So how many of you use a triple and how many a compact?
I made a move from a triple to a compact and I am missing my triple.
I am thinking of going to a smaller big ring. Any ideas?

Triple? I put that in the same category as recumbents. They're for "old" folks.
My main ride has a 53/39, 11-23 (9 speed).
My new bike has a 52/36, 11-28 (10 speed). Not really a compact but what is it? It's a standard setup with SRAM Apex.

I cruise in the middle ring!

I'm 69, not trying to set a speed record. I just do my 20 miles and enjoy being out there commuting with nature.

I see every bird, smell every tree, hear every sound and truly enjoy my rides.

Kids get on me I get in the big ring for a mile or so just to mess with'em. Sometimes a new guy my age tries to show off and I get in the big ring and just let him run himself in the ground. They don't stay around long.

Love life, turn the cranks

I changed my 52/42 to a 48/38 (10sp 12/27) because I never used the 52. so the 38 gave me a quasi compact to get up some hills I was having problems with,,very happy with it..
(on my 82or 83 Gianni Motta Steel....)
Bud

I have my city bike with a 48 big ring.

I had a nice, 14 mile ride on my recumbant today. It was cool though, just above freezing. I had to change my route as a wooden walkway I normally take near a creek by our house had about 1/4 inch of ice on it. But other than that, it was a great ride. 'Rode to a park where a man and his daughter were feeding the ducks; I had initially scared the ducks a bit coming up, but I stopped about 20 feet away so the ducks could come back. I then walked the bike around them. The bushes and trees had a coat of ice crystals on them from freezing fog, and that was very pleasant to look at. My hands got a bit cold in my ski gloves a few times, but the stop at Great Harvest Bakery took care of that.

John

Nice Ride John

I just ordered a 46 to replace my big ring. The hill repeats are just to dang slow with the compact setup. I will see how it goes and I may even change to small ring, who knows. We have some pretty good climbs on my routs, and I'm not willing to give them up yet.

By the way we just had our 52 anniversary on the 5th of Jan. I can't believe it. Where did the time go? Talk about water under the bridge. 6 kids, 23 grandchildren and 2 1/2 greats.

I'm so happy for you old man.

That's just great, really happy for you all.

I just set in the floor and checked, I have 48/32/23 rings. Works great for me.

Seams like I had a 19 climbing ring, may be on my road or touring bikes. I'll have to check if anyone cares!

Originally Posted by oldster
I changed my 52/42 to a 48/38 (10sp 12/27) because I never used the 52. so the 38 gave me a quasi compact to get up some hills I was having problems with,,very happy with it..
(on my 82or 83 Gianni Motta Steel....)
Bud
I may change out the smaller ring to a 36 too. I guess I should have done it all at once but didn't think of it at the time. The cassette is a 12-27.
If this don't work I think I will go back to a triple again.

I don't understand you people. My 53/39 with a 11-23 (9 speed -- bike #1) and my 52/36 with a 11-28 (10 speed -- bike #2) work just fine for me. :)
Maybe being only 66 I'm just not old enough. :twitchy:

My road bike (9 spd 105) has a 50/39/24 Triple with a 11-34 cassette. (I have 4 other cassettes)

My touring bike (10 spd Ultegra) is stock with a 50/39/30 with a 11/32 cassette.

RonH might be riding down hill all the time.

quote
RonH might be riding down hill all the time.

That's kinda what I was thinking.

What ever works for you Ron!

Enjoy

Depends on were and what you ride
 

Because of my work I ride road bikes when in Cambridge (UK) or La Plata (Argentina)
occasionally also in Madrid (Spain) and a mountain bike when in Puebla (Mexico. 7000 feet a.s.l.).
I use compact when in Cambridge(hills and windy)and Madrid (Mountains), a single speed Pinarelo pista in La Plata (flat but windy) and a triple in Puebla (very hilly to say the least).

I did have a triple in Cambridge but the bike was stolen and I used the opportunity to replaced with a compact. No need for a triple. Not much difference between the 34t ring in the compact and the 30t one in the triple and the compact with just two rings is less prone to have problems when changing gears.

I have to ride up the hill first before I can ride down the hill. :lol:

Dark, what kind of work do you do?

I'm a scientist.

