Double or Triple?

Kieran_Burns

http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.p ... gory_id=80

Advice / Guidance on which set to go for? All (serious ) opinions welcome

note: I am crap at hills and I am going to be looping up into the Peak District.

sarajoy

Well, I have got used to never using my granny ring on the commute. I know the hills and can power up most of it.

BUT I had a terrible ride around some seriously undulating bits of Bristol a couple of weeks ago, as all the hills are bigger than my commutey ones, and I failed to power my way up. I assumed I was crap and would never get used to this cycling lark - until I rediscovered my little granny ring. HURRAH! said my legs!

Still had to pause one or two times us the biggest hill, but didn't get off and walk. I'm guessing more training will eventually get me and my muscles used to that dead lactic-acidy feeling which currently I can only get rid of my stopping for like 20 secs...

roger_merriman

Triple with that bike you'll get a slightly lower geared cassette as well, so while on it's own the isn't much between compact/triple the lower cassette should give you maybe 3 gears lower? Any how most people run out of low before high gears, particularly when knackered!

FeynmanC

I'm really glad I got the triple on the Defy rather than the double on the Boardman, after several month's of riding.

I'd not be able to make it up some hills with my current level of fitness without going into granny mode.

UndercoverElephant

It's a compact double anyway, you **should** be able to get up most hills with that. I have a standard double, and I haven't had to walk, though I've only been up gradients as steep as 18%.

I guess it's personal preference, how often do you use the girly gears anyway?

Kieran_Burns

right - the double is 50/34 with a 11/25 cassette and the triple is 52/39/30 with a 12/27

Hmm...

Wallace1492

Age dictates a triple. There is no shame in using all the gears you can.

Took my very old road bike to Alps a few years ago without giving it any thought, however what could get me round the (what I would consider decent) hills here, was just not enough gears for some of those Alpine climbs, they are in a different league.

Stuey01

UndercoverElephant wrote:

It's a compact double anyway, you **should** be able to get up most hills with that. I have a standard double, and I haven't had to walk, though I've only been up gradients as steep as 18%.

I guess it's personal preference, how often do you use the girly gears anyway?

Does a post go by without you hinting, or straight up telling us, how awesomely powerful you are?

doest thou prostest too much?

Wallace1492

UndercoverElephant wrote:

... as steep as 18%

There is 3 25% climbs on a route I intend to do again next year!!
Did it a "few" years ago and managed over 2 but had to walk part of third. Be interesting to do with panniers....

whyamihere

Prawny and I can do a local 20% hill in the big ring, so there's no need for a triple, ever.

UndercoverElephant

Stuey01 wrote:

Does a post go by without you hinting, or straight up telling us, how awesomely powerful you are?

doest thou prostest too much?

I try to make sure the only very few go by.

CiB

My roadie has a 39/53 on an 11-25 cassette; when I did my run up your way through Ashbourne - Buxton - Glossop recently the only bits that caused real grief were the long climbs out of Chapel En Le Frith, but that was after what? 80 odd miles? And it was lashing down, monsoon weather. There weren't many occasions when it was down in the lowest ring (39/25), and - except for that endless climb out of C e l F I don't recall wishing I had a granny ring.

Lower gears below a 25 maybe 27 don't really offer a big benefit [IMHO] over that ratio. It ends up as a spinning event where it's dead easy to pedal but road speed is about ½ mph, whereas the taller gearing for downhills gives the top end. Depends what you're after I suppose. My preference is to struggle for a bit but then have the speed available.

prawny

whyamihere wrote:

Prawny and I can do a local 20% hill in the big ring, so there's no need for a triple, ever.

Yeah fcucking ledgends us :P 8)

UndercoverElephant

Wallace1492 wrote:

There is 3 25% climbs on a route I intend to do again next year!!
Did it a "few" years ago and managed over 2 but had to walk part of third. Be interesting to do with panniers....

