Northern California - Reasons to get a triple

Being from So Cal, I had a double, so it wasn't completely geared up for hills around the Bay Area. However, once the club rode out to Quimby, I finally had to get off my bike, and walk it. That was so demoralizing. Now, I am not ashamed to walk my bike ... no pride broken now.

So I thought I would start a list of climbs that would warrant a triple. If anyone has more, feel free to contribute:

- Quimby
- Joaquim
- Swett Rd.
- Summit Springs Rd.
- Crestview Rd.
- Hicks
- Redwood Gulch

I'm sure there are more ...

Bohlman Road/On Orbit
Metcalf Road
Upper parking lot of Mt Diablo

Edit: I don't know about you, but, legs-o-jello make any incline a triple in my book.

Maybe I should have called this thread legs-o-jello.

Never done Bohlman/On Orbit. But I've heard of it.

Oh, one more to add to this ...

Welsh Creek

i haven't done it personally, but a friend of mine tells me there's a stretch of centennial road in berkeley leading up to the lawrence hall of science that might merit being on this list.

Mix Canyon

Kilkare in Sunol.
Harder in Hayward going up to Cal State East Bay.

Going up to Calaveras Reservoir from Milpitas.
Tunitas Creek.

+1 on Mt. Diablo

It all depends on your fitness... or lack thereof and the effect of midlife ballast around the waistline. Increase the first and decrease the second and two rings will be more than enough.

There are lots of small street segments that make me glad I have a triple.

Here's one at random. Anyone ever try Ascension Drive from Polhemus up towords CSM?

Can't say that I have ... another one, although not as intense as some of the other ones ... Lakeview Dr, coming from Edgewood

I rode up South Park Dr. in Berkeley (around 10-11% grade for a mile I think) a week ago and can't imagine doing it in a double. I foresee a distant day where its possible, but in the extremely LONG transitional period between now and then, I'll be happily using my triple. The whole line of argument that you just "shouldn't take on a hill until you can do it in a double" would suck the life out of cycling for me, since almost every long route in the bay area involves some significant section of climbing.

Personally, anything greater than 7-8% = automatic triple, unless its a very short climb... then I'll just stand.

Personally, I don't think riding a triple makes you any less of a cyclist. I like my knees, thank you very much.

Heh, especially when you have a triple and a 11-23 cassette, it's a good combo with the triple.

Shoot, 11-23 cog w/triple isn't enough for me. I'm looking at a triple and 12-34 cog with a wider RD. I like my knees too.

yeah. I got myself a new (need a new one anyway) Ultegra 12-25 Cassette

I probably wont need the 30/25 too much, but still more useful than the 53/11 ;)

I am mainly switching to get the 39/25 so I won't use the small front ring as often.

Heh, especially when you have a triple and a 11-23 cassette, it's a good combo with the triple.

+1 The nice thing about a triple is that you can stick a corncob back there, which you can't do w/ a (compact) double.

So, that said, why don't you just run a compact double, Ron? Depending on the large cog on the back, you could get just about as low a gear as a triple.

+1 The nice thing about a triple is that you can stick a corncob back there, which you can't do w/ a (compact) double.

So, that said, why don't you just run a compact double, Ron? Depending on the large cog on the back, you could get just about as low a gear as a triple.

I think everyone was missing my point. I guess I should have titled this thread "the steepest, gut wrenching climbs you could find"!

No, we just got derailed by the technical aspects on our way to the "the steepest, gut wrenching climbs you could find" Hey, this is the Silicon Valley...if there's a perceived problem, 'guaranteed someone's ready with a solution. ;)

Me, too.

I like visiting Granny every now & then.

You haven't been up a hill until you've gone up Iowa Hill Rd out of Colfax...

Mines Road south of Livermore. Miles 5-10 make the following 15 miles uphill feel like you're going downhill...

Personally, I don't think riding a triple makes you any less of a cyclist. I like my knees, thank you very much.

+1

The tired old advice that you should struggle with a double so you will improve is bunk. Believe it or not, some of us are as good at climbing as we're ever gonna be. Triple's are a Good Thing. I don't use mine much, but it would be foolish for me not to have one. With it, I can go anywhere I want. Without it, I have to be more choosy about my routes. There was a time when I could mash 42/27 up Palomares, but that time is past. Like spingineer says - "I like my knees, thank you very much".

And about compacts being almost the same as triples - "almost" does not equal "the same", and that difference is why I'll always have a triple, at least around here in the Diablo Valley.

Currently, I ride a triple with a 12/27. I just built a Campy equipped bike that has a triple and a 13/29. I Like It.

You haven't been up a hill until you've gone up Iowa Hill Rd out of Colfax...
or Del Puerto Canyon out of Patterson, or Wildrose Summit over by Mono Lake, or Heartbreak Hill out of Lockwood Valley, or........ :D

...a Campy equipped bike that has a triple and a 13/29. I Like It.

This is my "low gears" setup. I have a 30-40-50 triple and a 13/29 in the back. I can go up almost anything, but you go up it awfully slowly.

There are a lot of steep hills that I used to ride in San Francisco. Now that I have a bike again I'm going to start hitting them up on Saturday when I'm usually there. The six hills on Divisadero from Lombardo up to Broadway. Dalewood by the Mt. Davidson Cross. From Parnassus and Clayton up Twin Peaks Blvd to the top. If you want disobey the law, 22nd street from Church is one way going down. I used to have to use a triple on the mountain bike to not pop a wheelie from the incline.

