Progress

Secteur

When I got my first bike and started cycling only 5 months ago, I went for a triple as I was overweight and it really is very hilly where I live.

I would rely heavily on the granny-ring (small ring of the triple) and use it on every hill.

Anyway, in the last week I have noticed that I very rarely every use the granny-ring now, in fact in almost every circumstance and even on the steepest hills I never go below the easiest gear on the middle chain-ring (which, I think, equates to a middle gear on the small-chainring of a double/compact).

So, I must be making progress!

mouth

Well done.

BoydD

Well played Secteur, just out of interest now you don't use the little ring any more have your noises stopped. Only joking, I find myself in a similar predicament, I too opted for a triple as I moved over from mountain biking and wanted the really low gearing I was used too. However, like yourself I very rarely use the little ring now. In fact I probably will look at replacing my triple Sora set up with a double soon.

Glad your enjoying your riding.

Paul E

I had the same bike and would almost never use the smallest chain ring, so I have changed mine to a compact now

Daddy2Coull

i have a compact and have NEVER used the smaller ring...........


but i do live on the norfolk/suffolk border

thegibdog

Sounds like it might be worth changing the cassette for something with a closer ratio at some point in the future. Or if you want to make more use of your gears as they are then try doing some loops around Ramsbottom Rake.

Secteur

thegibdog wrote:

Sounds like it might be worth changing the cassette for something with a closer ratio at some point in the future. Or if you want to make more use of your gears as they are then try doing some loops around Ramsbottom Rake.

I live about 5 min ride from the Rake, but have never tried it (I often cycle up Lumb Carr Rd which I dont find especially difficult) but have heard it's hard!! I've driven up it and it's steep++ !

Just wished I could get another 10kg off and I reckon I'd be a seriously good climber... but I just cant get the weight off and my will power is crap!

stavrosk83

Good stuff Secter!

I have been trying a similar idea with my Synapse, avoiding the 'granny' ring, and after a few months it is starting to pay off, a few climbs where i'd needed it before I can get up them in the middle ring now. Be a while before i think about ever changing it to a compact though!

I'm finding i need to concentrate now on getting that big ring moving, which is pretty tough! Would there be more teeth in the big ring of a compact compared to a triple?

Thelittlesthobo

I dont get why people are so hung up about having a triple. I have the triple and tbh it hasnt really been used much. This doesnt mean that i look at it every day and wonder how i can change it for a double which to all intents and purposes has very similar gears.

Is it people thinking that a triple is for beginners and now that they have progessed they want a double to be like the 'proper' riders?

I plan to find some hills that challenge me enough to remind me i need the triple. Lakeland passes will probably fit the bill.

Secteur

To be fair, when I was sold the bike I knew nothing of cycling and gears - they guy in the shop just told me to buy a triple.

I prefer the look of the compact/doubles, and of course it's what the pro's use so they seem more "right", plus they can have the same range of gears as my triple, just in bigger steps. Probably a daft reason to want one, but my next bike wont be a triple.

merak

My audax bike has a triple. Triple's are harder to maintain and keep changing sweetly in my experience - mainly because of the length of the chain and the arm on the rear mech and the greater difficulty in trimming three rings. I use the granny ring no more than three or four times a year. and yet, when you need it, you really need it - you don't have much latitude when you're faced with a steep hill with 250 miles in your legs. But my other road bikes have 52/39 rings and 11-21 or 12-26 cassettes and I haven't come across much tarmac that you can't get up in 39-26 provided you're reasonably fresh.