Convert to Triple or ???????
 

I am an overweight & out-o-shape rider. I bought a new bike this year (2007 Specialized Roubaix - fits me much better than previous bikes) and I wanted to try the compact double to see how it would work out. I love it so far. I have made it up all hills on my current rides around the house. I did my first 30 mile ride of the year over the weekend.


However, I do a charity ride in September which has some really steep hills that occur after the 60 mile mark. I highly doubt that I would be able to make it up these hills (with the compact crank) after already being tired to begin with. Last year, I BARELY made it up them with a triple. I will probably ride it with the compact for another couple months before I make any wholesale changes.


I probably will convert it to a triple before the charity ride in September. Are there any other changes that would get me some easier gears other than switching to a triple? Yes, I realize that me losing weight will help, but I'm talking bike chanages here. I doubt there is much that can be done, but I figured that I would ask anyway.


Thanks

I've seen doubles with the "mega-range" cluster in the back, they are a road cluster with one like.. 32 or 34 tooth cog for the beastly climbs.

However, aside from that, maybe just work hard on the hills between now and then? Last year I could barely make it up hills and was constantly in the small ring on them. This year I have yet to actually use the little ring on either bike. In fact, I don't think I've ever even tried it on my Trek :D

Anyway, I recommend hill training. I have a 1/4 mile 5-6% grade right out of my driveway that I have to take every time I ride. Just a month of that has drastically improved my riding strength.

However, if by say.. August you are still in the same boat, check out a different rear cluster. Unless you have the fundage, then just go for the triple :).

^^^^
What he said.

There are combo options that can get you down to about 20 gear inches using a teeny ring triple up front and a large cog cluster in back. Touring rigs commonly get down around that range with a 26 ring and 32 or 34 cog.
I think there's even a few stock touring bikes with a 26-34 low end combo.

You got till September....work on the engine rather than the bike. You seem to be quitting before you have begun...have some faith in yourself and meet the challenge.

What Chip said.....

You'll be flat amazed as to how strong a rider you can become with a little training time!:D

Amen to that! I love surprising everyone with my riding strength. It helps to keep me going when the times get a little rough... :)

You can't get a 11-34 cassette for 10 speed, so if you have 10 speed you are out of luck on that option.

If you have nine speed, you can use the super-size cogs, but you need to switch to a mountain style derailleur.

If your ride is 105, switching to a triple requires a new crank, new BB, new front derailleur and new rear derailleur. If you have Ultegra or D/A, you will need new shifters as well. If you need the extra bottom gears, and a compact isn't cutting it, then the obvious answer is to get a triple and just keep it adjusted (not as big of a deal as people would have you believe, by the way.)

Looking at the compact concept, I can't help but think I would end up constantly shifting from one ring to another, and the gears I need/use would be ones that would typically be cross chained... for me the concept doesn't work well. I am used to staying in the middle ring pretty much constantly except for big uphills and big downhills.

I looked at the Roubaix page and they come in a lot of different combinations. I noticed the "entry level $1500) is a triple.
What combination do you have now? I ASSUME a 50-34 with 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,26?
That gives you a range of about 35-120 gear inches.
IRD makes a 12-28, which would give you a range of about 32-110 gear inches.
Not a lot lower for the investment!
Going to a triple most likely means you'll have to go to a long cage rear DER. It's my understanding that a 28T cog is the largest you can "shoehorn in" on a short cage. Also, I haven't seen ANY 10 speed cassettes that have a larger cog than 28.
If you go to a triple, I'd expect you would have to change the F DER also.
What was your granny gear combo & tire size that you used last year for a point of reference?

I have a 11-32 rear cog on my bontrager compact double crank with shimano 105 hardware that replaced my 11-26. I did not need a new deraileur, although 50x32 is a little tight.

I say go for it - if you don't make it you won't be the only one walking up ;)

I did a longish ride last season up to Nyack and back. On my mtb I had to walk up some of the hills - but with the road bike I'm riding now I could probably make it up. The less 20 pounds on the frame and skinny tires really help for hills!

You could try training with a LOT of extra weight on the bike. Train hills with your slowest bike and load it up with as much extra weight as you can. Then when you jump on the faster bike it'll feel a lot easier!

According to the Shimano site, 105's come in double or triple versions.

Edit:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=293171

The 'granny gear' is not a miracle. You have to pedal faster instead of with more force. It might not help you. I think it would only be worth the effort if you plan on carrying allot of stuff. Try it without changing anything.

Chances are that with a new roubaix actually you wont need a new BB since it is most likely an external bearing BB... so just cranks/derailer(s)/chain. Also keep in mind that a stock shimano road triple is probably a 30t little ring... which isn't gonna buy you much over the 33t you could put on your compact.

That said, go climb some hills, lose some more weight, build up your aerobic cappicity etc... I like several other above think that training time will probably buy you all that you need.

Paul

IRD now makes 11-32t & 11-34t in 10spd. Paired with an MTB derailleur and a compact, you should be able to climb anything. Cheaper than converting to a triple too.

I'd stay with the double,as with all that's been said here;if you can put a 32t or34 in the rear,that would be ideal.Compacts with a 34t ring as your's has is,combined with the large rears will give you the gearing.i can't speak of loaded touring though.I road in Nyack as a member wrote,a bike I had,had a 36t ring and a 28t rear.Getting in shape was the difference,technique as well.I learned to aproach a hill with just enough speed,get to the easy gearing,my cadence was way up there,no amount of granny factor would have helped.The breathing and muscle endurance was the key,not mechanical advantage.I had to learn to spin like crazy.Touring and spourt touring bikes in the 70's and 80's had doubles with 34t fr. and 28 or 26 in back.Compact is not new.I believe we'll see less and less triples in the entry levels to come,they've already started to equip. bikes favoring compact over triples the past model year.

Train up and crush that climb on your compact. You can do it.

Just make a commitment and get out every day, even if its only 30 mins before/after work, and do some climbing. Get out for a longer ride at least two or three times a week. Between losing weight and gaining strength, you'll get there easily by September.