Double or Triple Chainset
Discussion
Have dusted off my early 2000s road bike and am trying to get get into road riding - if I can get upto reasonable distances and stick with it I'll treat myself to a new bike.
Browsing new bikes it seems that double/compact chainsets seem to the the norm - and triples seem increasingly rare.
My old bike has a 30/42/52 Chainset and a 12-25 casette. This works for me - I try to stay out of the granny ring unless I'm really beat, but there are times when I'm glad to have it.
I seem to remember 10 years or so ago a triple was the thing to have - why are they now uncool ? Weight ? Perception that they're hard to setup ? Unecessary now 10 speed seems to be the norm on Tiagra or better ?
Browsing new bikes it seems that double/compact chainsets seem to the the norm - and triples seem increasingly rare.
My old bike has a 30/42/52 Chainset and a 12-25 casette. This works for me - I try to stay out of the granny ring unless I'm really beat, but there are times when I'm glad to have it.
I seem to remember 10 years or so ago a triple was the thing to have - why are they now uncool ? Weight ? Perception that they're hard to setup ? Unecessary now 10 speed seems to be the norm on Tiagra or better ?
Seight_Returns said:
Have dusted off my early 2000s road bike and am trying to get get into road riding - if I can get upto reasonable distances and stick with it I'll treat myself to a new bike.
Browsing new bikes it seems that double/compact chainsets seem to the the norm - and triples seem increasingly rare.
My old bike has a 30/42/52 Chainset and a 12-25 casette. This works for me - I try to stay out of the granny ring unless I'm really beat, but there are times when I'm glad to have it.
I seem to remember 10 years or so ago a triple was the thing to have - why are they now uncool ? Weight ? Perception that they're hard to setup ? Unecessary now 10 speed seems to be the norm on Tiagra or better ?
Weight.Browsing new bikes it seems that double/compact chainsets seem to the the norm - and triples seem increasingly rare.
My old bike has a 30/42/52 Chainset and a 12-25 casette. This works for me - I try to stay out of the granny ring unless I'm really beat, but there are times when I'm glad to have it.
I seem to remember 10 years or so ago a triple was the thing to have - why are they now uncool ? Weight ? Perception that they're hard to setup ? Unecessary now 10 speed seems to be the norm on Tiagra or better ?
Needless gear duplication.
The advent of 9/10/11 speed meaning more choice of ratios.
A compact covers everything you need.
With a 28t on the back you'll ride up a vertical wall, likewise 50-11 is big enough to hit 40 mph on the flat.
I could possibly see the attraction of a really small ring if you had 20kg or kit and a tent on your back but for normal riding compact and 11-28 is fine. Or if you want tighter ratios, 11-23 for flatter rides, 12-28 for hilly ones.
With a 28t on the back you'll ride up a vertical wall, likewise 50-11 is big enough to hit 40 mph on the flat.
I could possibly see the attraction of a really small ring if you had 20kg or kit and a tent on your back but for normal riding compact and 11-28 is fine. Or if you want tighter ratios, 11-23 for flatter rides, 12-28 for hilly ones.
A standard double is bigger ratios than a compact double. The compact is effectively the standard double with a smaller ring added whereas the compact double will have rings of sizes that fit in between the gaps on the triple if that makes sense.
Personally I miss the triple I used to have now I have a compact on my new bike; the middle ring on a triple (inner on a standard double) is about perfect for most of my riding and with a triple there's a big dinner plate for flat rides and a spinny ring for steep hills. With the compact I'm always looking for gears either side of the change over between the rings so I change gears at the front more than I used to. Or I stick with the 'wrong' gear for longer than I'd like to avoid having to change the front just to change it back a few minutes later.
I love having the tiny gear for climbing as I prefer to sit and spin for as long as possible rather than getting out of the saddle on long climbs.
Unfortunately the new bike has SRAM Force and it'll cost too much to put a triple on it.
Personally I miss the triple I used to have now I have a compact on my new bike; the middle ring on a triple (inner on a standard double) is about perfect for most of my riding and with a triple there's a big dinner plate for flat rides and a spinny ring for steep hills. With the compact I'm always looking for gears either side of the change over between the rings so I change gears at the front more than I used to. Or I stick with the 'wrong' gear for longer than I'd like to avoid having to change the front just to change it back a few minutes later.
I love having the tiny gear for climbing as I prefer to sit and spin for as long as possible rather than getting out of the saddle on long climbs.
Unfortunately the new bike has SRAM Force and it'll cost too much to put a triple on it.
okgo said:
34-28 is a tiny gear, at 90 rpm you'd be going 8 mph yes there will be some people who need more but of it was just them on the bike without a ton of kit it would make sense to grin and bear it for a while.
My cross bike used for commuting is sporting a 34/50 and 11-32 on the back. Huge range. It's quite nice to be able to maintain a decent cadence up just about anything. Extended my commute home last night - 27 miles including some (brief) 12% hills with a ~5kg pannier. swerni said:
okgo said:
A compact covers everything you need.
