foxden

After reading all your posts I was ready to go for it. Had the "You only live once" "Its only Money" and other similar mantras going in my head. I went to the bike shop that I had called about having an 05 Roubaix Elite at closeout and found out that the one they had was not a triple as I had wanted.

Now I am back reading and researching the differences between the two. Things would sure be easier if I had more real world biking experience to rely on.

msheron

Ever considered a compact double?

rufvelo

Usually a double is sufficient for most riders, especially newbies - triples and compacts, as often pitched to relatively new cyclists, are purely marketing hype, just complicating the gearing choices.

Reasons :

1)You aren't tackling the Alps, and probably won't/shouldn't be on climbs you can't handle.

2)Unless it is a fixed wheel, bicycles today with 6+ cogs at the back come with enough gearing to handle almost anything. So as a newbie, if 39x26 is not cutting it, avoid that climb for now.

3)Folks with enough riding experience 'know' suitable gearing for a specific purpose, they'd rather quick change cassettes etc, (from say a 12-21 to 12-26) and don't spend too much time researching hardware.

Given a great deal, I would have picked the 05 Roubaix Elite.

NFields

A Roubaix Elite from 2004, AL & CF mix with a triple. What info do you need about the bike?

NFields

patentcad

>>Usually a double is sufficient for most riders, especially newbies - triples and compacts, as often pitched to relatively new cyclists, are purely marketing hype, just complicating the gearing choices.<<

This may be the biggest 'duh' in cycling, but you can't blame many who are relatively new to this madness for being confused by all the industry and LBS hype on this topic. If you can't get up 99% of upgrades with the gear mojo provided by an ordinary 39/53 front double setup with a 25 - 28 (or larger in some cases) tooth cog in the rear - consider a sport that's more up your alley - like poker. In other words it's 90% hooey, and the other 10% is for people who are so out of shape, old or overweight that they might need MTB gearing on a 20lb (or lighter) road bike. My guess is that most of the people who get their panties in a bunch over triples and compacts don't NEED them at all.

This isn't universally true of course, but the sheer simplicity of a 10 speed rear cluster and two chainrings in the front has many advantages. Consider the fact that you really don't need that low 'bail-out' gear for 98% of your riding, do you? Just the steepest upgrades.

I've been doing this for 25+ years. I was completely out of the sport for five years and now that I'm back all I hear/read about is triples/compacts. In the meantime EVERYBODY I know who rides/races on all levels (men and women, old and young) are all still riding 39 x 53 front chainring setups. And it still works. Just like it did 20 years ago. The only part that changes is whether your granny gear is a 21, 23, 25 or 28 in the back. And we do have some STEEP hills around here (20%+ grades). Trust me.

cydewaze

patentcad, I predict you will get flamed for that post.

GuitarWizard

I recently upgraded to a compact crank, and love it. I'm currently running a 12-25 9 speed cassette in the rear (50x34 in front), and I believe have only used my "bailout" gear on a few occasions so far.....but the part that I love about it is that I am able to use the big ring FAR more now than when I had a 53T ring....and in some cases even climb with the 50T ring. I have a 12-27 cassette ready to go on a new wheelset for really hilly routes.

However, the main reason I bought the compact crankset was to avoid going with a triple. I had planned on doing randonneuring events this year, including the Boston-Montreal-Boston if I qualified (which is now up in the air depending on what job I happen to get).....and that involves an assload of climbing.

Picture riding your bike for nearly 4 days straight (750 miles) through New England with your current gearing, and carrying gear with you.

Bailout gears are not needed 98% of the time....but the 2% of the time that they are needed, they can be a Godsend.

doghouse

"Things would sure be easier if I had more real world biking experience to rely on."

Okay, here's my 2 cents.

If I got this right you're 54, have been riding a hybrid, and can manage completing a 35 mile circuit on one ride and the question that started with do I need that much bike has move into, "do I need a triple?"

Let's compare notes.

I am 53 this year and have been riding a 2003 7500fx Trek since I bought it new in the spring of that year. I have run a couple of 50 mile charity things, and ride a hilly 25 to 30 mile circuit here in Tennessee once or twice per month. The rest of the time, between work and weather, I am lucky to get in a 15 mile ride 3 more times per month. The rings are 48/38/28 with an 11-30 cassette and this bike will climb a wall.

