ButchA

Thanks everyone. I like those gear calculators that were posted a few threads back. Very fun to experiment with and understand all the various gear ratios and spacing. For my needs, I'll stick with the standard compact 50/34 double crank. No need for a triple on a road bike in Richmond, VA. It's mainly flat around here with a few rolling hills. Now, if I rode out around the western part of the state, out around the Blue Ridge Mts and such, I'd opt for a triple.

FamilyMan007

So as a matter of interest, what cassette are you thinking of using - and why?

OldsCOOL

Make mine a compact double 34/50.

Terrierman

52 - 42 - 30 triple with 11 - 32 freewheel. A gear for everything.

big john

There are standard doubles, usually 52x39, and there are compact doubles, usually 50x34, but there are no "standard compact" doubles.
Many people set up their compacts with a gear lower than what comes with a road triple. For example, I have a triple bike with a 30x25 low and a compact with a 34x29 low. I do a lot of climbing and I find myself wishing for a lower gear regardless of which set-up I'm using.

Doohickie

I do most of my miles on a single speed: A gear for everything.

I guess it really depends on how hilly your terrain is, and how cadence-sensitive your knees are.

ButchA

I like the idea of a compact 50/34 double crank pared with a 11-32 cassette.
11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32

....just a very basic, very common, 8 speed cassette - such as the Shimano HG50-8.

It would suit my needs for a very wide range and a very relaxed, steady ride. No need to go all out balls to the wall, racing everyone I see. I want a nice endurance style road bike where I can be comfortable and ride 50, 60, or so miles and not have a problem at all.

Yankeetowner

As a general rule I would agree...but that is not true if you ride in the Clermont/Minneola/Montverde area. I used the modified standard 53/39 (11/23 cassette) that came with my bike until a couple of months ago when I started riding in the Clermont area. Very steep hills were extremely difficult (even though they were relatively short), and I was forced to stand. Switched to a compact (50/34) with a 12/28 cassette and it made a world of difference. I miss the closeness of my standard cassette gearing, but I find that I shift less on the front ring with the compact than the standard. I used the 39 a lot for group rides under 22 mph, and then shifted into the 53 at 22+ mph. Now I stay in the 50 unless I am on a steep hill. I head to Dahlonega for 6 Gap next week, and I'm sure a triple would be nice, but I will make the best of my 34/28.

dbg

I've also noticed an annoyance with standard compact doubles (50-34) --causing me to shift the front more often than I like. In my triples I spend 95% of my time in the middle (42, or 39, depending which ride I'm on). So I'm seldom in the grannies (I usually swap in a 28 or 26) except for long steeps, AND I'm almost never in the 52 (or 53).

Therefore, this year I am trying out some sub-compact doubles on my light touring bikes. The first will be 44-28 (with a rear at 11-25 because I also like a tighter range back there). I also plan to use a biopace on the 28 and maybe the 44.

I have high hopes for this combo.

[for perspective: my workouts are all done on a single speed at 69 gear inch and my commutes are all done on a 4 speed IGH. All my other rides are various experiments that get built up and torn down frequently]

az_cyclist

On my Trek 1500 (which was my primary bike from 2006 to 2013) I have a 52-42-29 triple, with a 9-speed 12-28 cassette. I was mostly in the 52 and 42 rings. On my Trek Domane 4.5 I have a 50/34 compact with an 11-28 10-speed cassette. I have ridden 5 doubles with it, and some other rides in the mountains of AZ and the Eastern Sierra DC.

but I will defer to Biker395's comments, as he is a much stronger dc rider than I am.

BobbyG

It's hilly here. My commuter has a triple, my roadbike has a double. My next roadie will have a triple.

fastcarbon

I would have to admit I never used a triple. But at 72 I recently went to a compact crank set with 175 crank arms (from 172.5) for mountain rides (Sierras and Mount Baldy). My cassette is an 11x28 but I would consider going to an 11x32 if DA 9000 offered a longer derailleur cage. Just going to a compact crank set really lessened the workload on those steep climbs (over 8%). Gear ratios are pretty close in the smaller cassette gears with the 11 speed. I just wish there was a 10x32 option.

qcpmsame 

It would depend on where you live and ride, for me. Its fairly flat here on the coast of Florida and I went with a road compact, on my CAAD 10 4, this time, from a road double on my old R500 (converted to a road double from a triple.) I had the triple on that R500, and it was not really useful around here, I didn't have the need to go that low, ever. The compact is plenty low for my area, I have a 50/36 and an 11-26 cassette that is adequate. If I were in a more hilly or mountainous area I'd opt for a triple, no question, my old age caught me and whipped me good about climbing a few years back.

Bill

10 Wheels

Best to go with a Triple...You may not need it all the time, but it is nice to have when you do need it.

