gtuck12_31

I picked up a new bike a couple of months ago and for some reason the manufactor went cheap on the chainrings. The rest of the bike is set up pretty well for my needs especially compared to my old steed.
The bike came with a triple but some of the old school guys I ride with are giving me some flack about it. Their bike all have doubles of course.
I'm switching out the rings next week and was wondering if the 3rd ring was something I should ditch or not.
I have this little Dura-Ace corn cob of a cassette that really fly's compared to what these guys are pushing. I don't use the 3rd ring much but there are times (especially around here on Whidbey) that the little guy just comes in handy whe I'm feeling a little lazy.
SO!!
Should I loose the 3rd ring? Or should I keep it and tell the old guys that times are a changing?

botto 

the times are not a changin' (unless you're not strong enough, you've got bad knees, or you're over 50 ).

that typed: screw the other guys.

unless the triple is getting in the way, then leave it.

woodcycl

Just keep it ... don't let anyone else tell you differently. Let it roll off your back when they do ... you'll have the gears you need with the 3rd ring and be glad you have them.

Hocam

Triples ftw!

gtuck12_31

That's pretty much the way I was thinking. But, I'm new to the game and these guys have been riding for years. I think the problem that they are having is that I started riding for the time a little over a year ago on an old clunker Schwinn. A real tank of a bike. I road that thing for 4 monthss until I could keep up on the flats (the hills still killed me) and then picked up an older Trek 1000. Not much of a bike really. 7 speed, down tube shifters etc... But with it I was able to hang better.
But when I picked my new bike everything changed. I had no idea how much the machine played into the equation. Now these guys can't touch me and it really pisses 'em off.
I try to tell them our group rides don't have to always be a show of who can drop who but they always seem to make a race of it.
I guess that's just way guys are.

gtuck12_31

Ftw???

Turboem1

for the win FTW!!!!!

MONGO!

This makes more sense.

Wear your third ring with pride while you drop them like in the mountains

2Tired2Shift

Over 50? Since when is that the cutoff for strong climbing? Buelito rode ride the Rockies on a 46x18 (?) fixie. Then there's this guy named Ned....

FrankBattle 

Agreed, screw the guys. Rest assured, you will get a double sooner than later. It will be 40% because of peer pressure and the other 60% because you end up not using the little ring much as you get stronger and start to worry about "extra" weight ..

Guys ALWAYS want to one up each other. It's a guy thing.

schnee

Keep the triple, and buy a little rubber ducky bell for the handlebars. Ring it every time you drop them.

FrankBattle 

Do an informal poll after a few days and ask how many of these people telling you to keep the triple actually [still] have a triple.

Personally, I don't. I used to.

I still say keep the triple though ..

DMF 

Suck and up and be a man. You don't need approval from others (us included). Do what you think is right.

botto 

how long have you been a pentagenarian?

Retro Grouch 

Yup. "You do what you think's best for you, I'll do what I think's best for me." End of discussion.

FlashBazbo

If YOU are faster, it sounds like they are the ones who should be asking questions.

Ignorant people make fun of cyclists wearing cycling shorts, too. But not many here will question whether they should wear stuffed-crotch shorts.

Incidentally -- I've been riding a compact crank this year. I'm younger than 50. And, for next year's racing bike (admittedly for the mountains), I'm putting together a triple. There is no reason not to ride a triple -- and I suspect it will give me the edge I need to win.

I would rather be fast than be stylish in the eyes of the slow.

2Tired2Shift

I'm not, yet. My liver has been there for decades, though.

rpmxs

It's your bike, not theirs. Do with it what you will. If you're having fun riding it the way it is, why switch cranksets?

I say keep dropping their sorry asses. Just do whatever makes you happy, not what some other chumps say you should do.

FIVE ONE SIX

so let me get this straight... after a little over 1 year of riding, you're riding better than guys that have been riding for years, and you're taking THEIR advice?!?!? if you ask me, they're the ones that should be asking YOU for advice. bottom line, keep the triple since it's obviously working for you, and the only people that seem to make a race out of a group ride are people that don't actually race in real races...

mrbubl

there has been many a ride I would have paid good $$$$ for a triple on a climb and FWIW, some TDF folks have a triple for the mountains......

FlashBazbo

And, clearly, more should.

ericgu

I live in Bellevue, and I have a triple and a climbing cassette (12-27) on my madone. I've do most climbs on the middle right these days, but when the slope gets about around 10-11% I'm happy to have the lower gears.

ILUVUK

My opinion....having the triple doesn't make you a wimp.....letting someone (or a group) talk you into a double, when you actually DO use the third ring, would make you a wimp.

ekimyel

Screw them, keep the triple till you are ready to move to a double or compact. I started with a triple, and over a year or two would do rides where I wouldn't use the granny gear. I'd kick it into the little chainring and move down on the cassette. I wouldn't allow myself to use the little gears. Eventually I moved to a compact (50-34) which I'm still using, but just got a cross bike with 48-38 chainrings that I'm using a few times a week. My plan is to possibly switch to a standard double as I continue to get stronger. With that said, I do love the compact, really saves the knees on the long hard climbs....

slvoid

My bike came with a double. I haven't had to go any lower on most climbs yet.

But if you already have a triple, then by all means use it. Stay in the same gears as everyone else, that's fine but when you need to, at least you know the small ring is there for you.