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Old 06-02-10, 07:40 AM
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markdavid570
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Posts: 129

Bikes: Giant FCR 2

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Doubles, Triples, and Shifting

Let me start off by saying that I’m not looking to start a war here or anything, I’m just looking for some thoughts/opinions from other riders who aren’t 130 lbs and saving half a gram by getting a slightly lighter component! For reference, I ride on the roads through the hills of central PA. I try to ride 10-15 miles 3-5 days during the week, and on weekends I try to get in one or two 20-25 mile rides. I just had arthroscopic knee surgery about two months ago and I’ve been back out on the bike for about week now. I'm 6'5, and as of yesterday morning I weighed 269. I ride a Giant FCR 2 and I’m starting to look into buying a new road bike either later this year or early next year. So, with that all out of the way, I’ll get started:

About a year ago, when I was looking at bikes for the first time since being a child, I tried out two bikes at a shop. One was a Scott Speedster S30 with a 105 double on it, and the other was a Cannondale CAAD9-6 with a Tiagra triple on it. I wasn’t very experienced and I only rode them around the block a few times, but the shifting on the Scott felt much smoother and just “nicer”. Ultimately, I went to a different shopt that I'm much happier with.

My question is this: was the reason for the smoother/nicer shifting due more to the better 105 setup, or due to the fact that it was a double?

A few things have brought this up, but it comes down to the fact that the LBS that I use sells Giant bikes exclusively. With that being said, I was almost set on picking up a 2010 Giant Defy 1. I like the 105 setup and the fact that it’s a triple. I spend the majority of my rides on the middle chainring, but I go up or down when I need to; whether it’s to find a more suitable gear, or just to keep a straight chainline. Now I’m hearing that the 2010’s are getting scarce already and that the 2011’s should be hitting stores sometime in August. That means changes, and one thing that is rumored, is that the SRAM Apex will come with some entry-level road bikes. I’ve read about this a bit, but since it’s a double with an extended cassette, and since I spend most of my current rides on the middle chainring, would this create the need to for much more shifting up front and therefore less smooth shifting and a more inconvenient ride?

Maybe it’s not going to be an issue and only time will tell what the 2011’s have, and I should just wait and see?
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