BlazingPedals

On my highracer or especially the lowracer, high gears are required, but so are low gears. There's no standing. My no-wind, level cruising gear is either 53/16 or 53/14, with the 12T and 11T reserved for tailwinds, downhills, and sprints. So I wouldn't be willing to drop back and use a 50T ring. I may experiment this winter to see if I can shift a 34/52 in front. If that I can make it work, I might be able to replace the triple with it, because a 30/32 is too low to use anyway.

andr0id

You are correct, triples are only useful for big long hills when fully loaded for touring. :0

I usually run 50/36 with a 11-25 in the back. This worked fine for me in Colorado this summer.

If it is really hilly (ie: Tour Das Hugel, Austin) , I'll put the 34 back on, go to an 11-28 and swap out for my long cage derailleur.

I ordered the 52/36 option on my new group though.

bruce19

I'm 68 and typically do 40-65 mi. rides that include 60-75 ft of climbing per mile. I've been using a 50x34 compact and it's treating me well.

Looigi

My and my wife's older bikes have 12-25 9 sp cassettes and 30/42/52 rings. Our more recent bikes have 11-28 10 sp cassettes and 34/50 rings, which yields very close to the same total range as our older triples. Of course some of the gaps are slightly wider with the new drivetrains but not enough to be bothersome to us. We're 60-ish and tend to seek out rather than avoid climbing. We would almost certainly get compact doubles on our next road bikes and if we felt we needed a lower gear, we'd likely just go for bigger cassette and wide range RD. Our mtbs are triples but the new double and even single ring drivetrains are looking interesting.

DiabloScott

34x27------------------->|50x12--------------------->|

tony2v

I just changed the standard 53x39 on my Moots and Alchemy to a mid-compact 52x36. I kept the cassettes at 12x25 10 speed on the Moots and 12x27 11 speed on the Alchemy. Still have the big gears for the fast club rides and more spinning up the hills. My touring bike (a 1975 Albert Eisentraut) has a 50x46x34 triple (half speed and a granny) with a 6 speed 14x28 freewheel. Somehow I rode that setup back in the 80's from SF to San Diego on two different occasions, ah to young, strong and naive

nuke_diver

I'm not sure how to define longish hills...I have a compact crank with a 12-25 on my new bike and it works pretty well for most of the rides I do. The longest hill was about 5.5 miles at about 5% and that wasn't really a problem except that it's always up...no breaks...not that hard just a long grind. Where I wonder if I should have gotten something like a 12-28 is on the steep stuff...15+% grades. Even in the lowest gear I have it's tough and the ones that are longer or steeper can be brutal for me.

But I came from a standard crank on a 6 speed and so even the 25 initially at least was just SOOO much better. Now if I go to DiabloScott's neck of the woods maybe I would be wishing I knew more a year ago when I bought the new bike

TGT1

46-34 11-32, 175 cranks

Bike came with a 46-36 and the 36 wasn't quite low enough for San Gabriel / Whittier Hills fire roads. The 34 gets down to the traction limits of a CX frame with 42 tires. Any lower wouldn't be that useful.


I'll probably go to a 48-34 and 12-32 when the big ring needs replacing to get some closer spacing in the pavement cruising range, but I can't see any reason to go to a 50 or 52 unless I could get a 13-32 somehow.

Retro Grouch 

I think that it's a question that only the OP can answer.

The real question isn't about double vs. compact double vs. triple cranksets. The question is "what gear range do you need for the kind of riding you do?" Once you know that, work out all the ratios for whatever drive trains you are considering and one will always stand out as best for you.

Velo Fellow

At 67, I happily use a triple. But I also have a White Industries "Variable Bolt Circle" double crank... 44/28 chainrings I couple to a 12-27 cassette. Gives me a good for anything 28 gear inch low and a 96 inch high. I spin out at around 26mph on downhills (I've broken enough bones in crashes to feel content to stop pedaling and "coast" after that. Gears are evenly spaced. Works for me.... as RetroGrouch points out above.

I recall a time long ago when I couldn't imagine giving up my 52/42. Then I fudged with a 52/39. Eventually the triple. Increasing years and old injuries do humble us a bit.

chewa

I'm 53 and have used a triple (46-36-28) on my touring bike for years. That being said, I have never used the inner ring unloaded, and rarely when loaded, so I could probably have done with a double.

I have a triple (50-40-30)on my Cinelli, and again (up until recently) have never used the inner ring- but it was there just in case. I initially planned to use the bike on audaxes, and there are a few hills near here!

However, I slightly injured my knee MTBing and so I used the inner ring for a couple of steepish hills during our recent extended stay in France, just to ease the strain on it.

I have a double (52-40) on the Scot and it is a bit of a strain on the knees at times!

There is no doubt it looks better though.

We recently specced my wifes new Orbea Orca road bike and went for a triple. With the 105 it looks ok. I would take a triple everytime - JUST IN CASE, but (like Krabbe's "The rider") hopefully leave the inner untouched