adrien

Interesting. I've ridden everything from 53/39 with an 11/25 to 50/34 with a 12/32.

For reference, I'm 6'3, about 210, ride about 3-4k miles a year. Usually just rollers, but this year I did some serious climbing.

What I've found is that a 12-32 isn't low gearing, or high gearing, it's just highly spaced gearing. You need to learn to spin more, and develop some mechanical sympathy when you make the RD jump 4 teeth from the 28 to the 32, for example. No biggie.

My favorite setup for rollers is a 12-27 with a 50/34 up front. That'll do me from climbing 10% for 3 miles to descending the same route, and everything in between. More climbing, and on goes the 12-32, which is kind of like a 12-28 9-speed with a bailout when the asthma kicks in.

Best thing you can do is work on cadence, pedaling form and position. The gear range you have is just fine.

IBOHUNT

I use a mid-compact in the front (36-52) and depending on what I am doing I may put on the climbing 11-28 cassette or if I'm riding what I call flat the 11-23 for tighter gearing.

The 28 allows me to mash at 60rpm on the 16% uphill garbage and the 11 gets me to spinning out at 120 rpm

Leebo

For the commuter crosscheck, 22, 34, 48 in the front, 30-12 cassette out back. The 22 just get used for off road. The Karate Monkey has 24, 36, 44 in the front and a 32-12 cassette. The 24 is just for dirt and off road. Both are primarily good weather commuters.

Barrettscv 

The smaller tire diameter you have with the 26x1.1 tire allows you to utilise the 50t chainring far more than a cyclist with a 700x25 or larger tire.

Shifting cogs on a cassette is always faster than changing chainrings.

SHBR

A triple seems like overkill to me, unless I was riding offroad or carrying heavy loads.

delcrossv

Racebike: 53/43 front, 11-28 back

Commuter: 50/38/26 front, 12-34 8 speed back.

Barrettscv 

Gearing on a bike is a personal choice for the informed cyclist. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. During the last 5 years, I've installed multiple divetrains on multiple bikes. I've also ridden a wide range of terrain, from flat Illinois roads to Cat 1 climbs in Italy.

I've tried the following set-ups;

Bike#1(A). Triple crank with 50, 39 & 26 chainrings in combination with an 11-23 ten speed cassette.
This provide close gearing on flatter rides but still offers low enough gearing for moderate climbs. Very tight gear spacing is available from 15 to 35 mph. Frequent changes on the front chainring are avoided, the 39t chainring is good up to 25 mph and covers all flat terrain riding. The 26t chainring can cover most of steeper climbs, up to about 14%

Bike#1(B). Triple crank with 50, 39 & 26 chainrings in combination with a 12-27 ten speed cassette.
This provide close gearing on flatter rides but still offers low enough gearing for difficult 15-20% climbs. Very tight gear spacing is available from 16 to 31 mph. Frequent changes on the front chainring are avoided, the 39t chainring is good up to 23 mph and covers most flat terrain riding. The 26t chainring can cover all of steeper climbs, up to 18% or more.

Bike#1(C). Triple crank with 50, 39 & 26 chainrings in combination with an 11-32 ten speed cassette.
This provide useful gearing on flatter rides and offers low enough gearing for loaded touring with difficult climbs. Gearing spacing is twice that of the other cassettes, larger changes in cadence are required with almost all gear changes. Frequent changes on the front chainring are avoided, the 39t chainring is good from 10 to 25 mph and covers all flat terrain riding and even is good on moderate hills. The 26t chainring is the ultimate bail-out option, this offers a huge gear range. I need to avoid the small-small gear combination since this exceeds the chain wrap capacity of the Ultegra GS derailleur.

Bike #2 (A). A standard double with 50 & 39t chainrings in combination with a 12-27 ten speed cassette.
This provide close gearing on flatter rides but still offers low enough gearing for moderate climbs. Very tight gear spacing is available from 16 to 31 mph. Frequent changes on the front chainring are avoided, the 39t chainring is good up to 23 mph. Super steep climbs are a challenge, depending on fitness.

