Triple

[Chris James]

You don't get anymore gearchanges or crossover on a compact that on a standard. It's exactly the same except with a lower range of gears, just choose your ratios to suit your riding needs and they are just as good as anything else.

Ah, but the devil is in the detail. I woudl suggest that most people riding compacts probably go along the flat in pretty much the same size gear as someone with a normal road chainset. It's just that they want a bit of extra help on the hills, as opposed to routinely using a lower gear all the time.

But the compact setup isn't idela for standard riding.

For example for me a pretty standard gear is the high 60s / 70 inches. I would have thought this is fairly typcial, given that a 68 in gear pedalled at 90 rpm gives a speed of just over 18 mph.

This gear is about the middle of a 12-25 cassette on a 52/42/30 triple.

It is towards the lower third (but still very usable) of the cassette on a 53 tooth chainring and towards the higher end when using the 39 tooth chain ring. So this still works well, I can coast in either chain ring and choose the bigger ring if I expect to be turning bigger gears and the smaller if the raod starts going up more.

But with a compact then 'my' normal cycling gears sits nestle around the big chain ring big sprocket, with a bad chain line. And if the road profile starts to get a bit rolling then I will be chiaging chain rings regularly, whereas the other setups allow me to avoid front changes unless the road profile changes dramatically.

 

[wafflycat]

I love my triple chainsets. Indeed, I want a quadruple.

 

[jimboalee]

I have a Dawes Giro 500 for summer commuting and Audax. It has a triple. 52, 42, 30 coupled with a 9 cassette, 12 – 23. Dawes did their homework 10 out of 10. It has 15 ratios in 4 – 5 -6" steps from 35 to 117". Well done lads.
I also have a SWorks that’s only 16.5 lb. It has a double. 53, 39 with a 9 cassette, 12 – 25. 12 ratios from 41 to 115".
I've also got an old Pug 531 that's 22 lb. 52 & 38 rings, 6 freewheel 13 – 23. 9 ratios, 43 to 104".

The Dawes has a triple because it’s a 'Sports Tourer'. The Spesh has a double because it’s a 21st Century roadrace bike with lower ratios than it needs. The Pug has the gears it has because it was built when cyclists were real cyclists who could pull long gears up the Galibier and Tormelet.

If you buy a Spesh Allez triple, you are getting a bike that weighs the same as my old pug, but is fitted with a gear of 32" for today's namby pamby cyclists.

Changing from a double to a triple is DEFEATIST. DON'T DO IT.

 

[Crackle]

Understanding gears and understanding your own power and cadence and how to make the most of both requires a bit of bike familiarisation time, experience and a bit of reading and understanding.

For instance the power I'm capable of producing as an average has not changed much in all the years I've been riding. What changes with training is how long I can output it. If I overcook it on a ride with a higher cadence or more likely a lower cadence and higher speed, I tire quicker. This particularly applies to hills, so for me a triple is essential to maintain the cadence I'm capable of and not overcook things. Again, more training on hills would help but realistically I'm not going to do that and I don't live in a hilly environment anymore.

I've altered my triple chainrings to suit me and use them thus.

Big ring - flat areas
Middle- continuously up and down roads, small hills
Small - long or steep climbs

It suits me as a casual rider, if you wanted to race or TT then you'd need a different approach but still need to understand your own capabilities and physiology.

 

[chipmonster]

Spoke to the local bike shop and they got me to count the number of teeth on the biggest ring at the back. It had 23. He said I can change the cassette to a 25 or 27.

I have decided to go for a 27 one.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Triples have no place on a road bike...get a different cassette or compact chain rings.

well indurain used to use them so he had a a get out plan if he "hit the wall" in the high mountains. if they're good enough for him…