Do triples and doubles serve different purposes or are triples for chicks? I guess what I mean is, are triples necessary/optimal for steep climbs? Is that smaller gear necessary for keeping up a proper cadence on the uphills? Please elaborate. I'm trying to climb in regions around my neighborhood where the incline is quite steep. At least 11-12% on some parts, I believe. I can climb while staying in the middle gear, but I don't know if that's optimal. I'm still trying to learn about cadence, but it seems there are many differing opinions. Makes it hard.

So teach me about cadence and stuff if you don't mind. I searched and found a few threads and read a few articles on Pez Cycling, but I have yet to read something that enlightens me.

And I have an 8 speed 07 allez triple, fwiw.

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lolbtl

gay...don't lock...
just answer about triples vs doubles?

Doubles are the wool pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth - triples give you better gearing options at a minimal weight penalty.

Spin to win.

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You can get a compact and have good gear options; triples work and some people like them but I'd rather work on fitness than rely on lower gearing and unless you live in a place you have really steep grades everywhere a compact will suffice.

Takes the same energy to climb the hill.... you can either spin up it real quick ftw or crank it real slow and peak before the peak... your choice!

How can I work on fitness while not changing my crankset?
Just stay on the two bigger cogs?

I dunno, pedal faster??

If you want todo leg presses goto the gym.

Lots of people run tripples. A tripple gives me all of the high end gears of a standard double. plus a bail out gear if I should need it when climbing, I am a recreational cyclist. Not a profesional. and Finally I can get tripple stuff about %20 cheaper than double stuff off ebay. Some people will claim that a compact double is better because there are only two rings, but there are fewer usable gears. People come up with all kinds of reasons to dislike a tripple. They dont shift well, they are heavier than a double, due to the extra ring. Whatever. If you have to give up higher gears to get gears low enough for you to climb with a double, due to vanity, more power to ya.

I ride a triple and I'm a chick. I do long distance riding and I won't give it up. After 8+ hours in the saddle, I'm looking for all of the easy gears I can get if I'm on a hilly course.

From what I have seen, more long distance riders (less concerned with weight and speed) have triples.

They don't shift as well as a double...The shifts just aren't as clean to me. And I'm under the impression there's less trimming on a double.

But I ride a triple because I'm a broke college student.

Go ride your bike, then ride it some more.

Find a good mechanic or learn adjust it yourself. I do my own and have never dropped a chain due to a shift. I run a tripple ultegra 10 speed there is one trim position for each ring, 6603.

Yarp. I've been trying to adjust the FD so I never have to trim for quite a while.

When I got the bike I always had to trim in the 50. I alleviated that issue, but made it so that I have to trim once in the 39. Its a never ending battle!

What's trim?

Roadies are so fickle. You put one more in front and you're a girl, a wimp, Fred, need to HTFU.
Keep adding one to the back, constantly, for years....5 to 6 to 7 to 8 to 9 to 10 to 11to**********????.....that's cool.

I just replaced my shifters/cables/housing after five years, and the shifting on my triple has never been smoother. I do want to try a double someday though. My triple is 52-42-30 (8 speed), and the 42 ring is a better middle gear to use than continuously adjusting cassette with the RD.

Heck some of you might go into shock over this, but up until a point, all bikes were fixed gears.

Mike
Cogs are on the rear wheel chain rings are on the front. As far as cadence is concerned, higher is better, especially when climbing. Way easier on the joints. As far as style of climbing is concerned you have a choice of two, sitting or standing, or combinations. Each uses slightly different muscle groups. Seated you spin your way up .Standing is slightly lower cadence than sitting but usually in a higher gear than sitting. The one advantage of standing is you can use your weight to generate power, the draw back is that you have to use energy to support yourself, which tires you out faster.
So, go find a nice long hill, and climb it. then turn around and climb it again. Do it seated then do it standing keep your cadence high. Style, fitness. and the rest will work itself out.

I am a chick. I used to have a triple - bought it specifically because I was doing a big ride in the mountains & wanted the extra gearing. I used it & loved it.

The new ride is a compact double (because that's what it came with). I have yet to have a problem with it, but I haven't done any big climbs with it either.

If you can make it up the hill with the gears you have - you don't need a different bike. If you are straining to make it up or you have pain when you climb, you might want to consider your alternatives.

There are no rules. It's all about personal preference, fitness and terrain. Whatever let's you ride comfortably and meets your needs is the right gearing for you. I started with a triple crank when I started riding 2 1/2 years back. After a while I would rarely ever need the 30T, so went compact double. My 34T has been nice because I get the double style shifting, but it can get me up stupid steep grades round here, even in the 20-30% range. which I couldn't do with a 39T chainring. 11-12% is a good climb, but not crazy steep.

Trimming the front is entirely normal. If the manufacturer made the front derailure wide enough to use all of the rear cogs without trimming then the front wouldnt work, it would be to wide to shift the chain. Besides you are not supposed to use all of the cogs in the rear from the same ring up front this is known a s cross chaining and is hard on the bikes components. do a search on cross chainingand read.