Four weeks ago, I bought an '05 closeout Specialized Allez, (basic model, 52-42-30 with 12-25 rear and sora shifters) as my road bike. It now has 90 miles on it and 27 were from today's ride. (I was really glad I had a third ring in some of the headwinds left over from the tornados yesterday!) I was able to average 14.1 mph. I am not, nor will I ever be a racer.

Things I thought about in my bike model, and double vs triple purchase decision:
How hilly is it where I live, ride or want to ride, and/or does it get really windy there?
What would I like to be able to do on a bike next month? next year? 5 years from now?
How much physical improvement/weight loss did I really believe I was going to accomplish going forward?
How important was it to either look good, or keep up with the roadies in my neighborhood? (It matters sometimes!)

merlin70

Finally, a voice of reason on this compact crank stuff. I've mentioned in other threads a 39/27 will allow you to climb down to 5mph easily. I'd like to see all these hills people who are claiming this is inadequate are attacking. I'm now out of shape at 230 lbs. and my 39/25 takes me up some steep stuff no problem. Heck, my lowest gear for years was a 42/21 in the steep hills of inland s. cal.

You don't want to be on the road at under 5mph anyway, it is too hard to control the bike in a straight line under this speed uphill. And you want to be under control when on the road. Mountain bikes in an off-road situation, then sure have yourself a true granny gear.

For the rest, stand up and crank it! Hills were never intended to be as easy going up as down. Challenge yourself a little. And don't run off to the bike shop to drop another $250 just because you huffed and puffed up a hill. Resist the typical American impluse to toss money at problems, real or imagined.

shokhead

He didnt say much about riding Mt. St. Helens. Guess i'm not on the compact crank hype bandwagon.

big john

I used a 39x28 for years as a low gear. Now I have a triple with 30x25 and I like it a lot. Having lots of gear choices makes it a little easier to ride with other people and I like to spin on the climbs. I'm 52 and 210# and today we rode 70 miles with 9000 feet of climbing. I'm not fast but I felt pretty good all day partly because of those gears. I can't think of a downside to a triple except some people think you're a wuss.

the beef

Normally I never have to drop down into the small chainring. But a few days ago I was tired from a quick 15 mile sprint exercise (averaging 20.0 mph) and had one last big hill to climb to get home, about 1 mile long and pretty steep. To make a long story short, the triple saved me.

GuitarWizard

What some of you fail to realize, is that different people have different needs, are at different levels of fitness and have different physiques.....not to mention their terrain may differ from yours.

Patencad and I probably share basically the same sort of terrain - endless amounts of rolling hills varying from a few tenths of a mile up to a few miles long, and oftentimes some short/medium length steep climbs....very hard to get any kind of a tempo going while climbing, which leads to an overall difficult ride, but is a great workout.

In the past, I was never in the big ring all that much, other than down hills. I find the 50T big ring of the compact setup to be the perfect size for me. I use it a lot now, and the 34 tooth ring is not that bad either. I'm assuming that you've never actually used one, but you can easily maintain 20 mph in a 34x13 gear should you not want to get into the big ring for whatever reason.

Here is an excerpt from Chip Codwells' 600k Boston Brevet Series ride report. This is the general area of CT that I live in:

"The next section continues southwest into Connecticut, and although
it's only 31 miles it is the hardest section of the brevet. I've
cycled across Connecticut numerous times, and with the exception of
the roads right along the Long Island sound, there's not a flat mile
in the whole state. I had thought that route 169, famous for Pomfret
Hill, must be the worst road in the state, but today I would encounter
route 171 and Bigelow Hollow. Bigelow Hollow is the worst of a series
of steep, long rollers on 171 where you literally go from 48 MPH to
4.8 MPH in about five seconds as you drop off a cliff and then start
climbing a wall right after it. Jules and I struggle through the
hills, overtaking one rider before reaching the second checkpoint in
Willington, Connecticut, where we find another half-dozen."

Simply put, a 53x39 does not make much sense in my area.

ccrnnr9

I have no regrets buying a 650$ bike as my first bike. The only thing I do regret is getting a triple. Within a week I had become acclimated to riding enough that I can climb big hills without using the ganny gear. I don't see a reason for it unless you live in the alps. I think if you are willing to put up with some struggles for a couple weeks, it is well worth it in the end. JMO.
~Nick

zacster

I just bought a compact, after having a 39x26 setup last year. While the biggest hills I climb on a regular basis don't need anything lower, when I'm 50+ miles into a ride and encounter a hill like the straight up climb from Tenafly or Englewood to the GWB it'll be nice to have something lower. I can do it with what I have, but I generally avoid the route because of it. I had the same situation in Seattle, where I lived on top of Capitol Hill, every ride ended with a hill climb. A compact will make it easier.

