renegade5150

Didn 't really see any other posts like this so i'll start off by saying a couple of things:

1). Not trying to start yet another thread on double vs triple debate.
2). I have a triple right now and am considering making the move to a double simply because i rarely, if ever, use the granny gear.

With that said, one of the bike mechanics at my LBS was telling me that if i am using a triple chain ring and am riding up a hill (say 6%) with my middle gear, i SHOULD be down shifting to the granny gear, even if i'm comfortable uphill in the middle gear to spare my knees from having future problems over time. His point is that if i'm riding the granny gear with a fast cadence I will spare my knees from having problems over time. Is this info fact or fiction?

jslopez

quite the fact that spinning is better on your knees and keeps you freshers for the longer climbs.

Apollo

I'd say its how confortable you feel. I have a triple and rarely use the granny gears even on hills. My next ride I'm simply getting a double as a result. In fact if I need to stand on the bike for hills I have to shift up gears since my added weight helps. I too have a bad knee, but have enjoyed the benefits of cycling regulary and my knees have gotten stronger. Personally I've found the higher cadence more confortable for me. I'd go with the confort level you have on the hills.

Just my opinion.

~Apollo

operator

Fact. Maintain 80-100 rpm on hills. Don't grind out 60.

renegade5150

Depending on "the hill" i can pedal at least at 80 RPM uphill using the middle chain ring (in the highest gear depending on how i feel). So given this, will my knees hold out using the middle chain ring over time? I know i'm generalizing here. Also, how does going to a double chain ring help in this situation?

thanks

linus

If I'm correct your middle ring is 42??.....then you could try double since they small ring usually is 39. And also you could swap your cassettes with little more teeth like if you have 12~25 then use 12~27. Hope this helps

shabbis

If you don't like your triple anymore, think about getting a compact double. I upgraded my R1000 Ultegra triple with a FSA SLK carbon compact.

terrymorse 

Nobody climbs hills with a 100 cadence. At least nobody that's any good at climbing.

The average cadence of the pro peloton is 70 on climbs. The best climbers average a cadence of 80, probably because they're little guys and climb faster than the rest of the peloton.

A 60 cadence is a little low, but not that low. It's actually a pretty good and comfortable cadence when climbing out of the saddle.

puddin' legs

Thank you terrymorse for speaking the truth! To the original poster, it sounds like you're fit enough now that you don't need your granny range. If you don't use it, lose it. You shouldn't miss it. If you're comfortable on your middle ring, that's the ticket. IMHO, the LBS advice will have no bearing on the long term health of your knees as long as you have good base miles in, a properly fitted bike, a good pedal/shoe interface, and normal riding mechanics.

lilHinault

Just guys named Lance. Some nobody who won some race over in France, ha ha he probably celebrated winning the thing by eating snails, eh?

-------

Not everyone, according to present knowledge, is suited to that high a cadence, of course in 5-10 years everyone might be working on leg speed and that little race in France will be faster than ever.

puddin' legs

LA is a phyisiological anomoly... We can spin his cadence, but we'll be butt slow because only about 1 in one billion humans have his physiological capacities.
Jan the 'grinder' is still working at a cadence (relative to the difficulty of the climb and intensity) that is beyond the reach of all but about 5 other riders on the planet earth.

terrymorse 

Even Lance doesn't (didn't) climb at a cadence of 100. At least not for long. He did the Alpe d'Huez TT last year at a cadence of 90-92, but that's not a good indicator of his typical climbing cadence. Cyclists tend to time trial a a higher cadence than normal.

I climb at a cadence around 70, but when time trialing I spin it up to 80 or 85.

RiPHRaPH

longer climbs require both standing and sitting. i'm not sure you can efficiently glide up a mountain in a triple and shift from sitting to standing or vise versa. i run a d/a 10sp so i have everything i need right there.

puddin' legs

..but you're in Chicago!

RD Olivaw

The comparison of cadences for Lance and Jan should demonstrate that the correct one for you is whatever feels best. I personally like a high cadence on climbs. 90-100.

daytonian

If you don't use your granny now you won't miss it with a double. I just went from a triple Fuji to double Litespeed and honestly always have enough gear for the hills on my ride.

krazyderek

i stand climb around 70-80, sit climb 80-90, flats 87-95(higher if i'm just trying to keep up ) fwiw.....

renegade5150

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I guess i'm going to have to try both the compact crankset and double crankset to see what works best for me up hills