A new way to shift a triple
05-26-09 | 10:40 AM
#26
King of the Plukers
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 895
Likes: 9
From: Rochester, NY
Look, I've been told by all the groovedogs on here that I'm a big puthy if I shift down into the granny ring. Somehow, I am learning to live with that, and I now seem to recover faster on hills that I wasn't able to just roll right over in the middle.
05-26-09 | 10:46 AM
#27
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
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I live at the top of a very very steep hill. And I am 50. The hill is steep enough that I shif into the small front ring at the base of the hill and can comfortably get to my house at the top. I could certainly make the climb with a double, my knees are happier with the tripple. YMMV.
05-26-09 | 10:49 AM
#28
Certifiable Bike "Expert"
Joined: May 2005
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05-26-09 | 10:57 AM
#29
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,644
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From: Brooklyn, NY
Bikes: 2008 Giant OCR1 (with panda bear on the back!)
Use your gears.
Rather than only using your smallest chain ring as a bailout, I propose using it in the same way you use your other two chain rings.
For those of you with doubles, during a climb, do you put it on the big ring and work your way to the biggest cog on the back before dumping down to the smaller chain ring? Of course not! Nor should a triple be shifted in this same manner.
My first road bike came with a triple crank. I heard all the negative comments about a triple and so vowed to use it only in desperate situations (as a bailout). I would mash up the hills until my heart rate went through the roof, then I would bail out to the triple and slowly finish the climb.
After using this technique for a year, I had a revelation. I thought, if I am going to carry all the extra gears around with me, I may as well use them. When approaching a steep, longish hill, I would start out on the middle ring and about 1/2 way up the rear cassette. Once my cadence dropped, I would then shift to the triple chain ring and would shift one cog smaller (which is just a slightly easier gear than when on the middle chain ring). I would then work my way up the rear cassette as needed while keeping my cadence at a consistent rate. Amazing. I was climbing hills faster and at a lower heart rate! Once I neared the top, I could do a quick shift to the middle ring and power over the hill and begin my descent as I shifted to the big ring.
Another thing to keep in mind. A triple's middle ring is usually a 42 tooth, whereas a traditional double's smaller chain ring is usually a 39 tooth.
Have any other triple-users out there experienced this same revelation?
Rather than only using your smallest chain ring as a bailout, I propose using it in the same way you use your other two chain rings.
For those of you with doubles, during a climb, do you put it on the big ring and work your way to the biggest cog on the back before dumping down to the smaller chain ring? Of course not! Nor should a triple be shifted in this same manner.
My first road bike came with a triple crank. I heard all the negative comments about a triple and so vowed to use it only in desperate situations (as a bailout). I would mash up the hills until my heart rate went through the roof, then I would bail out to the triple and slowly finish the climb.
After using this technique for a year, I had a revelation. I thought, if I am going to carry all the extra gears around with me, I may as well use them. When approaching a steep, longish hill, I would start out on the middle ring and about 1/2 way up the rear cassette. Once my cadence dropped, I would then shift to the triple chain ring and would shift one cog smaller (which is just a slightly easier gear than when on the middle chain ring). I would then work my way up the rear cassette as needed while keeping my cadence at a consistent rate. Amazing. I was climbing hills faster and at a lower heart rate! Once I neared the top, I could do a quick shift to the middle ring and power over the hill and begin my descent as I shifted to the big ring.
Another thing to keep in mind. A triple's middle ring is usually a 42 tooth, whereas a traditional double's smaller chain ring is usually a 39 tooth.
Have any other triple-users out there experienced this same revelation?
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Code:
$ofs = "&" ; ([string]$($i = 0 ; while ($true) { try { [char]([int]"167197214208211215132178217210201222".substring($i,3) - 100) ; $i =
$i+3 > catch { break >>)).replace('&','') ; $ofs=" " # Replace right angles with right curly braces
05-26-09 | 11:00 AM
#30
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Brooklyn, NY
Bikes: 2008 Giant OCR1 (with panda bear on the back!)
