Changing from triple to compact on a new bike

clelanj

Hi - I have been looking to get into cycling for a few months now plus have a friend at work who is encouraging me. I am 47 and the last road bike I was on was about 25 years ago. I see myself using it to get fit plus something I can do either alone or with friends.

I have been researching what bike to buy and settled on the Specialized Secteur with its comfort factor combining with good road bike handling. My problem is the much talked about Compact or Triple. The entry level Secteur is a triple at £650 whereas the first Compact in the Sectuer range is the Elite which is £350 more at £1000. After lots of reading I had really thought I would go for a Compact (maybe a 2012 model) which are around £850 if you can get one however looking tonight I think I might struggle. I really am not too keen on spending £1000 on the 2013 model if I can help it

My question is, if I bought the entry level Triple at £650 and tried that out for a while and then decided I wasn't keen and wanted to change to a Compact:

a) Is this a reasonable thing to do, or am I going to mess up a finely tuned bike?
b) Who would be able to do this - is it the local bike shop or is it a specialist thing?
c) Roughly how much could I expect this to cost?

Thanks for any help you can give - John

getprg

As a rider with both triple and compact bikes my observations would be:

a) It is reasonable and wouldn't mess up a finely tuned bike (manufacturers will often package the same frame and similar components with different groupsets to make up their model range) and
b) Your LBS should easily be capable of changing a triple to compact BUT (in capitals)
c) It will normally be expensive because it will normally require new STI levers, new cranks/chainset and new front changer - which including fitting will, depending on chosen groupset, cost you maybe £350+ - so really it is not a very economical upgrade.

Triples and compacts offer different riding experiences (triples offer closer ratios but both will provide a similar range from lowest to highest gear). The latest mid price compacts eg Shimano (Tiagra) and SRAM are offering wider and wider ranges - with rumours of a Tiagra rear cassette soon of up to 32 teeth with a compact chainset.

ineedalager

There is no need to change the STI shifters to change a triple to a double. I have a triple left shifter on my compact carbon framed bile I built. I wanted to buy a triple last Oct when I started road biking but could not justify the extra cosy so I bought an Allez double 52/29 13-26

I had the rear cassette changed to an 11-28 and have done over 2,000 miles on it. To be honest once you buy the triple I don't think you will want to change it but cost would be just over £100 for new cranks/chainset and front mech to make into a compact.

The 2012 Allez comes with a compact why don't you try that instead.

t4tomo

ineedalager wrote:

The 2012 Allez comes with a compact why don't you try that instead.

Beacuse the Secteur is more comfortable ride/geometry presumably.

buying a triple and changing it to a compact straight away gives you unecessary expense.
Your best bet is to have a word with teh bike shop and see if they will buld you a secteur with an entry level (2300/ or sora if you can pursuade them) compact chainset instead of the entry level triple. It shouldn't then cost you anymore. I assume the Elite comes with tiagra or 105 which is why its £350 more.

Or What about a Bianchi Via Nirone - similar relaxed Geometry to the Secteur, aimed at day rides sportives etc and comes with Compact as standard.
Better looking and less common than a specialied too.
quick google finds this not too far over your price range and Sora vs 2300 on the secteur
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Bianchi-C2C-Via-Nirone-7-Alu-Sora-2012-Road-Bike_50013.htm?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=Froogle02

AlahDamIt

I ride the Elite and get on with it well even though ive managed break lots of bones five years back. Have you thought about second hand E-Bay often have 2012 models going out at around £600.

ineedalager

t4tomo wrote:

ineedalager wrote:

The 2012 Allez comes with a compact why don't you try that instead.

Beacuse the Secteur is more comfortable ride/geometry presumably.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious!

I've done over 2,000 miles on my Allez and never had any comfort problems and I am 10 yrs older than the OP.

My main point was to say there is no need to change the triple's left shifter it was just a passing comment as I considered the Secteur triple and dismissed it because of the extra cost and went for the Allez and never regretted it!

clelanj

Thank you everyone for your valuable advice. Gives me plenty to look into. May have a look at the Allez and possibly the Giant Defy 3.

Will keep you posted - cheers John