newjunior

I'm racing at a Cat5-4 level, and look to upgrade to a 3 level by mid 2014. I'm also a junior, but I won't be racing at much higher than a state championship level. I currently have an Ultegra Triple. Do I need a compact/double at this level? It will mean sinking a lot of money into my bike, which I can't really spare. Is there any way to do it without buying new parts? Can I just pop off the granny gear and tune my front DR and shifter? Is it even worth it?

Monkeyclaw

You wouldn't be the first and won't be the last. People may tease you, but you can fix that by destroying them in races and group rides. Then tell them you did it in your granny gear because you need practice spinning.

I make fun of my teammates all the time for using compact cranks. This offseason, I switched to a compact and love it. I still tease them, I don't think they've noticed mine yet

Have fun and don't be in a rush to upgrade. There may be a local team you can join that will help with equipment, training, etc. Sometimes they even have donor bikes you can use as you get bigger.

cmh

A triple is perfectly fine. Save your money for race entry fees, gas money to get to races, and spare tires and tubes. If you really want to, you can remove the granny ring and adjust your front derailleur, but don't worry about it. Have fun!

Brian Ratliff

1) you'll find that racers are much less equipment judgmental than your average club rider. My experience at least.

2) as a rule of thumb, don't take the inner ring off. If you take it off, you should get a non-ramped chainring for the middle position so you are less likely to lose the chain. This ring should also be "matched" so the teeth line up and shifting is smooth. I would probably keep it where it is.

3) you don't have to do any destroying to "prove" yourself above your equipment. Just train and race well. Like I said, racers tend to be less judgmental about this stuff. Where they get judgmental is when a rider seems too "vain" about his equipment and not serious enough about his racing results and training. Race well, listen to your "elders" (those riders with more experience than you), and be serious about your training and the respect will follow regardless of your equipment. There are many more poor racers in the ranks of the serious than there are rich racers.

4) you'll eventually find that certain equipment choices are more reliable in a race than others. This applies to triples, but don't rush out to get the "right" equipment until you know the disadvantages personally. Race what you brung and you'll be fine.

island rider

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that if you manage to move up to Cat 3 with the triple, you'll be fine racing it there.

When the time comes that you want to upgrade the triple ask around if anyone knows of anyone looking to sell some old gear. You might end up finding someone who would be willing to clear up shelf space by loaning, selling cheap or frankly giving equipment to help someone out. It might not be the best, newest or lightest, but you get what you pay for.

valygrl

My 12 year old Ultegra Triple on my old bike shifts better than my 2 year old Dura Ace compact on my new bike (sadly).

As long as it works and you aren't dropping your chain, it's fine.

Triples are out of favor right now, but they are actually kind of awesome - more range than most compact doubles, but with the close gear spacing of standard doubles. Only downside - a little weight, and maybe performance if it doesn't work well, but mine works great. I don't really get why people hate on them so much, actually.

sarals 

Val, right on! My boyfriend actually removed the Campy Chorus standard double chainrings from his bike to replace it with a Record triple ("it's so much easier"). I ended up with the entire Chorus group. He's quite happy with that triple, and oh, I do know people who race with triples - and so what? If it works, keep it!

Homebrew01

My experience too. I pay very little attention to anyone else's bike. I pay a lot of attention to how they ride.

Beaker

+1. Given the choice, I'd prefer to be the kick ass rider on the stealth bike, than OTB on a $10K rig.

topflightpro

As a junior, using the triple might actually work out better due to junior gearing requirements.

Also, I have raced on a triple. Several years ago I did an omnium in the mountains. I'm not a very good climber, so I borrowed my wife's bike which had a triple. I used every bit of that triple and still struggled.

Plus, since you're just starting out, use what you have until it is worth replacing. Or use the Cat 3 upgrade as an excuse to upgrade your bike.

newjunior

Cool. So looks like consensus is that I don't need to do anything. Except train harder/ride more