Them are some pretty serious hills. It's not just the gradient, it's how long some hills manage to go on for which kills you.

cjcp

Kieran_Burns wrote:

http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=1261&category_id=80

Advice / Guidance on which set to go for? All (serious ) opinions welcome

note: I am crap at hills and I am going to be looping up into the Peak District.

You male or female?

In all seriousness though, I'd go compact with a 11-25 if you're not keen on hills. If you're carp at hills, the way to get better is to do more hills, not opt for a triple. (Hmm, that doesn't mean to sound as harsh as it looks in writing.)

sarajoy

TBH whatever you get, you'd get used to it, even if it'd take a bit of forcing to begin with.

I swear I'd still get up hills well enough sticking to the higher gear and standing instead of doing the usual and notching down a couple just as I'm cresting so I can have a rest on the saddle.

Clever Pun

this thread needs a solid MTFU

prawny

cjcp wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=1261&category_id=80

Advice / Guidance on which set to go for? All (serious ) opinions welcome

note: I am crap at hills and I am going to be looping up into the Peak District.

You male or female?

In all seriousness though, I'd go compact with a 11-25 if you're not keen on hills. If you're carp at hills, the way to get better is to do more hills, not opt for a triple. (Hmm, that doesn't mean to sound as harsh as it looks in writing.)

I was having this discussion in my head today on the way to work, I'm tempted to go for 50/34 and 11-23 for general use and get a 12-27 for trips away. My current bottow gear is 36/25 which is hard enough at the end of the week but I haven't had to walk anything yet. I think a triple is overkill really.

UndercoverElephant

I guess it comes down to peddling style anyway. I've been told that I seem to like to grind away at a high gear, which is true. My natural cadence seems to be relatively low, and I stick to that, my bike is in the big ring for perhaps 80% of the time, the lower ring being saved for the bigger uphills.

If you prefer to spin your legs in a LA stylee, then there's no reason not to get the triple.

Dudu

Don't think "double or triple".

Think "what are the lowest and highest gears I'm going to need" and then work out the best combination of rings and sprockets to achieve that.

But remember, high cadence is most efficient.

Wallace1492

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

There is 3 25% climbs on a route I intend to do again next year!!
Did it a "few" years ago and managed over 2 but had to walk part of third. Be interesting to do with panniers....

Them are some pretty serious hills. It's not just the gradient, it's how long some hills manage to go on for which kills you.

It is the coastal road north of Lochinver, through Clachtoll. Its got lots of those wee pointy things on Ordanance Survey, you know they look pretty but hurt your legs and lungs.

In all honesty it must be one of the most awesome cycles in the UK. Scenery is stunning, and climbs and decents breathtaking. A few descents have a sharp corner at the bottom so can't even use the speed to start the next climb.

benno68

I'm happy with my compact (50/34 with 12/25) and so far, haven't had to get off and walk - not that I can claim any "epic" climbs to be honest but there are a few fairly steep ones around here.

I reckon a compact with a 12-27 should get you up most climbs. Personally I'd like an 11-25 cassette and use the 11t for special occasions

If you were touring with panniers etc., then maybe a triple - can't picture a Trek Madone with a pannier rack though

Funnily enough, the bike shop mentioned is only a stones throw from me in Cardiff - more MTB orientated so I haven't ventured in there.

Have you seen this which is in the same price bracket? I'm starting to daydream about bikes again!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/scott/cr1-pro-cd-2009-road-bike-ec016333?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

Kieran_Burns

That one all falls apart at:

"The Scott CR1 Pro CD 2009 Road Bike geometry suits a performance-minded rider."

:oops:


http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuj ... e-ec018084 <wibble>

UndercoverElephant

Wallace1492 wrote:

It is the coastal road north of Lochinver, through Clachtoll. Its got lots of those wee pointy things on Ordanance Survey, you know they look pretty but hurt your legs and lungs.

In all honesty it must be one of the most awesome cycles in the UK. Scenery is stunning, and climbs and decents breathtaking. A few descents have a sharp corner at the bottom so can't even use the speed to start the next climb.

