Bicycle Mechanics - Switch from double to triple chain rings??

I know this is gonna sound dumb to some of you veterans but here goes anyhow......

Just bought a new all Ultegra road/race bike and it came with double front chain rings. Just wondering what it would take to convert to triple if I wanted to. Would I have to change the entire crank assembly? Would I have to change the front derailurs(sp?)? Thanks.

That can get quite expensive... You will need a new front and rear Dérailleurs, cranks, and new bottom bracket (68 or 70 x 118.5mm) to accommodate the width of a triple. Good Luck!

Dayyyeemmm!!! I had no idea I'd have to swap all that stuff!

OK how about this? Could I swap my doubles for lower(smaller) gears?? I just don't see myself EVER using most of the higher ratios on this bike. I'd like to have a couple of slightly lower gears. Don't care if it takes away a couple of the higher ones.

Originally posted by Cipher
That can get quite expensive... You will need a new front and rear Dérailleurs, cranks, and new bottom bracket (68 or 70 x 118.5mm) to accommodate the width of a triple. Good Luck! One does not HAVE to have a triple(long cage) rear derailer.With a short cage, some small cogs may not be usable when in the granny ring,Not really an issue, as in that case, one should ought to be in the middle ring. Brainfarting and forgetting will do no harm other than causse a bit of derailer noise to remind you to shift to the middle ring.

Originally posted by dragracer
Dayyyeemmm!!! I had no idea I'd have to swap all that stuff!

OK how about this? Could I swap my doubles for lower(smaller) gears?? I just don't see myself EVER using most of the higher ratios on this bike. I'd like to have a couple of slightly lower gears. Don't care if it takes away a couple of the higher ones. The smalleast chainring you can use on your crank is a 38 tooth.Biggest rear cog shimano makes for road casettes is a 27. You can probably stick on a 30 tooth rear and shift it with the derailer you have.Any bigger cogs would likely need a MTB rear derailer.

What you will need is the following:
New crankset
New Bottom Bracket
Maybe a new front derailleur, depending on how much travel the old one has
Maybe a new rear derailleur, depending on how much capacity the old one has, and how much you are increasing the range
New front shifter (or just go friction?)
Maybe a new chain, too

OK...... Maybe I'll just leave it like it is and try to get in better shape......I think that would be a lot cheaper......LOL :D

Originally posted by D*Alex
What you will need is the following:

New front shifter (or just go friction?)
Maybe a new chain, too The applesauce is stinky today.His 9 speed ultegra front shifts a double or triple.A shimano ultegra double uses a 53 big ring, and a ultegra triple uses a 52.Likely no need for a chain,as it is sized by going over the big/big without going through the derailer.

Originally posted by dragracer
OK...... Maybe I'll just leave it like it is and try to get in better shape......I think that would be a lot cheaper......LOL :D You know,that REALLY does work,give it a shot. You can get some extra help from a 27 tooth large cog cassette without changing out anything else out if you don't have one already have one. A 105 cassette is less $$ than a ultegra too.

I've checked out the cost myself and it is around $450 to do the changeover. They do sell a triple kit in some of the mailorder catalogs with all of the parts needed. What really is disgusting is that if you were to order a new bike mailorder the difference in price from getting one with a triple chainring setup and the normal double is about $10.00! Doh!

There are times that I wished I had done that, but I just keep the double. As you get older though that triple sure looks good on short steep climbs. You can spin instead of grind up the climbs. Oh well I better go for a ride;)

I recently went from a 42 small chainring to a 39. I really like the change. I find myself spinning quite a bit more (which is always better for the cardio). Give that a try and see how you like it.

David,
You say you "just bought it". Perhaps it is not too late to go back where you bought it and ask for a change. Getting in better shape, as you mentioned is always a good idea. If you have not been doing much cycling or excercising lately, it won't take very long riding that baby to make a difference. You will make huge gains very quickly just by riding.

Just like to repeat what Fife suggested , if you have not had the bike for long and you bought it from a good bike shop, maybe they will change it for you at a decent cost.

This is exactly what happened to me with my purchase. At the first service for the bike, I told them there was a steep ascent (15%) that i could not ride with the double chainwheel and asked if they could change it to a triple, which they obligedly did for me at a cost of £30 about (45 dollars) which i considered a snip, as others have suggested should have cost a lot more money than this under different circumstances. this was also full ultegra change over.

If low gears are critical, you may also use an ATB rear derailleur (like an XT) and an 11t-34t rear cassette and a new chain. Save the old parts for when you're in shape and convert back. Should be about $150 in parts. Good riding.