I'm 51, and it hasn't been getting any easier.

kahn

Dear Fellow Wuss:

Right on!

Triples - they "ain't" that complicated. Leave it in the middle or big ring and ignore the granny UNTIL you want or need it. Then use it. Why do some of these folks think it is so very complex to have a 3rd ring? These are probably the progeny of those who thought a second ring was foolish a "few" years back. Now, frankly, I don't see a need for 10-speeds in the rear but I guess I'm not into subtlety. I don't need a separate gear for the slightly different angles of each of my neighbors' driveways but I need a granny for some of them!

Or maybe I'm just a wuss trying to deal with the general terrain in and around Seattle with the occasional foray into the Cascades. And the suggestion to avoid hills that the double won't handle would certainly lead to a less varied ride, always using the same low angle roads or loops. I may not love hills but I can and do, do them and my triple helps.

Going on 60 and very happy that triples are available on ROAD bikes.

Maybe the original poster can find out what an upgrade for a triple would cost if he/she really thinks that's what they need.

foxden

53-39 vs 52-42-30 with 12-25 rears are the two options. Looks like the double has three fewer low gear ratios based on the mathematics. Doesn't this mean that a triple does provide the ability to handle very strong head winds or steep climbs better? Or are folks saying that these gears are really never going to be used unless I am riding up mountains or into incredible winds?

kahn

You can only make the decision yourself. Yes, it adds extra gear ratios but as you have seen, there are folks who truly believe no one, almost absolutely no one needs those extras. I believe those stark, black and white, no-way pronouncements do not take into consideration what someone above posted - individual personal differences (injuries, age, whatever) or terrain differences where having a bail-out gear can be really handy. Who knows maybe I wrecked my knees pushing too high a gear 30 years ago when TRAINING was going to make me strong.

For what is it worth, if the bike is a 10-speed shimano ultegra you actually do have one additional option, at least on the triple with the long cage rear derailleur, you can get a Shimano cassette that tops out at 27 rather than the 25 you mentioned.

I admit to wuss-dom and even some of my friends with triples think that I don't need an even lower, what I will call, super-granny. I've now got the 12-27 on the rear and replaced the 30 granny with a 26 inner tooth. The 26inch is a 3rd party replacement available from Harris Cyclery. But then as noted above, I do occasionally pedal up some of the Cascade Mountain passes and prefer not to rip the kishkas out of my knees but do like getting out there.

I've got a friend who has a triple and needs one (tore a chunk out of medial cartilege on a fall against a curb) but still thinks that it ruins the appearance of her bike. Yeah, really awful look.

Go with what you need and what you might want in a year or two or maybe 10.

Good luck making decision.

Dick Rhee

28x30? wow, you'd be pedaling faster than it would take to walk! How do you keep your balance at that gear?

As far as compacts, I have a standard 53/39 crank, but my girlfriend just got a 50/34 compact, and the woman is far faster on our favorite hilly ride because of it. I've been toying with the idea of getting a compact and switching to an 11-23 so I could have a closer gear ratio instead of having to deal with extreme jumps when shifting up/down. The hills aren't as much of a problem, although finding a comfortable cadence can be at times. I had a triple once, and will never use one again. I never used the granny, and had constant problems with the f.der shifting.


My advice? You aren't losing a lot of gear inches in top gear with a compact, but you will still have the lower gears available for you if you need them on the hills. If you are unsure if you can handle the standard 53/39 double crank but don't know if a triple is for you, a compact may be where it's at. Besides, swapping out a compact with a double is a lot easier than converting a bike from a triple to double (or vice versa).

fmw

I can remember back when I was 54 and it wasn't the same as being 25 or 45, for that matter.

The problem is that these ding dongs think having a triple chainring says something negative about their masculinity. They aren't saying that, but it is what is behind some of the nonsense they write. If they were older like me, they would get over it and care less what other people think.

They make excuses like "triples don't shift as well as doubles." But, of course, they do so it's a ridiculous excuse. I've owned more triples and doubles than most of them have and I say it's simply not true. They say you shouldn't be climbing something that is over your head. But you may not have a choice. Ships shouldn't sail through storms either but, sometimes, there is no choice. They say triples are heavier. They are only heavier by one silly little chain ring. If you think the triple is a good choice then that's what you should get. If youl think a double is, then get a double.

