Why compact chainsets?

[Ant]

Not that I race but surely this depends upon the particular rider and natural cadence etc?

And, as MajorMantra pointed out, it depends what casette you've got on the back too.

 

[HJ]

It is for snobs who don't want to be seen riding with a triple...

 

[PpPete]

I happily accept the unfashionableness (is that a word?) and the weight penalty of a triple.
Spend most time on the 42 front ring - the middle seven of a 9 speed 12-25 cassette on back covers most situations.
52 ring downhill / tailwinds and occasionally on flat if feeling strong. 30 ring for steeper hills and when knackered at end of day.
- and yes I'm on downtube shifters, so I'd prefer to avoid double shifts if I can, but I doubt I'd change the gearing even if went to STIs
Might change to a 12-27 cassette for E2E next year, and I don't give a stuff if people call me a wimp!

 

[Randochap]

I guess the rationale is that ... it's still a double, not the sissy triple. Chain line is not such an issue and you save an ounce or two.

Other than that there's not much to it.

 

[itisaboutthebike]

Let's put it this way - you'd have to be a strong rider to go up the alps with a compact as opposed to a triple.

I'm 10 stone wet though, don't consider myself a strong rider, am 48 and am ok with a compact (34/50) and a 12-27 block in the Apls

For next years Marmotte (if I'm stupid enough to ride it again) I'll probably put an 11-28 SRAM cassette on in conjunction with the compact.

 

[arallsopp]

I think you really need to cover all the bases, fitting a Rohloff hub, 11 speed cassette and triple chainrings should give you about the right range

Wouldn't want to do that without a Schlumpf up front.

 

[MacB]

Wouldn't want to do that without a Schlumpf up front.

tsk, always someone that has to go too far

 

[TheDoctor]

I'm sure a quadruple chainset is possible...

 

[Cubist]

My new hybrid has a compact 36-50 and an 11-32 cassette. I live in a very hilly area, and find the range of gear is just right. Especially as I'm a bit of a bloater to boot........

 

[montage]

I have a compact as this is what came on my first bike....

No problems with it at all

 

[jimboalee]

My first multi-gear bike had a single 48 to a 14-16-18-21-24

The bike weighed 27lb.

I learned to pedal slowly and built some muscle.

3 years of hard work before I met the CogMeister.

 

[e-rider]

My new bike came with a 34/50 compact and after just 1 ride I ordered a 39t chainring to replace the 34. I found that the 34 was useless for everything except riding up very big hills. This meant that I had to cruise along in the 50 which wasn't ideal. Now I can potter along in my 39 ring and change to the 50 downhill or when I feel like getting my head down with a tailwind. I have a 12-27 cassette so the 39:27 lowest gear is still fine for big hills - perhaps in the lake district along hardknot pass or similar it might be a struggle!

 

[andrew_s]

I'm sure a quadruple chainset is possible...

You used to be able to get an adapter that would let you fit a sprocket (down to 16T) either in place of the granny, or as well as the granny.

Here it is

 

[Jonathan M]

I'm sure a quadruple chainset is possible...

There wsa a bargain bucket MTB years ago that did this, with 6 speed freewheel IIRC, and in a sub £200 bike test one of the magazines checked if it offered any greater range of ratios. Sadly (or maybe not) the big ring was just a normal 42 or 44, and the inner ring a 22 or 24. With a useless ratio freewheel it offered a narrower spread of gears, albeit with smaller steps in between. And it weighed a lot more. I think the mag summed it up as being for those who just had to be able to brag about how many gears their bike has.

Triple or compact, its an individuals choice, but the boom in compacts undoubtably has some roots in fashion, and riders not wanting to admit they need some assistance up the hills gear wise.

I need a rocket to get up hills at the moment, so all my bikes have triples.

 

[gf1959]

I have a new Giant road bike with a compact chainset and a 9 speed cassette,i still use my old standard racer with 52/42 and 7 speed 13/28 cassette. You know what,i'd like the same gearing on the Giant,i find i'm forever glancing back to know what gear i'm in and find 9 speeds too many and too close ratio.
I guess i'll get used to it(maybe),hard to adapt after 15yrs of standard and simpler gearing but that's not to rubbish compacts,they do have a gear for every occasion.
I wish the gear viewing window had numbers instead of that red pointer,that would help a lot.