Originally Posted by
brandontw
My road bike came with a standard double, and when i first started riding it i thought it was the devil because it just didn't go low enough, but now i love it, i wouldn't even want a triple now.
Just keep riding, and pretty soon you'll be cruising up those hills in some of your higher gears too!
I have the opposite problem. I bought a compact thinking that would be a low enough for the hills near me since I started riding again last year at age 50. Even now that I have lost nearly 70 lbs, the compact isn't quite low enough for me to maintain a decend cadence on some of the hills I ride. Consequently, I plan to change to a triple. That will be me a bit more top end for downhills and a bit more low end for uphill.
Now, here's my question. My Trek 2.1 came with a Shimaon Tiagra Front Derailleur. Can that be adjusted for a triple? It specs the bike with that derailleur for both a compact and triple but before I buy the new crank, it would be nice to know for sure.