Yeah, I noticed all them folks climbing little Ohio rollers this weekend spinning like crazy and sending their heart rates into the red zone while in the little ring of their triples....as I (the fat fred) passed them in my 50/21. Trying to keep a high rpm in a low gear when climbing is only useful to those with some minimal level of base fitness and leg strength. It just blows up those who don't.
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Ride more.
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Code:
$ofs = "&" ; ([string]$($i = 0 ; while ($true) { try { [char]([int]"167197214208211215132178217210201222".substring($i,3) - 100) ; $i =
$i+3 > catch { break >>)).replace('&','') ; $ofs=" " # Replace right angles with right curly braces
05-26-09 | 11:38 AM
#31
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,892
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old way of thinking:
"I prefer lower gearing than my traditional double offers, I will switch to a triple and use all the gears."
new way:
"Oh no, I have a triple, I must never let anyone catch me using it or I will forever be ridiculed. I will only use it if it is the only alternative to walking."
newer way:
"I have a triple and I am going to use the gears to maintain cadence up this hill. Wow, I am at the front of the group, the same group that used to pull ahead of me, and I am not nearly as winded as I used to be. It must be beneficial to use this triple for purposes other than bailouts. I must spread the word to other triple users so that they too can experience this effective climbing technique."
It is new in regards to recent attitudes towards the usage of a triple chain ring, i.e. bailout gear only.
"I prefer lower gearing than my traditional double offers, I will switch to a triple and use all the gears."
new way:
"Oh no, I have a triple, I must never let anyone catch me using it or I will forever be ridiculed. I will only use it if it is the only alternative to walking."
newer way:
"I have a triple and I am going to use the gears to maintain cadence up this hill. Wow, I am at the front of the group, the same group that used to pull ahead of me, and I am not nearly as winded as I used to be. It must be beneficial to use this triple for purposes other than bailouts. I must spread the word to other triple users so that they too can experience this effective climbing technique."
It is new in regards to recent attitudes towards the usage of a triple chain ring, i.e. bailout gear only.
then again...I did once have a touring bike that had a triple and 1/2 step gearing so that blows your shifting pattern all to heck very quickly. I sold it to a friend. I should go over and check the front crank sometime but it seems like the front was something like 45, 42 and 36. I do remember it was 110BCD so it may have been even weirder.
05-26-09 | 11:44 AM
#32
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Don't worry about that comment. Many triples have a 42 for the middle gear. That's obviously not because people running triples like to mash. It's because the lower gearing is already available in the small ring, so the middle ring can go up a little, which is also why I don't think it's anything new to use your small ring frequently. Otherwise, those guys with a 42 would be mashing it up everything until they decide to bail out on a far smaller gear.
I had ridden with him and his wife several times and watched her closely. I looked over at him and said...your wife never shifts into the small ring in the fornt and her middle ring is a 42. He looked at me and i said....so....what's your small ring in the front? 34? he nodded....I then said....so your wife can actually push a harder gear than you eh?
So the whole time he was in the 34 tooth going up a mountain...she was still in the 42 with the same rear gearing.
05-26-09 | 12:18 PM
#33
Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 32
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From: San Gabriel Valley
Bikes: 1979 Centurion Super Le Manns, 2009 Trek Madone 5.2
eschew is right on!
I find it quite funny the negative aura associated with the "30" ring on a triple. Are we that worried about what others think of us? I have a 50/40 on the front of my 28 pound bike... should I look down on all those whose bikes weigh less - "what'sa matta, can't make it on a heavy bike?" The only reason to buy a triple is for that low first gear. Second gear on a triple is the same as first on a compact double.
Looking at gear ratios on a 53/39/30 - 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27 bike, I notice only numbers in the results, no adjectives, no attitude, no assumptions, and no prejudice.
3 gears overlap from the 53 to the 30, and 6 gears overlap from the 39 to the 30. I find it much easier to be able to do single shifts to get to my gear, rather than double shifts. Slightly bigger jumps, but no interum change that is toooooo hard or toooooo easy.
