Northern California - Reasons to get a triple

Now there's a hill! This is on the ride home for me, every 6 weeks or so I give it a shot (no granny available)...

Jello at the top, for sure. I think one block gets up to 20%, and the steeper blocks are at the beginning.

Pretty close, the steepest I've seen on Divisadero is 18%. Head over to Fillmore, between Vallejo and Broadway it's 24%. The SF Grand Prix used to up Fillmore, averages 18% over half a mile. I'm planning on doing the Tour of the Unknow coast in a couple weeks, it's got an 18% mile long wall - I guess I know where to practice :D .

This was yesterday's ride with SRCC. I imagine my Garmin is lying here. 40+% grades? I was doing this, and hurting majorly, in a 39-23. At 194 pounds, these rides murder me. I'm getting a better granny gear soon. Can I simply swap in new couple gears from another cassette?

http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/14020/2005872085602333991_fs.jpg

199 here....I'm heading for 180 so I can bear the hills.

175.. should be 160-165... sigh

This was yesterday's ride with SRCC. I imagine my Garmin is lying here. 40+% grades? I was doing this, and hurting majorly, in a 39-23. At 194 pounds, these rides murder me. I'm getting a better granny gear soon. Can I simply swap in new couple gears from another cassette?

http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/14020/2005872085602333991_fs.jpg

With respect to Garmin, up load the data to Motion Based and use the setting that uses their elevation data base. It corrects bad GPS data.

I assume you have a 10 speed cassette and it is Shimano or Campy. They are only available in 12/25, 12/27 or 11/23. IRD has 11/32, 12/32 and 11/34. This is the primary reason I use a triple. I want the top and bottom end performance and I am unwilling to compromise. Plus, I like a 39 chain ring in combination with 12/27 and the close spaced gearing.

If you have an 8 or 9 speed older cassette, it may be possible to swap out gears.

I assume you have a 10 speed cassette and it is Shimano or Campy. They are only available in 12/25, 12/27 or 11/23.

I believe 10 speed Shimano stops at 12/27. 10 speed Campy has a 13/29.

I believe 10 speed Shimano stops at 12/27. 10 speed Campy has a 13/29.

Thanks, good catch.

I have a 12-27...with a 50/39/30...on the Bianchi...but my Specialized Sirrus with the 48/38/28 and the 8 speed 12-26 climbs much easier on the monster hills.

I have a 12-27...with a 50/39/30...on the Bianchi...but my Specialized Sirrus with the 48/38/28 and the 8 speed 12-26 climbs much easier on the monster hills.

That is interesting...there is only one tooth difference between the two gear ratios. 30/27 and 28/26. You may have a better fit on your Sirrus or there is something else going on (26 inch wheels?) based on the comment of "much easier". However, I agree that every tooth lower helps. I tried the 12/25 up a steep hill and then the 12/27 and opted for the 12/27 when i bought the bike.

According to the Harris Cyclery website, IRD makes a 12-28 ten-speed cassette that will fit a Shimano drivetrain.

i cobbled together a franken-campy 11-27 10sp. the 25/27 is miche. the rest is campy, minus two sprockets. as one would expect, the shifting isn't as smooth between the missing sprockets, but it works.

That is interesting...there is only one tooth difference between the two gear ratios. 30/27 and 28/26. You may have a better fit on your Sirrus or there is something else going on (26 inch wheels?) based on the comment of "much easier". However, I agree that every tooth lower helps. I tried the 12/25 up a steep hill and then the 12/27 and opted for the 12/27 when i bought the bike.
No, it has 700c wheels too...I think I might make a difference that it has the flat bars with the bar ends...it's just a different feel going up the really steep grades.

If someone hasn't mentioned these yet, Pinehurst Rd, Kings Mountain Rd, Old La Honda, and of course the two other main climbs of Mt Hamilton and Mt Tamalpais should be considered triple-worthy.

I have a triple and I doubt I'd ever go to a double anytime soon. Perhaps a compact, but my 53/42/30 works just fine (Campy Centaur 10).

I would suggest a compact instead of a triple.
I used to have a triple and decided to try a compact, I won't come back. Front shifting is a lot easier, smoother, and less frequent than with the triple. Add a 12-27 (Shimano) or a 13-26 or 13-29 (Campy) cassette and you have about the same gear ratio as with a triple.
Plus you will save some cash as you can still use the same bottom bracket and front derailleur.
If some days you think the compact range is overkilled on flatter rides you can still buy a 52 or 53 big ring and switch it with the 50 on the crank.

There's some steep stuff in this loop...

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/ringmap/ring_of_fire.html

If you cycle regularly in a hilly area, like the Bay Area, and are not a racer or racer wannabe, I would strongly recommend not only a triple front but a rapid-rise XT 11-34 for the rear. Rapid rise rear derailleurs shift to lower gears when you 'click', making shifting down fast and easy. This makes learning for new riders much easier as you 'click' into lower gears both front and rear, and 'push' into higher ones. 11-34 will give you the same high gear as 11-25 or whatever while giving you MUCH lower gears. As you get more fit you might use the 34 as a 'bailout' gear.
I would even go so far as to consider it abusive to give a new or senior rider anything less and the cost should not be much higher. I bet that the first bike shop that offers this combo as a standard will start a trend.

I would suggest a compact instead of a triple.
I used to have a triple and decided to try a compact, I won't come back. Front shifting is a lot easier, smoother, and less frequent than with the triple. Add a 12-27 (Shimano) or a 13-26 or 13-29 (Campy) cassette and you have about the same gear ratio as with a triple.
Plus you will save some cash as you can still use the same bottom bracket and front derailleur.
If some days you think the compact range is overkilled on flatter rides you can still buy a 52 or 53 big ring and switch it with the 50 on the crank.
That's interesting. I just went from a 52-42-30 (11-32 rear) to a 50-34 (12-27) compact (on a new bike). On the triple, I rode the 42 ring 90% of the time. Only dropping to the 30 on loong extended climbs as a recovery gear and to the 52 on downhills.

On my 50-34. I ride cross chained quite a bit (50-21 or so) which is fine, but I find myself shifting a lot more. On rolling hills, I just keep the rear in the middle of the cassette and switch between the 50 and the 34 as I go up and down hills. But, if I can't get into that groove, I'm all over the cassette going up and down. I'd get to the 50-27, then shift down to the 34, and need to get the chain to the middle of the cassette. Augh. Just need to get used to this thing.

Funny thing is, I climb fine on the 34 ring, I just don't like pushing the big gear as I really got used to spinning the old 42. I (and my knees) feel like I'm mashing the 50.

I'm considering swapping the front 50 with a front 46 as that'll give me a little more usable range on the front and I'll be able to spin it better. Plus the drop from the 46 to the 34 means I won't have to upshift 2-3 gears once I move down. I don't really care that I'll spin out at 27-29 mph downhill.

I doubt there are many other Ukiah-area riders out there but here are my biggest reasons for owning a triple.
Orr Springs
The Boonville Grade
Highway 175 from Hopland to Lakeport

I lucked out. My lbs outfitted my bike with a triple without much input from me. Now I thank them each time i'm getting onto kings mtn., OLH, or their ilk in the Peninsula. It also feels good to kick into the granny when I encounter some crazy hills in triathlons, while all around me people are grinding up the hill (e.g., Lynch Hill and Nasty Grade at Wildflower), with the whooshing sound of their aerowheels.

Perhaps if I'm in better shape, I'd get into a double, but I am afraid there's no "better" shape than a pair of usable knees.