Triple to Double!

[roadjunkie]

Went up the Bwlch Pen Barras this morning, first time this year since changing from a triple to a double. Have been avoiding it all year but decided today was the day. Managed to get all the way up without stopping/pushing!! Well chuffed, the transition from triple to double is now complete!!!

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

Well done. I'm envious. Still need a triple for my climbs.

Compact?

 

[BIGSESAL]

I am against triples and I know that a lot of people will laugh at me for saying that. If you have an easier option the chance is you will use it and therefore not be tested as much. Well done.

 

[montage]

I am against triples and I know that a lot of people will laugh at me for saying that. If you have an easier option the chance is you will use it and therefore not be tested as much. Well done.

Some people may not want to be tested as much .... for example people on tours may not want to destroy themselves climbing Alp passages etc..

Nice work doing it on the double Hows the knees?

 

[roadjunkie]

Hello - yes it is a compact! I intially found the climbs much harder but Im with BIGSESAL on this one..because I used to have a triple I used to automatically go into the lowest gear when the going got tough. Now I dont have a choice, if the pros can doit we should be able to do it (albeit im not exactly climbing alps everyday!! My legs have defo become stronger this year on the double. I still have my triple in the shed and im now thinking of ebaying it...!

 

[roadjunkie]

Ofcourse, if I was touring the alps I would undoubtedly use a triple...otherwise id be having 1 day on, 3 days off!

 

[peanut]

well done ! its a great feeling of acomplishment when you first can climb a local hill 'sitting' then there is the day when you don't need the 'bail out ' 28t sprocket
The final stage is when you crest the hill and realise you have forgotten to change down to the smaller chainring
well done

 

[4F]

well done ! its a great feeling of acomplishment when you first can climb a local hill 'sitting' then there is the day when you don't need the 'bail out ' 28t sprocket
The final stage is when you crest the hill and realise you have forgotten to change down to the smaller chainring
well done

Or when you have done the same on your fixed running a 48 x 16

 

[numbnuts]

when your an old fart the granny gear is very helpful

 

[monnet]

Firstly, congratulations on the switch.

However, a couple of points on the triple v double debate. I've got a triple on one of my bikes. I've never really noticed myself using it unnecesarily - rather buggers up the cadence if I do. When i have used it has tended to be on 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 climbs. It's worth pointing out that I've got up the climbs faster than many on doubles (and perhaps more importantly I've got up them on the bike rather than pushing).

That said my other bike runs a 53/39.

As for the pros doing it so we should be able to. Well, it's their job. I do 200 miles a week, they do that in a one day race. As I've said many times before about triples: if they were good enough for Indurain why shouldn't we lesser mortals use them?

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

As I've said many times before about triples: if they were good enough for Indurain why shouldn't we lesser mortals use them?

I never knew that. When/where did he use them?

 

[monnet]

Fairly regularly in the mountains. Particularly in the Pyrenees. I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure he was riding one the day Riis attacked him, among other days. In which case it's maybe not a great advert for them given the time he lost (then again, there's no shame in being 'beaten' by a man with a 60% haemocrit level).

Another point about pos is that they don't always ride the doubles we do. I might ride a 53/39 as a 'standard' double but the pros will often vary that maybe going 54/48 or bigger for powerful races like Roubaix (as Boonen and Hincapie have). Equally they might use more 'compact' ratios in the mountains. Tom Simpson used to ride a 50 in the mountains so he could stay in the big ring longer. Why? So his rivals would see him in the big ring and think - 'wow, he's strong today' when really his gear size was no different to anyone elses.

 

[jimboalee]

Oh no, not again.

It doesn't matter how many chainrings you've got up front, it's the gear LENGTH that matters. Its a very simple calculation involving the 'dead weight' of the bike.

 

[jimboalee]

Equally they might use more 'compact' ratios in the mountains. Tom Simpson used to ride a 50 in the mountains so he could stay in the big ring longer. Why? So his rivals would see him in the big ring and think - 'wow, he's strong today' when really his gear size was no different to anyone elses.

What you are describing here is an "Alpine" chainset. 55/37 where 55 x 21 was the same as 37 x 14. 37 x 25 was 40" and 55 x 14 was 106".

Tom used to ride with 'Bar end shifters', which made it a bit tricky to change both mechs at the same time with one hand like it was with 'downtube levers'. he would have needed to put both hands on the drops to change both mechs.

A 50 x 14 was only 96". He would have been really pedalling it on the descents

 

[Randochap]

Oh no, not again.

It will never end.