4.9, 4.5, 4.2, 3.9, 3.6, 3.4, 3.1, 2.8, 2.4, 2.2 on the 30 (in the order of 10th gear, 9th gear etc)
6.3, 5.8, 5.4, 5.1, 4.7, 4.5, 4.0, 3.6, 3.2, 2.8 on the 39 (in the order of 20th gear, 19th gear etc)
8.6, 7.9, 7.4, 6.9, 6.4, 6.1, 5.4, 4.9, 4.3, 3.8 on the 53 (in the order of 30th gear, 29th gear etc)
Do most of you start up a hill in 24th or higher? Do you start up in 17th or higher? If you answered no to those questions, there is no reason not to use the 30; you're using the same gears anyway! Find the gear where you finish your frequently traveled hills, and use that front as your beginning point. Less shifting is more! For anybody but hard core cyclists, I'm betting (my .02 cents) that means the 30 works best for you. The gears are more closely spaced on a 30 too.
Now if 42 is your middle ring, then go figure it out for yourself!
I find it quite funny the negative aura associated with the "30" ring on a triple. Are we that worried about what others think of us? I have a 50/40 on the front of my 28 pound bike... should I look down on all those whose bikes weigh less - "what'sa matta, can't make it on a heavy bike?" The only reason to buy a triple is for that low first gear. Second gear on a triple is the same as first on a compact double.
Looking at gear ratios on a 53/39/30 - 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27 bike, I notice only numbers in the results, no adjectives, no attitude, no assumptions, and no prejudice.
3 gears overlap from the 53 to the 30, and 6 gears overlap from the 39 to the 30. I find it much easier to be able to do single shifts to get to my gear, rather than double shifts. Slightly bigger jumps, but no interum change that is toooooo hard or toooooo easy.
4.9, 4.5, 4.2, 3.9, 3.6, 3.4, 3.1, 2.8, 2.4, 2.2 on the 30 (in the order of 10th gear, 9th gear etc)
6.3, 5.8, 5.4, 5.1, 4.7, 4.5, 4.0, 3.6, 3.2, 2.8 on the 39 (in the order of 20th gear, 19th gear etc)
8.6, 7.9, 7.4, 6.9, 6.4, 6.1, 5.4, 4.9, 4.3, 3.8 on the 53 (in the order of 30th gear, 29th gear etc)
Do most of you start up a hill in 24th or higher? Do you start up in 17th or higher? If you answered no to those questions, there is no reason not to use the 30; you're using the same gears anyway! Find the gear where you finish your frequently traveled hills, and use that front as your beginning point. Less shifting is more! For anybody but hard core cyclists, I'm betting (my .02 cents) that means the 30 works best for you. The gears are more closely spaced on a 30 too.
Now if 42 is your middle ring, then go figure it out for yourself!
05-26-09 | 12:33 PM
#34
Spin Meister
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,658
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From: California, USA
Bikes: Trek Émonda, 1961 Follis (French) road bike (I'm the original owner), a fixie, a mountain bike, etc.
I don't race, I don't give a fig about cross-chaining, but I do like hills - 15%, 20%, 30+%.
My triple gives me three more useable gears than come with a wimpy compact double, at a penalty of carrying four extra ounces on my bike.
I prefer dealing with the extra weight rather than stop pedaling and/or walk up a long hill, which I've seen riders a lot younger and a lot stronger than me do, because they ran out of low gears.
And when the grades are only 15% or less? Time to switch to my bike with double chainrings. Why limit myself to one bike? But if I had to have only one road bike, it would be one with the triple.
My triple gives me three more useable gears than come with a wimpy compact double, at a penalty of carrying four extra ounces on my bike.
I prefer dealing with the extra weight rather than stop pedaling and/or walk up a long hill, which I've seen riders a lot younger and a lot stronger than me do, because they ran out of low gears.
And when the grades are only 15% or less? Time to switch to my bike with double chainrings. Why limit myself to one bike? But if I had to have only one road bike, it would be one with the triple.
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This post is a natural product. Slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and are in no way to be considered flaws or defects.