With a 28t on the back you'll ride up a vertical wall, likewise 50-11 is big enough to hit 40 mph on the flat.
I could possibly see the attraction of a really small ring if you had 20kg or kit and a tent on your back but for normal riding compact and 11-28 is fine. Or if you want tighter ratios, 11-23 for flatter rides, 12-28 for hilly ones.
Again, noWith a 28t on the back you'll ride up a vertical wall, likewise 50-11 is big enough to hit 40 mph on the flat.
I could possibly see the attraction of a really small ring if you had 20kg or kit and a tent on your back but for normal riding compact and 11-28 is fine. Or if you want tighter ratios, 11-23 for flatter rides, 12-28 for hilly ones.
A compact double covers everything. YOU need, but doesn't necessarily cover everyone else's needs
BUT I still think there is a case for triples, some riders like and make use of the bottom ring and appreciate the extra lowest gear, my heavy mate (20 st) gets up any hill and loves his triple. If you are touring with heavy gear up steep climbs then it is very beneficial .
I think the mistake some (new or uneducated) riders make is they think they will struggle up hills so want a tripple, when a compact would cover their needs.
Horses for courses really.
2 Road bikes in the garage:
2010 Merida (Ultegra - ten speed) = 50-34F and 11-25R
mid 1990s Falcon (Exage 300 - seven speed) = 53-39F and 13-23R
Despite the 39/23 being a tad more 'manly' than the current bike's 34/25, I never met a hill I couldn't get up. Granted, I'm not hunting down the 'Best 100 Climbs' one by one, but I rode that heavy steel beast in North Yorkshire for 2 years and never once walked up a hill. That said, in doing so, it felt like I'd set fire to my legs on several occasions, and it often meant a slow next couple of miles, so that I'd recovered enough for the next hill.
Now, 34/25 gets me up everything I've tried so far. There's no guarantee of getting up some of the real tough hills that are out there, and sometimes I would probably be quicker walking, but I've still yet to attempt a hill and failed to arrive at the top still in the saddle.
I'm neither quick on the flat, nor a particularly gifted climber. According to the figures being thrown around on some of the threads here, I'm quite slow (I can only dream of 20mph averages
). I've only ridden the Merida about 3 times this year, last night averaging 15.5mph over 23 miles in the dark.
Ultimately, I think you get used to the gears you have, eventually. The technology and the choices today spoil us, really. In my early teens, we rode what we could get hold of. Often that meant a 5 speed 'racer' (with no front dérailleur) that had seen better days. When the 'ten speeds' with new-fangled front mechs filtered down into our budget, we were blown away. Now you'd laugh your way out of the shop if they tried to sell you a road bike with less than 7 on the back. Me, I just thank my lucky stars that as I get older, technology keeps making cycling 'easier' on the thighs
2010 Merida (Ultegra - ten speed) = 50-34F and 11-25R
mid 1990s Falcon (Exage 300 - seven speed) = 53-39F and 13-23R
Despite the 39/23 being a tad more 'manly' than the current bike's 34/25, I never met a hill I couldn't get up. Granted, I'm not hunting down the 'Best 100 Climbs' one by one, but I rode that heavy steel beast in North Yorkshire for 2 years and never once walked up a hill. That said, in doing so, it felt like I'd set fire to my legs on several occasions, and it often meant a slow next couple of miles, so that I'd recovered enough for the next hill.
Now, 34/25 gets me up everything I've tried so far. There's no guarantee of getting up some of the real tough hills that are out there, and sometimes I would probably be quicker walking, but I've still yet to attempt a hill and failed to arrive at the top still in the saddle.
I'm neither quick on the flat, nor a particularly gifted climber. According to the figures being thrown around on some of the threads here, I'm quite slow (I can only dream of 20mph averages
). I've only ridden the Merida about 3 times this year, last night averaging 15.5mph over 23 miles in the dark.Ultimately, I think you get used to the gears you have, eventually. The technology and the choices today spoil us, really. In my early teens, we rode what we could get hold of. Often that meant a 5 speed 'racer' (with no front dérailleur) that had seen better days. When the 'ten speeds' with new-fangled front mechs filtered down into our budget, we were blown away. Now you'd laugh your way out of the shop if they tried to sell you a road bike with less than 7 on the back. Me, I just thank my lucky stars that as I get older, technology keeps making cycling 'easier' on the thighs
TheFungle said:
S10GTA said:
I'm quite shocked at the amount of people who ride compacts!
Why?Would you say a standard setup is more appropriate for most people?
Personally I think the standard setup is suitable for most things, but then I live on the south coast and we don't have massive long hills!
S10GTA said:
Why? I didn't realise they we that common
Personally I think the standard setup is suitable for most things, but then I live on the south coast and we don't have massive long hills!
What makes you think it's about going up hill? I'm not racing yet so have no need for a gear longer than the 50x12 I currently run. Is there some advantage to a double that I'm missing?Personally I think the standard setup is suitable for most things, but then I live on the south coast and we don't have massive long hills!
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