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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Triple better for Hills?

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Old 04-21-09, 10:52 AM
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Triple better for Hills?

What do you think?
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Old 04-21-09, 10:56 AM
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hills are always best taken three at a time.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:01 AM
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I think this has been asked and answered several times already.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:01 AM
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A compact double is fine for the Bay Area climbs; and you can always get a cassette with lower gearing if you like to spin (like a 28 or 29).
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Old 04-21-09, 11:04 AM
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Depends on your fitness level, but if you think you might need a triple, then you probably do.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:12 AM
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Seriously though, I discovered that many of the gear combinations on a triple crank are duplicates of one another, so what's the point? The gears you find most useful on a triple can be found on a compact double with a wide range cassette. Less weight, less shifting, same gearing. Want proof? Experiment with Sheldon's gear calculator.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:17 AM
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I read an equation somewhere once that would determine whether you needed a triple or not. Something like:

Number of hills x average grade of hills x total distance climbing / rider weight + poseur quotient - comfort level when walking in cycling shoes x weight weenie rating / resting heart rate. Take that number, and email it to Chris Charmichael and he'll send you a recommendation.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:24 AM
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I think you're a troll, that's what I think.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:26 AM
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He's just going for a reprise of BF's Greatest Hits
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Old 04-21-09, 11:33 AM
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Figure out the most difficult type of terrain you'll be riding. If you can maintain a comfortable cadence up that terrain with a 34/28 (or 29 if you ride Campy) then you don't need a triple.

If you can't you would benefit from a triple.

The answer is completely dependent on your terrain, and your fitness.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by KiddSisko
The gears you find most useful on a triple can be found on a compact double with a wide range cassette. Less weight, less shifting, same gearing.
And shifting is never as quick with a tripple
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Old 04-21-09, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by KiddSisko
, so what's the point? The gears you find most useful on a triple can be found on a compact double with a wide range cassette.[/URL].
You'll always be able to get lower gears on the triple because the compact is limited to a 34 small ring.

So there would be 2 reasons to use a triple: 1)you want a gear lower than 34/34 (which I would have to think would not be many people,

or 2) you want a gear below 34/28, and you don't want to use a wide range cassette and a MTB derailleur.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:50 AM
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A triple is better for flats.
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Old 04-21-09, 11:58 AM
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I'm just saying on my lowest gear, on very steep incline on my 10 speed my speed goes to a crawling 5mph and I can't keep an uptempo cadence. So I probably won't last on MT. Diablo.
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Old 04-21-09, 12:05 PM
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^ what's the inner chainring and rear cassette on your bike?
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Old 04-21-09, 12:07 PM
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Triple better for Hills?

Hills? How long and how steep? Unless you are good if not quite good and under 40, go triple.
I have a 53/42/30 Centaur Campy crankset with a 13/29 sprocket. As soon as I go above 7% slope I start using my 30. I surely help.
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Old 04-21-09, 12:13 PM
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Compact
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Old 04-21-09, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by LorenzoNF
I think you're a troll, that's what I think.
See i'm not the only one
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Old 04-21-09, 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by NYJayhawk
I read an equation somewhere once that would determine whether you needed a triple or not. Something like:

Number of hills x average grade of hills x total distance climbing / rider weight + poseur quotient - comfort level when walking in cycling shoes x weight weenie rating / resting heart rate. Take that number, and email it to Chris Charmichael and he'll send you a recommendation.
I loled
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Old 04-21-09, 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by umd
See i'm not the only one
Well by encouraging the argument in this thread, you are. You see a troll tries to create an argument wherever he can, which is what you are doing. What is your problem any ways?
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Old 04-21-09, 01:13 PM
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I prefer my compact with a 11-28 to the triple on my other bike. Same gear coverage, but less FD shifting.
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Old 04-21-09, 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by longivas
Hills? How long and how steep? Unless you are good if not quite good and under 40, go triple.
I have a 53/42/30 Centaur Campy crankset with a 13/29 sprocket. As soon as I go above 7% slope I start using my 30. I surely help.
Well that's the thing. I think it's pretty steep. What is steep for me might be easy for some you guys I guess. I don't really have any measurements that can measure how steep the climb is. I just know that I have to mash pretty dang hard and can't keep a high cadence.
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Old 04-21-09, 01:17 PM
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My three bits again. This is starting to get expensive.
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Old 04-21-09, 01:17 PM
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I am a bit heavy though. I'm a little over 6 foot and 190lbs I might add. Not what you would call a pure climber. I don't want to look like Rasmussen though, so that's okay with me.
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Old 04-21-09, 01:18 PM
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Im guessing soon this thread will go shill, maybe start of page 2,

just say'n

feel free to discuss
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