Originally Posted by Brett 12
maybe you have long chainstays.....that helps a lot. Personally I would never use any extreme angles on my chain unless I had a long chain stay bike. But really is.....Is front shifting in a triple as bad as everysays says around here.
My chain stays are not long (Litespeed Firenze). Front shifting on a triple is not bad at all. The small to middle is a big climb, but mine (Ultegra) is simply, hit the shifter, and up she goes. The middle to big is lightning quick. People that say they don't shift right need a better mechanic. I have had my bike for 1 year and I have made 1 or two minor adjustments to my deraileurs.
You are correct, you should not be riding in the middle ring and on the top or bottom cog for long periods. If you are doing this, you have not selected the correct speed range for your riding conditions. The idea is that you can be in the middle for a suprisingly large variance in terrain (and speed). Most of this will be in the middle section of the cassette. It is OK to go to the outer ones for a short period. Of course a straighter chain angle is better. But, shifting your front der less is also better.