I did a little better today, maybe the weather as it was great today. Thinking maybe a 11-36 or 11-34 cassette. and keep the front rings the same. I will need to change the rear detailer to a long and get a new chain. Any ideas?
(todays ride)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/63402466

Have fun Phil, enjoy

I just realized I now qualify for this very exclusive forum (Nov 1945). My wife and I mostly ride our daVinci tandem doing 100K and 100mi organized rides 12+ times/year. The tandem has a wide gearing range, from 60-11 down to 24-32 and we use the entire range. Our short term goal is to do some of the medium-tough centuries around here (5000-6000' of climbing) and to further that end I've started a weight training program. No health issues so far thank goodness. I do have a single, a Giant OCR1 with a 50-39-30 triple and a 12-27 cassette, but I don't ride the single very much. Oh, and we took up bicycling about 2 years ago after a 20+ year layoff. Looking forward to the civil, mature discourse on this forum:)

Wow, max heart rate of 248?!?!

Seems like you'll need a new rear derailleur and chain whether you go to a triple or not, so that's not wasted money. I'd try the wide range cassette and see if that works for you. I have a triple myself so I can keep lower stress on my bad knee, and my hills aren't nearly as big as what I see in your route.

Your extremely high HR at the start of your run is it possible that is it due to starting the run with a dry pickup sensor. I can see that after about 30 munites, possibly as soon as you started to swet profusely, the sensors became wet and the readings went normal.

It happens to me when I do not submerge in water, litterally, the chest sensor pads before the start (Polar CS600, S720i)

Hello ... I have some thoughts about buying a new bike for myself, probably my last bike if it all turns out as planned. After a 20 year layoff from cycling, I started riding again last August and put in about 1500 miles until some surgery resulted in another temporary layoff. When I started riding again, I bought a used Merckx for a reasonable amount and did a few upgrades to make the bike fit better. It is still just a bit large for me and with my wife's encouragement, I have decided to get a new steel or titanium bike, probably custom since it seems prices for off the shelf steel and ti bikes are not that far off from a custom bike. At 66, I am hoping to ride another 10-15 years so spending 5-6K on a bike seems extravagant, but what the hell, it will be nice to have.

I plan to go to the North American Handmade Bike show in Austin in February to do some browsing and I hope make a decision about a bike. That is my story and I am sticking to it ...

That's exactly what happened. I did wet the chest pick up areas but by the time I got ridding I guess they dried out again. It's very dry here and when you add in cool temps it takes a while for it to get damp again.

My last ride, You can tell when I get to my turnaround point at Einstein's Bagels. (about 34 Mi.) Just can't pass up that power bagel and coffee. 48 degrees when I left and 74 when I got home. Not bad ridding weather.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/64009180

I knew there was something wrong with the heart rate but I didn't say anything.

I never let my HR get above about 150. Normal riding is about 120. Resting is 62 or full rest about 50

I think i'm one of the " senior" seniors on this thread. I frequent it often just to see how everyone is doing. I re-discovered cycling at 57 as a means of getting in shape and maybe enjoy the fond memories of riding my bike a a youth. Everything went pretty much to plan. My " adjustments to the bike" -- but, neck, sholders wrists and all the other possible aches that come with getting reaquainted with a bicycle were pretty much as expected. After a short time on the bike i bumped into a group of recumbent riders that were out on a local MUP and i had an oppertunity to ride a few of their bikes.
That's all it took -- just had to have one. Sold the 6 week old new D/F bike and joined the recumbent cycling scene. Over the next several years i had (3) different recumnbent bikes. Starting with a long wheel base bike and advancing on to faster more light weight bikes. The recumbent scene was a great time. The recumbent community was a very friendly group to be around and i thourghly enjoyed it .
As time advance and i became a stronger and faster rider i began to want to ride with the younger crowd. These riders of course all rode D/F bikes.Well now the decision had to be made to either sit back in the group or change the ride platform and try to engage the riders up front.
I purchased a new carbon fiber " Hi- End Zoot " bike . 14.6 LBS. Full Campy Record 10 speed. I've never looked back on my decision.
I can't always keep up with the " younng guns" and can't always climb as fast but i don't see any one my age passing me ( 69yrs old)

"If you ride back in the pack the view never changes "

You have done the bike thing backwards.

You are The New 69 y/o Racer Boy.
Post a pic of you and the Zoot Bike sometime.