That is a pretty area, we used to go on holidays in a barn conversion just as the road turns off from Lochinver towards Stoer, when I was a nipper. Stay away from the Lochs around sunset though, I remember my Dad taking me fishing one evening, and both of us had completely black faces within minutes due to the midges. Serious hills indeed, I doff my helmet to you. I remember my Dad's Lada struggling in first gear on several occasions.

If only it had been fitted with a triple

benno68

Kieran_Burns wrote:

That one all falls apart at:

"The Scott CR1 Pro CD 2009 Road Bike geometry suits a performance-minded rider."

:oops:

Heard the saying "it's all in the mind"

Wallace1492

Benno68 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

That one all falls apart at:

"The Scott CR1 Pro CD 2009 Road Bike geometry suits a performance-minded rider."

:oops:

Heard the saying "it's all in the mind"

My brother took up cycling, after a while he was cooing about carbon this, carbon that, "it'll save a few gramms!!" he boasted. Pointed out to him that loosing the beer belly would save even more....

Funnily enough a few years later and he is thinner than a Biafran highjumper on hunger strike. He puts it down to stopping mid week beer. I would prefer something easier like an operation.

roger_merriman

like any good thing to argue about there isn't a lot in it, in that for getting a spread of ratios from low to high, both will do that and while the triple has a bigger range it's very minor for a given cassette normally about a gear extra at both ends.

i'd say there is no right wrong answer here, it's more "roadie" to have double/compact than a triple but a triple will give you closer ranges of gears, ie the jump between the two chainrings on the compact is a pain.

if your going for that bike you linked to, then the triple will give you the low gears to tackle steep hills.

getting low and wind cheating, and planning the courners will get you down the hill faster than higher gears, the world and it's dog beat me up hills but I'm rapid down them as i'm calm and smooth and being a good weight helps as well ;-)

Underscore

Hang on... I've just looked and we're talking about a Madone! You can't have triple on a Madone - it'd be like turning up to your wedding in a morning suit and a pair of trainers.

Joking aside, I got a Defy 1 a few months ago with a compact double and am sold on doubles being the way to go on road bikes. If you don't get on with hills, get the shop to swap the 11-25 for a 12-27. That's what I've got and, though I've not needed the 27 yet (34/25 is a pretty easy gear), the 50/12 has been tall enough to get me over 40 (though I was turning 132rpm at the time :shock: )

HTH,

_

benno68

Underscore wrote:

Hang on... I've just looked and we're talking about a Madone! You can't have triple on a Madone - it'd be like turning up to your wedding in a morning suit and a pair of trainers.

Joking aside, I got a Defy 1 a few months ago with a compact double and am sold on doubles being the way to go on road bikes. If you don't get on with hills, get the shop to swap the 11-25 for a 12-27. That's what I've got and, though I've not needed the 27 yet (34/25 is a pretty easy gear), the 50/12 has been tall enough to get me over 40 (though I was turning 132rpm at the time :shock: )

HTH,

_

+ 1

@Roger - "being a good weight helps as well" - I keep telling myself that! I can't lose any more weight unless I start dieting and I don't think that's gonna happen.

roger_merriman

Benno68 wrote:

Underscore wrote:

Hang on... I've just looked and we're talking about a Madone! You can't have triple on a Madone - it'd be like turning up to your wedding in a morning suit and a pair of trainers.

Joking aside, I got a Defy 1 a few months ago with a compact double and am sold on doubles being the way to go on road bikes. If you don't get on with hills, get the shop to swap the 11-25 for a 12-27. That's what I've got and, though I've not needed the 27 yet (34/25 is a pretty easy gear), the 50/12 has been tall enough to get me over 40 (though I was turning 132rpm at the time :shock: )

HTH,

_

+ 1

@Roger - "being a good weight helps as well" - I keep telling myself that! I can't lose any more weight unless I start dieting and I don't think that's gonna happen.

iI'm just under 14 stone and it's hard to shift though i'll be starting work on monday and it's a intresting job so i shouldn't snack out of bordem like the last one, ideally i'd be just over 12 stone which is as thin as i should go.