what does this mean
it is in the name of some models i am looking at
is it a good or a bad thing?
is it less gears/speeds?
huh?

It means very little. Kinda like putting the moniker "GT" on an automobile. Comp is usually short for competition so as to imply it's a higher grade.

oh
i thought it had to do with frame geometry or the gears/chain

Yup, for the Allez of 10 years ago Comp basically meant a better groupo. In a way sort of appropriate, it gave comp a second meaning , better components.

I guess back then it really did mean better. That said it only meant the Allez Comp was a step up from the Allez, not that it was better than some other bike without "comp" in the name.

Comp could mean better shifters and derailleurs (components) as keith99 mentioned. It could possibly have more gears. By posting the name of the bike, BF members could tell you more specific differences between the models.

The first thing I would recommend is choosing a style of bike that fits your riding. Then choose the correct size frame to fit you. Then it is time to decide how good of components you want or need.

I think that it's kind of like olives. The smallest olives are called "large" and they go up from there to "Super Colossal".

Bikes tend to progress from Comp, Race, Pro, Team, and Team Issue. I assume that anything below "Comp" would be classed "Grandma".

that's it,some companies will have simply one name,no comp etc. Some companies use Sport as an entry level or first notch-up

isn't comp short for competition?

Reminds me of a Norwegian McDonald's I stopped at a few years ago. They had two milk shake sizes - medium and large! No small...

Well, more is more, as they say.

I'm a little torn. I think that the semantical differences between "pro" and "team" are negligible yet somehow the latter is taken to mean better components, usually. Sometime sI wish they'd just use numbers all the time (a lot of manufacturers do, actually) but then I remember how much I hate the names of trek bikes. they don't even make sense. They started in the hundreds and model upgrades make random leaps into the thousands here and there. Aluminum hardtails, for example, go "3700, then 3900, then 4300, 4500...then a jump up to 6000. WTF?

Freebies in Vegas...

Comp means that you pay lots more money because its a bit shinier and has a graphic sticker on it.

Some weird voice in the back of my head thinks it has something to do with composite. But that one's a bit noodly, I don't listen to him much.

I think it is mostly the equivalent of adding a Z or an X to a car's model number.

I wish they'd offer KISS models with 1 front chainring and 5sp rear cassette (I don't have much elevation to contend with).

Just tighten all the limit screws and you're not far from it...

DIY it! I turned my Rockhopper into a 7-speed, and thanks to the wonders of modern chain flexibility, it ran just fine. I eventually retired it due to a magnificent headtube crack.

I still needed a beer to work with that ancient Shimano rear derailleur though. I think the component group name was 'craptastic'.

Aww man, now I'm getting all teary-eyed. I wanted to do something like that with my old Trek, with the original XT thumbshifters. My sister threw it in the trash

GT on automobiles accually stands for Gran Turismo (grand touring) and usually denotes that a vehicle would be well suited for comfortably driving long distances. On modern cars (think Ford Mustangs) this is not entirely true, but historically GT did mean something.

Wikipedia Entry

[/offtopic]

you're thinking of "compact". It's (usually) completely unrelated to "comp" stickers on a bike.

It's short for 'compensation' - meaning using marketing to compensate for substance

Al

thanks for the entertaining if not entirely helpful replies
i think the Specialized Tricross Comp Triple, the bike I may buy, is meant to mean compact
what does compact mean
is this too heavy a bike for mostly road work
i am thinking of gewtting it so i can have 28 tires and not be afraid to go on dirt roads

just to clarify things itn should be obvious that i am new to this, which explains my ignorance
i am a compulsive researcher prior to any big purchase
i have looked at may bikes
i will be mostly on paved roads but worried about shoulders, dirt roads, gravel, and rails-to-trails
i therefore was thinking a 23 tire is too narrow
i have a bad back and generous belly
flat bars might seem good but over time they limit hand position options
flat bars with rapid shifters seem easier to use, at least in the beginning, than drop bar brifters
geometry of a spec tricross or trek pilot or spec sirrus or trek fx all seem ok for me
spec roubaix seems a bit much and only has skinny tires
i suspect a triple gear gives me more options to help climb hills
is the spec tricross comp triple a good idea for what i plan to do?
oh there are just too many options

Try posting a new thread with what you have written- you may get a response.
In this thread we are discussing the word "comp".

advantages
disadvantages
etc

I'm thinking that the KHS Tandemania Comp that I ride with my wife is probably not designed for racing, altho we have been known to race downhill on it.