I bought my bike used and the 9 speed 12-25 was quite worn so I replaced it with a 12-23. After getting discouraged from 39/23 kicking my butt up some hills (Moody Road) I tried a 12-27 but found I was getting more spent spinning the 39/24 & 39/27 than 39/21 & 39/23.

i haven't done it personally, but a friend of mine tells me there's a stretch of centennial road in berkeley leading up to the lawrence hall of science that might merit being on this list.

What's scary is that when I was an undergrad I used to ride up that road all the time on my Schwinn World Sport. I think the smallest gear I had was a 42/25. Ah, to be 19 again....

You haven't been up a hill until you've gone up Iowa Hill Rd out of Colfax...
Got any pictures? Inquiring minds need to know.

But then again, when you look at Sierra Road, looking east, looking at the road that goes up to the heavens, it looks ungodly ... but then, when I got to the top .... now that wasn't that bad ...

+1

The tired old advice that you should struggle with a double so you will improve is bunk. Believe it or not, some of us are as good at climbing as we're ever gonna be. Triple's are a Good Thing. I don't use mine much, but it would be foolish for me not to have one. With it, I can go anywhere I want. Without it, I have to be more choosy about my routes. There was a time when I could mash 42/27 up Palomares, but that time is past. Like spingineer says - "I like my knees, thank you very much".

And about compacts being almost the same as triples - "almost" does not equal "the same", and that difference is why I'll always have a triple, at least around here in the Diablo Valley.

Currently, I ride a triple with a 12/27. I just built a Campy equipped bike that has a triple and a 13/29. I Like It.
+1 Agreed on all points. I couldn't have said it better.

I am bored, so I will further digress from the OPs intentions ;)

Reasons to get a triple:
1) First few rides, after a long time away from the bike.
2) Weight (Not all of us are 140 lb string beans)
3) Bad days, or recovery rides
4) We live in the Bay Area... Not Florida ;)

If you don't mind the weight, and a little more complexity in shifting (and I mean a *little*), then I can't think of a good reason not to run a triple.

That being said, for most climbs I like my compact double more. :)

Another reason for triples ... cadence. Can't maintain a high cadence on a 39-53, especially if climbing Redwood Gulch.

I use triple 52/39/30 with a 10sp 12/27. This thread is causing my testosterone level to drop. I needed to see this video to get pumped up again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJErrp4eOw Let's get out on the road.

Don't have a triple, but El Toyanal made me want one.

What's scary is that when I was an undergrad I used to ride up that road all the time on my Schwinn World Sport. I think the smallest gear I had was a 42/25. Ah, to be 19 again....

+1

Just didn't know any better back then that Centennial was impossible except with a triple. Hey, we didn't even know there were triples.

This thread is causing my testosterone level to drop. I needed to see this video to get pumped up again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJErrp4eOw

LOL! Honestly, I don't know how the pros do it, they must sever the nerve endings in their legs or something 'cuz if I tried climbing out of the saddle for that long my legs would be on *fire*...

And forget about spinning anything on something like Redwood Gulch, yeah,...maybe downhill. :p

El Toyanal A tuff hill for shure

Got any pictures? Inquiring minds need to know.

But then again, when you look at Sierra Road, looking east, looking at the road that goes up to the heavens, it looks ungodly ... but then, when I got to the top .... now that wasn't that bad ...
Ok..it's nearly two miles of this....
http://www.pacfit.com/iowahill.jpg

I see what you mean ... most excellent

I see what you mean ... most excellent
that's part of the Auburn Century...in September...spingineer..you should sign up for it and ride with us.

Great shot. Is that you standing? Man, you are thin. Eat something, will ya?

heck no...I weigh about 195...that sure isn't me...but by September...I should be about 180....

that's part of the Auburn Century...in September...spingineer..you should sign up for it and ride with us.

I'm planning on that one, as long as it works out w/the kids :p ... probably one of the shorter versions though :p

It will depend on if it conflicts with Knoxville. If it does not, maybe I'll do it.

It will depend on if it conflicts with Knoxville. If it does not, maybe I'll do it.
Auburn is 9/15 and Knoxville is 9/29 so it looks like you're in :p happy dauphin? ;)

Cool. I've never ridden my bike in that area of California, so this should be cool.

There are a lot of steep hills that I used to ride in San Francisco.

+1, Filbert, between Leavenworth and Hyde, 31.5% grade. Same for 22nd at Church. I've ridden up Fillmore a handful of times, it gets up to 25% but never for more than a block. These are the kinds of roads a triple really isn't going to help you spin up - you've got a stand and mash anyway. Still, I'm glad I've got my granny when I need it.

Cool. I've never ridden my bike in that area of California, so this should be cool.
I should have a party at my gym after the ride on 9/15.

all i gotta say is McEwen Road coming out of Crockett/Port Costa, near Martinez. tough as it is with fresh legs, it comes at mile 40 into the grizzly peak century. for this, i picked up a 12-27 cassette. (compact, not triple.)

The six hills on Divisadero from Lombard up to Broadway.

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.

Not very many entries from this area yet:


Jamison
Alba
China Grade


Or closer to home:


Regnart
Viscaino
Rhus Ridge
Blandor-Olive Tree
Mora
Golden Oak
Los Trancos
Joaquin
Summit Springs

I'll pop up my front wheel on any of these, if I'm not paying attention.