chrisvu05

I'm building a bike and just bought a chorus front derailleur and a record BB for a double chain ring. My question is am I making a mistake? I let my pride get to me in choosing a double over a triple. Currently I have a hybrid and it has a 42/36/26 triple with an 11-34 cassette. on my biggest hill I use a 26-26 combination I think. and my smallest on the new setup will be a 39-26!!!! is this insane? what about selling the front derailleur and getting a compact chorus derailleur? it won't change that much.

TexasGuy

If you never use it - you probably never will. That being said - the way fate is you're gonna hit a road/hill where you need it I currently only use my 2nd major gear for coming to a stop when I unclip. I have never gone into my first gear to ride.

55/Rad

It won't change a thing in terms of gearing and your ability to climb hills.

What you might consider is a compact CRANK. 2 chainrings with near the gearing of triple. Lots of information out there on this subject.

55/Rad

chrisvu05

i understand the idea behind a compact crank but will a normal double front derailleur work for the compact crank? I know there is a chorus CT derilleur but I have the normal double derailleur. obviously if the normal derailleur will work for a compact crank I'll just need the crank. But I'd like to know if i need the crank and the chorus CT derailleur

ivan_yulaev

Compact crank is for girly men who are so sissy, they need a triple that LOOKS like a double, so they can pretend they're not girly men...

Ok, ok, just kidding. But, in my opinion, you'll be fine with a double. I can climb VERY steep hills in a 39x23 or 39x25. For very long distances, triples make sense. But, a person is good shape should be able to get around with a double just fine.

chrisvu05

I never said I was in good shape! I am definitely a clyde, 6' 250 lbs, I've been riding all summer long and am up to doing 30 mile rides on the hybrid but much time after that is uncomfortable.

johnny99

Depends on your fitness level and the length of your hills. Climbing steep hills with a double is usually not a problem if the hills are short. The long hills (several miles) are the ones where you need to pace yourself to avoid burning out.

DigitalRJH

The best way is to find a friend that has a double, and ask to use the bike to climb the hill. The one advantage of a double is that it will force you to get better, it may be pure hell at first, but you'll get better and your climbing fitness will increase greatly.

However, if you find you can't even make it up the hill, well then the triple is the way to go, you could always switch to a double later as your fitness increases. Also, Shimano makes a 12-27 that would help with a double.

shabbis

I have a 39/53 and a 12-27 on my six13 and I can climb pretty much every hill out there with that setup. The level of gearing you want doesn't always correspond to your fitness level. Some people, like myself, like being able to spin more when going up hills for long distances. Sure, I can climb almost anything in a 39x23, but I like having a couple bailout gears beyond 23 for days when I don't want to always be going all out.

I do have a 34/50 compact and a 12-26 on my R1000 (used to be a triple) and the 34x26 feels really close to the 39x27 that is on my six13. I would recommend a compact for your setup.

chrisvu05

so campy says that I can only go 13-26 or smaller on my derailleur....so i was thinking a 12-25 or a 12-26....is there anything easier?

Corsaire

Oh! what real man ! ...I just happened to drop a 5 dollar bill on the floor, would you care to bend over and pick it up for me ? just don't mind the sound you'll hear afterwards from your......

Corsaire

chrisvu05

how about if I continue to ride my hybrid when I know I'm going to do hills and I work my way up until I can go up the big hill in 36-24? then theoretically I should be able to do a 39-26 or pretty close right? or am I just fooling myself into justifying my purchase?

ggg300

you should be fine, but if you want to be safe....https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/123238-compact-crank-overload.html

sTalking_Goat

I would get the triple. I mean if you have to ask then you probably need it. Better to drag around the etra gear than to burn out because you hit a steep hill.