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05-26-09 | 12:54 PM
#35
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From: Ohio
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-26-09 | 01:02 PM
#36
Over the hill
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Bikes: Pinarello Nytro, Momentum Transend
A friend of mine got one of the first compacts in the area. this was several years ago. He used to brag about it and then say that he could climb anything with the compact and would rather die than have a triple like his wife's bike.
I had ridden with him and his wife several times and watched her closely. I looked over at him and said...your wife never shifts into the small ring in the fornt and her middle ring is a 42. He looked at me and i said....so....what's your small ring in the front? 34? he nodded....I then said....so your wife can actually push a harder gear than you eh?
So the whole time he was in the 34 tooth going up a mountain...she was still in the 42 with the same rear gearing.
I had ridden with him and his wife several times and watched her closely. I looked over at him and said...your wife never shifts into the small ring in the fornt and her middle ring is a 42. He looked at me and i said....so....what's your small ring in the front? 34? he nodded....I then said....so your wife can actually push a harder gear than you eh?
So the whole time he was in the 34 tooth going up a mountain...she was still in the 42 with the same rear gearing.
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05-26-09 | 01:27 PM
#39
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I don't doubt that there are a few good hills in your area. But 15-20% grade hills aren't "typical" there. Prove me wrong... map YOUR ride...
05-26-09 | 01:36 PM
#41
ah.... sure.
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Whidbey Island WA
Bikes: Specialized.... schwinn..... enough to fill my needs..
05-26-09 | 01:38 PM
#42
Infamous Member
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From: Ohio
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
The max elevation for our state is 1,549ft...my house sits at about almost 1,200. Grades rarely exceed 15%, more common being 4-8% and rarely do they extend more than a half mile...the steeper they are usually the shorter they are.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
05-26-09 | 01:42 PM
#43
ah.... sure.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,107
Likes: 1
From: Whidbey Island WA
Bikes: Specialized.... schwinn..... enough to fill my needs..
This was more my experience last summer...... riding across Ohio
05-26-09 | 01:54 PM
#44
Thread Starter
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From: Pickerington, OH
Bikes: 2003 Cannondale R1000
I looked at the first route for your town in mapmyride.com. The hills were not "typically 15-20%" as you claimed the "hills in the SE Ohio" are.
I don't doubt that there are a few good hills in your area. But 15-20% grade hills aren't "typical" there. Prove me wrong... map YOUR ride...
I don't doubt that there are a few good hills in your area. But 15-20% grade hills aren't "typical" there. Prove me wrong... map YOUR ride...
https://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=52928
It is true that the steep 15%+ grades are not typical, but there are usually 2 or 3 highlighted steep hills on each of our longer rides.
I suppose if you were just passing through the state, it would be easy to miss the steeper grades, but they are out there, you just have to know where to find them.
05-26-09 | 02:28 PM
#45
Certifiable Bike "Expert"
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Here is a quick sample.
https://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=52928
https://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=52928
https://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/il...24336942129190
Elevation profile attached... looks like 5%...?
05-26-09 | 02:45 PM
#46
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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I don't race, I don't give a fig about cross-chaining, but I do like hills - 15%, 20%, 30+%.
My triple gives me three more useable gears than come with a wimpy compact double, at a penalty of carrying four extra ounces on my bike.
I prefer dealing with the extra weight rather than stop pedaling and/or walk up a long hill, which I've seen riders a lot younger and a lot stronger than me do, because they ran out of low gears.
And when the grades are only 15% or less? Time to switch to my bike with double chainrings. Why limit myself to one bike? But if I had to have only one road bike, it would be one with the triple.
My triple gives me three more useable gears than come with a wimpy compact double, at a penalty of carrying four extra ounces on my bike.
I prefer dealing with the extra weight rather than stop pedaling and/or walk up a long hill, which I've seen riders a lot younger and a lot stronger than me do, because they ran out of low gears.
And when the grades are only 15% or less? Time to switch to my bike with double chainrings. Why limit myself to one bike? But if I had to have only one road bike, it would be one with the triple.
