Double or Tripple chain ring?

davoj

Hi Guys,

I am just about to get my new carbon but i dont know what ring set to get a double or tripplet. I am getting a ultegra sl so any advice for me?

richa

How about a compact?

What type of routes/hills do you tend/wish to ride?

davoj

It varies but there would be a lot of steep climbs on most routes. We usually range from 40-70 miles per trip.

Garry H

What do you have at the moment? Is it adequate?

davoj

I have a tripple tiagra,its fine and i do use the samll ring a bit,but was wondering is there a big step up?

I know i should go out and try not to use the small ring but its stormy here in galway at the moment and my local bike shop want to know by tomorrow.

cheers for the reply.

richa

What cassette do you have? 12-23? 12-25?

Percentage Diff (for same cassette):
30 v 34 = 13.3%. 34 v 39 = 14.7%

Gear Inches (various chainring/cassette options):
34/23 38.8
34/25 35.7
30/23 34.3
34/27 33.1
30/25 31.5
30/27 29.2

C-S-B

I have a triple on my commuter, but Ive never used the little ring, even on my one excursion into the Wicklow mountains, so Id say that in general you dont need the ultra-low gear (here in Ireland anyways - unless you know of a climb near Galway where you definitly do, in which case please direct me to it - Im in Mayo )

Ive got a compact on the racing bike (50-36 with an 11-25), and have only ever run out of gears once; after about 120k at a pace somewhat above whats comfortable, and on a beastly hill

Tbh Id say you'd be better served with a huge sprocket on the back than a third front ring

MIsterGoof

I've just got a new bike with Ultegra Sl Compact (50/34) and a 12-27 on the back

And havn't failed on a hill yet

Other bike has 53/39 12-25 (9 speed) and there is a hill I fell off as i was grinding so slowly, on the new 34 27 no problem.

davoj

Hi Rich,

I am looking to get either a Ultegra SL is 53-39T / 52-39T (FC6600 double) or a 52-39-30T (FC6603 triple). At the moment i have a Tiagra 52/42 /30T. what do you think?

CrookedCucumber

Depends on the cadence you prefer. If you don't mind a cadence of < 50 rpm or so on hills, it probably won't matter all that much whether you have super-low gearing. I prefer to keep my cadence above 90 rpm and I use the small chainring quite a bit. I can manage without it, but it hurts my ageing knees.

It seems to me that if you can get a triple for the same price and of the same quality as a double or compact, you'd be daft not to. The problem is that you probably can't -- a good quality triple is more expensive than a good quality double; and if you favour lower cadences it probably isn't worth the extra expense.

richa

davoj wrote:

I am looking to get either a Ultegra SL is 53-39T / 52-39T (FC6600 double) or a 52-39-30T (FC6603 triple). At the moment i have a Tiagra 52/42 /30T. what do you think?

What cassette do you have / are you getting?

The Part No's you have listed look like they are Ultegra components not Ultegra SL.

Shimano Ultegra Chainset Hollowtech II Double 6600 39-52/53
Shimano Ultegra Chainset Hollowtech II Double 6650-S 34-50
Shimano Ultegra Chainset Hollowtech II Triple 6603 30-39-52
Shimano Ultegra Chainset Octalink Double 6500 39/42.53
Shimano Ultegra Chainset Octalink Triple 6503 30-42-52
Shimano Ultegra SL Chainset Hollowtech II 6601 39-52/53
Shimano Ultegra SL Chainset HollowTech II 6650-G 34-50
Shimano Ultegra SL Chainset HollowTech II Triple 6604 30-39-52

I would say that if you are in any doubt over whether you need a triple or not then a double is a step to far. A compact would be a comprimise.

davoj

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the replies,it's appreciated.

i think that maybe a compact is the best option.

cheers.

Campy King

good idea. Carbon and triples really don't go together!!

CrookedCucumber

Campy King wrote:

good idea. Carbon and triples really don't go together!!

Really? Is there a good reason apart from fashion and elitism for that?

Campy King

not one that I can think of!

redddraggon

I hate triples, they never seem to work aswell as any sort of double.

Mettan

davoj wrote:

It varies but there would be a lot of steep climbs on most routes. We usually range from 40-70 miles per trip.

Another perspective - how well would you cope with a 15-20 % climb when you've got 60 miles in your legs? - if you feel you are going to be fresh-ish and have plenty left in your legs then you could possibly get by with a Doulbe or Compact - alternately, if a Hilly 60 turns your legs to lead then you might be better off with a Triple to enable you to climb happily beyond 60 miles. Also - keep an eye on what Crooked mentioned about Cadence - after 60 miles, sometimes it is nice to have an "easier" spin up a 15 % - 20% rather than a grind - all depends on you as a rider though.

John C.