I currently have a triple, a 53/39 and a few compact doubles. I climb all the hills around here with all of them so it isn't a question of ability or conditioning or attitude. I like having lower gears for hills. I don't always use them but I like having them. So there. I don't care what other people think of my masculinity or anything else about me because I'm old and cranky now. Their opinion of me isn't going to affect my life a whit. In fact, I think I'll ride my triple today.

I guess my point is that you should get what you like and take what others like with a grain of salt. If you buy a good quality road bike, you will enjoy it and get some good exercise with it. That's what it is all about. We older guys need more work to stay fit than the youngsters. What is easy for them is harder for us. It's just that way. Don't get so worried about the details and, certainly, don't get worried about what others think. It's your life and your fitness, not theirs. Let us know how your first ride went.

ho hum

I see that there is a question that hasn't been asked. How much do you use the triple on your hybrid? Do you need it to get where you are going now? If you do, then you are probablly right to look for one on your next big purchase. Might as well get what you need in the first place anyway.

I turned my Jamis Coda Comp (a hybrid) into a nice low geared randoneering style bike. It has the same geometry as my Aurora and after I replaced the flat bars with drops and put on some bar-end shifters it moves along pretty well. My Aurora has a standard 53-39 double and on really windy days it gets to stay in the house. My old knees just have to spin or I'll not be riding anything.

big john

Fred/fmw, very well said. For those who say 28x30 is slower than walking, consider modern xc mountain bikes come with 22x34! I have a 22x30 on mine and I have watched a friend claw his way up a steep, rutted hill in his 22x34 and it was impressive.

foxden

Maybe you guys that understand the gearing better than I can help me here. My Raleigh Hybrid has the following gearing: 48,38,28 with 11-30 rear. I don't know what it weighs but is is clearly way heavier than the Roubaix Elite. I generally ride the Hybrid in the second ring. Only using the smallest when I climb over a drawbridge causeway that is rather steep for me. I use the smallest gear on the front with the next to largest on the rear to go over the bridge. Other than that I haven't needed the third ring.

If I have the double in the Roubaix 53/39 12-25 will the lowest gear get me over the bridge?

If I want to get the good deal offered by the bike shop, only the double is available - it isn't a matter of double vs. triple, as I would buy the triple for the rare instances I may need it.

kahn

There are some sites with gearing charts where you can plug in your values and they calculate what is called "gear inches." Unless I'm wrong (quite possible) using my excel spreadsheet - plug in the Roubaix's 39 and 25 and come up with a value that is: 42 gear inches. If I guess your current second is 28 in the back coupled with the 28 you have in the front the value is: 27. I think those are substantially different and more grunting would probably result. But as the "double-supporters" will rightly point out, that Roubaix will be lighter and probably climb easier. And do you stand when pedaling? Standing on hills is definitely "permitted" (g) and really does help climbing. But, again, unless my numbers are wrong, there will be a most definite difference in ease of pedaling with those resultant gear inch numbers but I don't know how to quantify them in exertion values.

Will that local shop allow you to test the bike? Find a hill and give it a go. It does not sound like you have too many hills to contend with but as one of the last posters noted, you cannot or do not always want to avoid hills. And you WANT a bike that does not make cycling unnecessarily hard for YOU.

The other thing, if the price really is GREAT, you can always upgrade next year - of course, you wind up with "spare parts" but it might be worth it. Check out what changing to a triple might cost down the line. Also a local shop should be willing to work with you. They might not give you full value for a swap with brand new components right now but there should be cost reductions and from what I learned doing some of my stuff, my local shop charged me only a few dollars for the 11-25 to 12-27 upgrade and no labor charge. And then a month later when I brought in my own new granny (from Harris), they still only charged me $15.00, if that, for the labor. Of course, getting a triple would mean new shifters, derailleur and crank set.... But you are giving them back the double stuff.....

I took 3-weeks to make my decisions, too. It is not easy.

doghouse

"28x30? wow, you'd be pedaling faster than it would take to walk! How do you keep your balance at that gear?"

In answer, at 80 rpms on 700x35's that is 6 mph, not a bad speed for staying upright! Not all of us have the knees we were born with. Glad you still do.

"If I have the double in the Roubaix 53/39 12-25 will the lowest gear get me over the bridge?"

Foxden, here is a place that will allow you to plug in just about anything you want to determine just how many gears you may need: https://sheldonbrown.com/gears/