sac02

I've been riding for about two years now, though I've only had my Allez since November 2006.

I just did the Houston to Austin MS150 for the first time, and didn't use the small ring once. In fact, I only used the 42-25 probably about 10 or less times. Am I strong enough that it's now time for me to think about a double?

Mac

linus

Who said double is "upgrade"?

bdcheung

If you want to go to a double, do it.

leejb2

If it's what you want and you can comfortable afford the swap, do it. Personally, however, I wouldn't spend the money unless you were dissatisfied with the spread of gearing your double gives you, or you want the narrower Q-factor of a double.

CardiacKid

The area between Austin and Houston is pretty flat. If you live in the Houston area and only plan on riding around there, you probably never needed a triple, but if you live or ride closer to Austin, you weren't really tested on the MS 150.
Why do yo want to chnge in the first place?

joshalope

Get the double. It's shifts sooooo much smoother than a triple. If you're putting on those miles without touching your granny gear, a 39 is gonna be more than enough for any situation. Plus, double cranks get double tough-guy points.

ggg300

...change you cog set in the back to 11-21 and get back to us...if you still don't run the granny go for it and don't look back....

superslomo

1. Keep the triple
2. Take the money you haven't spent on those parts
3. Put it towards taking a vacation somewhere with mountains that require you to use a granny gear

barba

Smooth shifting is more a function of adjustment than the number of chainrings.

I would stick with the triple and just make it a point to get a double on your next bike.

NtenseGSRracer

I switched from a triple to a double, then 6 months later bought a new bike with a double. I say save your money and wait till you purchase a new bike.

sac02

hence the quotation marks. I am aware of the "is a double really an upgrade" debate. To me, lighter weight, smoother shifting, and more useable cogs for each ring is desireable.

I live in College Station, about halfway between Houston and Austin, so it's not pancake-flat, but there's not anything that qualifies as a "climb" either. To practice climbing I have to do lots and lots of hill repeats...

As for the "wait until I get a new bike" sentiment, that's not going to happen for a couple years because I just started grad school. I could save up the money for a double in a few months, but a new bike before I graduate just isn't going to happen.

Mac

superdex

I'm gonna say don't do it.

even better said:

freemti

Are we looking for sympathy about the lack of hills?

You're welcome to mine, we have a lot of them around here. Well on second thoughts, just the ones greater than 10%, I'll keep the rest...

superslomo

It's also important to note that a well tuned triple (I haven't had to touch mine in a long while) will run just as smoothly as a double.

The weight you save is less than a seventh of a water bottle... 90 grams (roughly) between ultegra triple and ultegra double as far as I can tell. Save the money you would have to spend on new derailleurs, crank, bottom bracket, and possibly shifters and either go someplace sunny and hilly for a week's vacation, or put it away and save up for other gear or a different bike with a double if you still want one.

Camilo

+1

I think that would be a cheap alternative. The conversion will cost you some bucks and will save you negligable weight and virtually no improvement in shifting.

Other than that, if it were me, I'd look for a good deal on a used double bike of the same quality as your current bike. There are a lot of excellent, lightly used bikes on Ebay - and they are more plentiful and IMHO better prices than equivalent triples. My bet is that there are a lot more people looking to change from doubles to triples than vice versa - therefore a little premium for triples vs. doubles, everything else equal. I'd then sell the triple. It might or might not cost you some money in the transactions, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was more cost effective than changing your crank, etc.

Alphonso

LOL

Holy &%#$ what a crock!

joshalope

What!!??? You're gonna deny the benefit of tough-guy points?

ChipSeal

Have you considered getting larger inner and middle chain-rings?

unbelievably

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5133

DMF 

Might be desirable, were it true.

Lighter weight - like it matters to save 100g when you weigh 200 lb? (And at what $/g ?)

Smoother shifting - Learn to adjust your bike. There should be no difference in shifting, just an additional range.