The simple answer is
If you need to ask then get a tripple.
The extra weight is only a mouthful of drink from your bottle and you will have the extra gears when you need them.

Pennyfarthing1880

I have a DeRosa Dual with an Ultegra 33/50 compact ( I got the 33 specially) with a 12/27 cassette and it will climb any thing I know. I am no spring chicken but maintain 70kg. I took it to the Alps two years ago and it was overgeared for me so I put on a MBK cassette (13/32) which theoretically will not work but I only used big ring on small chainring so it was OK. So if you are going Alpine a triple is a must, otherwise a compact is great.[/quote]

W5454

Compact with a 28T or 29T should get you up any hill.

giant_man

Don't listen to the sillyness that you can't have a carbon bike with a triple fitted. What does it matter?

feel

If you need it once, it's one time you didn't have to get off and walk.

Campy King

giant mancp wrote:

Don't listen to the sillyness that you can't have a carbon bike with a triple fitted. What does it matter?

???

CrookedCucumber

W5454 wrote:

Compact with a 28T or 29T should get you up any hill.

I don't know of any hill in my area that I couldn't get up on a single-speed, if I really, really, really had to. But it would hurt, it would be slow, and it would put enormous stresses on the bike components (not to mention my knees).

That you can do something is no reason why you should.

The lower the gearing you have available, the lower the trauma you have to inflict on your bike and your body. Bike bits can be replaced, but you only get the one body in this life.

John C.

When I'm fresh I can ride any hill (Boltby, Rosedale and Wrynose) on the middle ring, 100 miles later and I'll use every gear I have. On the Fred Whitton ver few without tripples made it to the top of Hardknott.

cyclingfury

Always makes me smile when I read that so and so gear ratio "should get you up any hill" etc. because unless you are aquainted with all the details of a riders current fitness/ medical health and so on, you can't possibly say that. I know people will say these things to be helpful to the original question posed and I agree that certain generalisations can be made, but ultimately what gearing you decide to have on your own bike has to be a subjective decision if it's going to meet your personal needs.

3leggeddog

My 2p

I recently bought my new fast carbon machine and specced a triple on it. I rarely use the inner ring. I live in the lakes and ride the passes weekly,or should that be weakly? I'm glad of the inner ring for those long days when I have to cross whinlatter and climb fangs with 100 in my legs and I'm totally blown.

Get the triple, you can always replace it with a double/compact later if you wish, for a fraction of the cost of the bike.

Gary D

3leggeddog wrote:

My 2p

I recently bought my new fast carbon machine and specced a triple on it. I rarely use the inner ring. I live in the lakes and ride the passes weekly,or should that be weakly? I'm glad of the inner ring for those long days when I have to cross whinlatter and climb fangs with 100 in my legs and I'm totally blown.

Get the triple, you can always replace it with a double/compact later if you wish, for a fraction of the cost of the bike.

I totally agree with this and a lot of the other "pro triple" posts.

I also had the same compact or triple dilemma recently but in the end went for the triple on my new carbon bike. I don't regret the decision at all.
In my opinion, the triple offers a much more useable and useful range of gears. What I mean is that for 99% of the time I only use the middle and big ring ring anyway (39/50). Therefore, it is like a normal road double. However, the granny ring is there when I need it.
The point is that the jump between the 2 when changing just the front ring if I am approaching a hill is fine. On a compact, unless you start multiple shifting all the time, then I think you could easily go from a lowish cadence to legs going like a sewing machine :shock:
The weight issue is cobblers, the ease of set up is also incorrect - mine shifts very smoothly and is only 105 - the looks thing is purely snobbishness
The other argument for compacts is that you only get 1 extra gear between a 34/27 and a 30/27. That is perfectly true but it is about how useful the range of gears is - see above. I ride with people that have compacts and one observation I have made is that they constantly seem to be using the extreme combinations and cross chaining - particularly when on the big ring.
If you are very, very fit and manage to maintain a high average speed mainly just using the big ring on the bottom two thirds of the block then go for a compact - otherwise stick with a triple

Gary.

northpole

If I had read this thread on Friday I may have answered get the double.

I went out for a short cycle yesterday. Admittedly I was feeling tired before I went out and there was quite a stiff breeze but really nothing extraordinary.

My fab Spesh Roubaix Pro with dura-ace top to bottom was suffering from 'bad engine day syndrome' - I was extremely close on three occasions to stopping going up the hill from Archway to Highgate (the narrow road past the famous cemetery). Unbelievably bad experience! Don't know when I last felt that bad and boy what I would have given for a triple!!

Peter

Terminator-X

doulbe is the only way if are seriously weak on climbs go for triple but doulble gives a clean look and with a good selection on the back i.e. 25-12 you will be spot on for rides of all intensity

redddraggon

The best all round chainset is a 50/36 in my opinion, 50-11 is nice and high, and 36-25 is nice and low.