But that's just me, I love having a backup plan.

sydney

You can use a 29 cog with a campy short cage RD and the chorus double FD works with a compact crank. My 39x29 double gives the same low gear inches as my triple 30 granny ring and a 23 big cog. That doesn't help you if you are the type that needs a 26 granny and 34 big cog.Said with all due respect to the carpet smokers who talk big about what they ride with doubles and 23 and 25 big cogs. Yet they have no clue about your fitness and what kind of terrain you ride.

lobserve

I got a triple on my new bike, not because I wanted it, it just came that way. When I feel macho I won't use the small one but sometimes I do. You should get the triple. You don't have to use it but it keeps your options open. I don't see any cost to having it (I'm not a gram counter).

sydney

Yeah, as someone has certainly said, what is less macho: a triple or pushing a bike up a hill ??

phinney

chris,

I converted my road bike to a triple. Other than being able to drop to the granny there isn't any noticeable difference from the double. If you're using a 1:1 ratio now why not go with a triple?

Doid23

I think at 39-26 you are making a mistake, especially if you currently use a 26-26. Now, I don't know your fitness, but at 250 lbs (I'm 225 lbs) I know that hills are killers. While you may not need a 26-26, I would think you'd certainly want to get some lower gearing than 39-26.

I rode a 42-21 for 20 years, mostly because I could when I was young (and that's how bikes were spec'ed), but the best move I made was putting a compact crank (or triple, or double with a large tooth cassette, whichever you prefer) with 36-25. My knee's keep thanking me (actually, I don't here from them anymore), and I bet your's will too. Good luck.

jslopez

Not that I really take offense to this but I actually got a "You use a granny ring (refering to my compact cranks)" from I guy a rode with just last weekend. I found this kind of funny as he said this after he had a 10 minute start (I had to check on a guy who fell back) and still managed to get to the top of the climb about 5 mins ahead of him.

As far as the OP's set up goes, it's hard to say whether it will be enough but you could always get a bigger cassete later or go compact. I originally had a standard set up with an 11-23 and I was able to climb anythingI had to but paid the price later plus I tired out much faster. With the compact (and keepingthe 11-23 in the back) I effectively have the equivalent of a 39-26 and while I may not necessarily go faster, I'm definitely fresher during the climbs.

oboeguy

Ha! I'm in a similar situation. Although I'm not getting a new bike for a while, I am, of course plotting the next one (don't we all?!?). I recently got a sweet folding bike (see my sig for pics!) which effectively has a triple (via a geared hub). Wow is it nice to have it instead of powering over steep climbs in the 39x24 offerred on my trusty old Lemond.

I remember when I first got the Lemond (1998), the only two in my price range were the Reno and the Tourmalet, the only real difference being the paint color (over which I couldn't care less) and... the triple chainring on the Tourmalet. Being young and wishing to be macho and hardcore (and weighing a good deal less than I do now), I went with the Reno. While I love my Reno, and I've never stopped on a hill since getting it, there have been numerous times where I curse myself for not getting the triple.

DigitalRJH

After all the discussion, and rethinking my point, just get the triple, there is nothing wrong with a triple, better to have one and be able to do the hills then have a double and not be able to do them. After your fitness improves, then go to a double.

SpongeDad

I have a triple, which I intend on keeping as a triple. It's nice to have low gearing to limp home on after a long work out. I also have used the triple to start my training on bigger hills and then migrated to bigger gearing as my fitness level developed. Triples are also nice for commuting when you may be carrying a load of stuff.

As for negatives, weight isn't really that big a deal, but it is true that it takes a bit more skill to tune a triple front derailleur.

I don't really care what other people think, well generally, but especially about triples. I pass people on more expensive bikes with doubles, I get passed by people on junkier single gear bikes. Neither fact is really that significant.

DocRay

If its an issue on your ride, you can always get smaller chainrings or a larger cassette.

Cadd

I was debating about this just yesterday. I currently ride a triple. There aren't many hills around my area (or at least where I ride). There's only one short hill that I can guage my performance. On that hill, if I'm up to it, I can go up 42-23. But when I'm riding at a relaxed pace, I would drop it down to 30-21 and just start spinning. When I'm riding with my wife, I put it on 30-25 and around & around I go.

I just put an order on a new bike. The bike I test rode was with a double. I decided to take that bike to the same hill to see how I did. I did fine. I think I was in 39-26 or 39-25.

Even after that, I still decided on the triple. Why? Because I know my knees will thank me when I encounter a longer/steeper hill. It's just a safety net that I like having.