More usable cogs for each ring - Wrong. Large ring - both essentially lose 1 cog. Middle - (triple only) all cogs usable. Small - both essentially lose 1 cog (triple usually requires trim on smaller cogs, though). Leaving out the low range that the double doesn't have, the triple has more usable cogs for each ring

FriendlyFred

The big double versus triple debate is an individual thing. Don't let a double scare you. I was riding a triple for two years and was curious about riding a double. My LBS scared me with "only the pros ride doubles" nonsense. I purchased a frame and built up a bike as a double (a Cervelo dual...went Campy Chorus) and lo and behold, it's WAY better and not that much harder for hill climbing. The trick is to be careful with chosing the gearing of the casette and the gearing of the front chainrings. The difference between a 39 and a 42 is the difference between an enjoyable ride and a slog fest up any incline or hill (unless you've got Eric Heiden size thighs). As with anything, try it out and go with what's comfortable and enjoyable to YOU. I'm a double convert now, but that's just me. It's personal taste.

majohnst

This may just be pouring fuel on the fire, but I decided to go with a compact. I figure it is somewhere in the middle. I enjoy it much more than my old triple.

Avalanche325

Lighter weight - I agree. You would be better to spend $18 on lightweight tubes.
Smoother shifting - not really. They are a little harder to adjust in the front. If you are using your chainrings correctly, you will not shift the front very much anyway. The back shifting is exactly the same. The cage, the only difference in the back, has nothing to do with shifting, it is a chain tensioner.

More usable cogs for each ring - No. According to Shimano, on a double you can use all except for big/big and small/small. Assuming a 10 speed cassette, that gives you 9 / 9 usable cogs. On a triple you can use the ENTIRE cassette on the middle, with the same big/big and small/small limitations. So you get 9 /10 /9 usable gears. So considering that you rarely use the granny ring, you gain one more usable combination with the triple.

In Houston, I can't imagine that you ever needed a triple. You will just be wasting money by changing. Bike shops in flat areas should hardly stock them. But, what impresses a person that doesn’t know bikes? 30 speeds!!! Wow. That's WAY better than 20.

Edit: PMF said it while I was typing.

sac02

Wow. I really never should have posted this should I...

1) To all that have made a big deal out of the fact that I mentioned a double is lighter - I never said that was the reason I was considering switching, though you seem to be trying make it sound like that. If one of the consequences of the switch is losing 100 grams, then yes, that is a 'pro' not a 'con' in my book.

2) My setup is adjusted correctly, and the bottom two (25&23) cogs are unuseable when in the big ring, and the 12 rubs a little in the middle ring. Maybe it's because I have Tiagra and not high-dollar DA, who knows? But I do know it's adjusted correctly, and that I don't have all my rear cassette available. Since starting to consider a double, I've been watching people's gearing regularly on group rides and consistantly see people using the entire range of their rear cassette while in the big ring (yes, I know that's not adviseable, but people do it anyway). That's the biggest selling point for me: being able to use one or two more gears in the big ring to avoid having to shift the front derailieur (sp?) consistantly like I am now.

3) I do like the idea of a vaction, though.

4) A325, did you stop reading my reply after the first paragraph? I don't live in Houston. And no, I wasn't sold a triple because I was impressed by "30 speeds", I researched, knew what was right for me and what I wanted, and bought it. Now I have gotten much stronger and I think a double would be something I want.

It took you 3 hours to type that?

Have I justified myself enough now?

Mac

unsubscribe...

superslomo

Do you find that trimming the derailleur in the middle ring has any effect?

I had Tiagra levers, and as long as I put a little bit of a trim into the front derailleur when at either extreme of the cassette that I could use everything without rubbing on the front derailleur. It's a single click down or nudge up that I believe the bike should have the capacity to do. Try trimming the next ride and see if it eliminates the problem. I can use all nine cogs in the middle, and 8 on the big or small ring (it's nine speed...)