Bike #2 (B). A standard double with 50 & 39t chainrings in combination with a 11-23 ten speed cassette.
This provide close gearing on flatter rides but still offers low enough gearing for moderate climbs. Very tight gear spacing is available from 15 to 33 mph. Frequent changes on the front chainring are avoided, the 39t chainring is good up to 25 mph and covers all flat terrain riding. Steep climbs are a challenge for all but the fittest riders.

Bike #2 (C). A Compact double with 50 & 34t chainrings in combination with a 12-27 ten speed cassette.
This provide close gearing on flatter rides but still offers low enough gearing for moderate and steep climbs. Very tight gear spacing is available from 16 to 31 mph. Frequent changes on the front chainring are required on flat terrain, the 34t chainring is good up to 20 mph. Super steep climbs are possible for moderately fit riders.

Bike #2 (D). A Compact double with 50 & 34t chainrings in combination with an 11-32 ten speed cassette.
This provides low enough gearing for the steepest climbs. Gear spacing is twice that of the other cassettes, larger changes in cadence are required. Frequent changes on the front chainring are required on flat terrain, the 34t chainring is good up to 22 mph. Steep climbs are possible for almost all riders.

I also have a 48,36 & 22 crankset with a nine speed 12-27 or 11-32 cassette on a touring/monstercross bike. My vintage road bike has a 52,42 & 30 crankset with a 12-21 eight speed cassette and a 48,36 & 26 crankset with a 13-24 freewheel on my vintage Cyclocross bike.

sstorkel

FWIW, I've never found this to be the case. The 50T chainring works quite well for me in the 15-20mph range.

Having owned both road triple (52/39/30) and compact (50/34) cranks, I'm pretty happy with the compact. The primary advantage of the road triple is the large number of duplicated gear ratios, which means you can minimize front shifting. Luckily, front shifting has gotten so good that I no longer feel the need to avoid front shifts. The downside to triples is that they're becoming less and less common, especially among higher-end component groups. SRAM has never offered any triples, Campagnolo doesn't currently offer a triple from what I can tell, and Shimano only offers triples at the 105 level and below.

I still have an Ultegra 6600-series triple on my touring bike, but I suspect it's the last road triple I'll ever own. My next bike will likely have a Di2 drivetrain and triples aren't an option there...

Barrettscv 

Campagnolo offer both 3x10 and 3x11 triple divetrains: Athena Power-Torque 11x3 crankset - Components Campagnolo

I can guarantee that there are situations where you change up from the 34 chainring to the 50 while traveling in the 15-20 mph speed range. A shallow climb that includes a few flat sections or a headwind while on a flat route would inevitably cause a change of the chainrings in this speed range, especially if the cyclist is avoiding the 15-17-19-21 cogsets spacing.

If I had to use a Double, it would be a 46x36 and not a 50x34.

Jarrett2

I've found the same in my limited experience. I stay in the big ring up front for all but my steepest climbs, which isn't too much around here.

Barrettscv 

What cassette(s) do you use?

LGHT

I have a 53/34 crank with a I think is a 12-28 10 speed cassette. I've been told it's not a good setup for a new rider, but I'm cheap and it's what the bike came with so it is what it is. I just went on my 12th ride on a road bike ever so still learning and reading. Still trying to decipher everything in this post and will probably just print it and read it at home.

Jarrett2

..

Black wallnut 

You make me laugh. In one post you say the smart solution is a triple and now you also want to try a cx double with an 11 sp cassette and you say it would be versatile set-up. This is more overlap than a compact double as well as slower on the fast end and way faster on the slow end than either a compact double or your preferred triple.

However you are right in that triples are so far superior to compact doubles which is why every major bike maker makes it the default gearing on all but their race bikes.........What is that? They don't; wonder why that is? The truth is in road bikes if you are buying new and wanting mid level and higher group sets finding a triple is going to be a problem.

Barrettscv 

Yawn. A 3x10 or 3x11 triple will always provide a complete gear range, always. A double might satisfy the large bulk of retail sales situations, but not all.

