Originally Posted by Lectron
I wrote this on an earlier thread:
"
Maybe I shouldn’t have written this, but the thing is. I don’t really get the compact.
Every time I’m out I tend to miss the 42 ring. (giving me 49-103), but first climb makes
me forget that and appreciate my 38 (or 39. depends).
A 34 would bring the gears so close you would have to shift 2 at the time.
So what about a wider range on the cass.? Well, that would bring the big chainring gears
to far apart.
There’s only a few climbs in the area that demands lighter than 38-27 (10mph cad.90, 8.9mph cad.80)
A 34 – 27 gives me 9mph cad.90.
That’s not the greatest of improvement, given what else then climbing up that hill would I use that 34 for ?
"
So. Need something smaller than 38. Go Triple.
You are missing the whole point of the compact. You are supposed to use a tighter cassette with compact than with regular double.
If you like a 12-25 with a 53/39 you should be using a 11-21 with compact.
Sydney is right. Only you know what gearing you need. But if you really want lower gearing the triple really is the way to go. I'm a big fan of the compact, but if I ever needed a 34-27 low gear ( there have been times I wish I had a 34-27) I would just get a triple instead.