do it in an afternoon.
Also like Jd I get around mainly on the the 52-40 rings, the advantage of the triple for the none serious rider (i.e. if weight is not the major issue) is that the triple will give you greater cadence control as you can keep a closer ratio on the rear cassette for example a 30x25 is pretty much the same as 34x28 so you can imagine how close the rear ratios can be on a 10sp 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25 for example my avg gear on 50th ring is 50x21 (this year) thats over my whole rides, however as has been mentioned there isnt the same drop between the front rings, I have also been able to change up from the 40 to 52 whilst out of the saddle climbing ( I was told it couldn't be done) maybe it cant on a compact due to the big change ( I know its not something you do often).
If you need extra range and your rear mech can't cope fit a M.T.B. rear mech that way you can put up to 34 (giving 1:1 ratio) quite easily on the rear, I fitted an Alivio just before xmas, an improvement on the worn Acera I had, changes are nice a clean even on old 8sp Sora shifters, so on an old 8sp triple I have better range and ratios thana modern 10sp compact.

 

[Mo1959]

@Nigelnaturist Nigel, since you can work out gear ratios so well, can you tell me if my hybrid with its 38 front and 32 rear would be roughly the same as my road bike with its 34 front and 28 rear for climbing?

 

[albion]

What no one has mentioned yet is that the poster should pick flatter routes for the road bike.
This may include taking a longer smoother route back home.

Give it a year or so like this and it will really add to the biking mix.

 

[ColinJ]

What no one has mentioned yet is that the poster should pick flatter routes for the road bike.
This may include taking a longer smoother route back home.

Give it a year or so like this and it will really add to the biking mix.

Those are busy A roads round here, apart from a few nice ones in the Ribble Valley, or the Fylde & Wyre districts a bit further away.

Why avoid the best parts of Lancashire, West and North Yorkshire just because the gears are too high?

 

[albion]

Who said avoid?
I'm suggesting to use the bike that suits both the terrain and fitness.

I'm also sure lots of older riders struggle on with a bike that has become unsuitable.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Nigelnaturist Nigel, since you can work out gear ratios so well, can you tell me if my hybrid with its 38 front and 32 rear would be roughly the same as my road bike with its 34 front and 28 rear for climbing?

Providing both wheels sets are the same size there is an 1/2 difference, so pretty much the same.

 

[MikeG]

@Nigelnaturist Nigel, since you can work out gear ratios so well, can you tell me if my hybrid with its 38 front and 32 rear would be roughly the same as my road bike with its 34 front and 28 rear for climbing?

This is really simple maths. So that you can do it for yourself next time, here is how:

38 divided by 32 = 1.188

34 divided by 28 = 1.214

So, one turn of the pedals on the hybrid will turn the rear wheel 1.188 times, and one turn of the pedals on the road bike will turn the rear wheel 1.214 times.

1.214 divided by 1.118 = 1.086, or 8.6% . So you go 8.6% further on your road bike per turn of the pedal than you do on the hybrid, assuming the same wheel & tyre size. That's at least a cog, maybe 2, but presumably the road bike is lighter/ more responsive.

Mike

 

[Mo1959]

@MikeG Simple and maths don't belong in the same sentence for me!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

This is really simple maths. So that you can do it for yourself next time, here is how:

38 divided by 32 = 1.188

34 divided by 28 = 1.214

So, one turn of the pedals on the hybrid will turn the rear wheel 1.188 times, and one turn of the pedals on the road bike will turn the rear wheel 1.214 times.

1.214 divided by 1.118 = 1.086, or 8.6% . So you go 8.6% further on your road bike per turn of the pedal than you do on the hybrid, assuming the same wheel & tyre size. That's at least a cog, maybe 2, but presumably the road bike is lighter/ more responsive.

Mike

yea I know, I can also work out the gear inch, the 38x32 is 31.23" and the 34x28 is 31.94" providing both are on 700x23c wheels, I only have tables for that size as that all I ride, but easy enough to change when you know the wheel size which you are missing in just basic ratios, a bike on smaller wheels will have a lower gear" for a given ratio.

 

[doog]

I went from a triple on a CX bike for years (Tricross) to a compact 50-34 12-28 on a CAAD10 road bike. My rides are very hilly and I was so worried about the gearing I attempted to order a CAAD 10 in a triple that was only available in Germany but they never delivered after a load of grief.

Needless to say I bit the bullet and got the compact. I love spinning, trust me ive done 5 hour climbs in the pyrenees sat on my arse spinning away. However the compact 12-28 is better and I go faster but this is simply because the road bike is lighter and so much more responsive on a climb.

As a matter of fact in the last 10 days Ive done the same climb on a heavy steel framed mtb with stupidly low gearing (17 gear inches for touring) , on the CX with a road triple and today on the CAAD 10 with the compact. The road bike and a combination of standing / mashing was far quicker than sat spinning and going nowhere fast on the heavier lumps.

To the OP, stick with it and use it as an incentive .

 

[albion]

...with stupidly low gearing (17 gear inches for touring)..To the OP, stick with it and use it as an incentive .

I'd agree if op is young enough to develop. I just this week did my knee in using my HIGH geared road bike, but happily yesterday I made it through a 40 mile knee friendly route on my granny geared bike.

BTW I'm not sure how many of us here cant perceive(and maybe not interested in perceiving) 'inch gears'. I'm one of them.

(edited to the obvious HIGH)