MikeWMass

Every year I do a very hilly ride out of Westfield, MA (the Great River Ride) and every year there are two or three times when I really wish I had a lower gear than my 50/34 and 12/27. I saw that Ribble had 5703 chainset for less than I pay for a pair of running shoes, and to get free shipping I also bought a bottom bracket and 2 chains. Then I realized I needed a triple front derailleur, and found a 5703 on Nashbar in the returns. I have early 5600 so my shifters are triple-compatible.
Everything arrived last Friday, and the ride was yesterday. Having seen so many threads about how hard it is to get triples to work correctly, I did the ride on the compact. I put the triple on today. I followed the directions on the insert that came with the derailleur, figuring I would go to Park Tools if it did not work. Piece of Cake!!! Once I did the initial setup, it took two turns of the barrel adjuster, and I can use the large and middle rings on all ten cogs without rub. As I said, I guess I got lucky.
I did not change my rear derailleur, so I can only use the small ring on the 5 largest cogs, but I can't imagine that being a problem. I just don't understand why they put a 50 tooth large on a triple (not that I need more than 50/12).

FBinNY 

Glad it turned out OK, both the ride for which you apparently didn't need the triple and the later installation. You were smart to hold off changing until later because otherwise Murphy's Law would have applied and something would surely have gone wrong.

Anyway, is the "Great River" the Connecticut River, or the little one running east through Westfield.

Also since you live close by, is the route 116 bridge at Chicopee Falls still an open steel deck? I have some (not at all) fond memories of hitting it a high speed in the rain, back in 1967.

MikeWMass

It is the Westfield River. I think "Great" refers to the ride rather than the river. Actually most of the ride is nowhere near the river, but it crosses several times and does run alongside for a few miles. It goes through a lot of the hill towns in the Berkshires. Great River Ride 2014 - New Horizons Bikes, Westfield MA
I made it on the compact, as I have before, but there are 3 places where I had to stop for (actually less than) a minute, and might have been able to keep going with a lower gear. I will find out next year.
Despite having been here for 16 years, I have never been to Chicopee Falls, so I can't answer about the bridge. I know the Willamansett bridge in Chicopee has been closed for at least 5 years, but that is not the same. Are you talking about the bridges that are steel grating? I have never ridden across one on a bicycle (and at this point in my life would probably not), but I have scary memories of motorcycles with knobby tires on those bridges!