Compact doubles are all about reducing inventory at retail while serving most, but not all sales requirements.

Fortunately, I'm not limited to what's offered at retail.

SambaMixte

As a Clysdale, I ride a triple chain ring and need 'most every one to make the commute. Could I go faster with a 50 or 52 tooth chainring? probaley, but there is no need to. Even the moderate downhills I have, I'm pushing 40mph. 48-39-30 and 9 speed shimano in the rear is fine, as it gets me up all the hills. The first day I took the 46/18 fixie out, I thought my legs were going to die, but you adapt. I've never tried the 'Compact Double' but I have lighter friends who ride them. I believe they would force you to be faster or walk (uphill), but remain happy with the triple.

MikeRides

28-38-48 crank, 11-32 cassette. I rarely use the small ring, unless I'm climbing a hill with a full load on my bike which is extremely rare.

Black wallnut 

I'm not limited to OEM supplied gearing either but choose to keep what my bikes came with. I do ride in a variety of terrain. I do ride in the wind, often, and often strong gusty winds. I do not agree with your assessment of compact doubles. Below 20 mph I have no issues with my 34 chain ring. I find shifting between chain rings no harder or slower than shifting on the cassette.

I'm confused on which it is in your opinion one drivetrain combination or no one-size-fits-all? Enjoy the ride.

Willbird

34/28 at 90 rpm is 8.5 mph...it is fairly flat here where I live so it would take a killer wind for me to be wishing for a lower cog to shift to.

Here is what your setup would look like if it were a 12-27, they do not show 12-28 in 10 speed.

https://www.gear-calculator.com/#KB=3...5&UF=2099&SL=2

They show an 11-28


https://www.gear-calculator.com/#KB=3...5&UF=2099&SL=2

In my own case the transition from Hybrid to Road Bike will take some getting used to, but I'm thinking for around here I will want a narrower cassette than 11-32 9 speed with 50/43 front, I am buying a spare chain with the bike so popping on something interesting to try will not be a super big deal :-).

txags92

I currently ride a 53/39/30 with a 12-25 9-speed cassette. My new bike is going to have a 50/34 with a 11-28 11-speed cassette. Looking at a gear calculator, I don't see much difference in where I will be spending most of my time. I typically spin a cadence around 85-90 RPM, and ride in the 17-20 mph range on most rides. So I am usually in my 53 about 80% of the time, and with the 50, I should be able to spend even more of my time there. I contemplated getting a 52/36 crank instead of the 50/34, but I like the idea of the 34-28 combination being almost identical to the 30-25 I have on my current bike. Sometimes it is just nice to have that one more lower gear you can go to when you are worn out and trying to make it up one more climb.

adrien

Well, this is fun.

I personally find triples to be a PITA. Front shifting is challenging, parts are much harder to come by and the gear duplication is very high.

Three things not mentioned on the doubles discussion: the new generation of road derailleurs includes mid-cage, allowing up to 32 in the back (started by SRAM, but others are jumping on board); the new generation of front derailleurs is much, much better, such that all 20 or 22 gears can really be used (because the FD cage pivots slightly as it moves from big ring to small ring); and finally, a double is lighter and simpler than a triple (remember, it's not only the crankset but also the brighter that needs to be different).

For me, on a bike for the road, the only time I'd contemplate a triple anymore is for loaded touring, and even then I'm likely to go double.

youcoming

My main bike has a 52-36 with a 11-25 in 11 speed, if I could my other bike would have the same but it has a 50-34 with a 12-25. I'm much happier with the first set up. I will admit though I'm not one to worry about cadance I use the gear that either feels right or lets me keep up. I kept track of cadance for two years on my Garmin and I averaged exactly 82 both years with over 20000k, after that I realized that's my range and I don't bother looking anymore..lol The tandem has a 53-39-30 with a 12-34 and we use everyone of those lol.
I've said it before on here, unless you are hurting your knees I believe cadance is blown way out of porportion, use what works for you not everyone can climb at a cadance of 90+.

chasm54

Well, I beg to differ. The Shimano 105 triple I am currently using shifts effortlessly up-front, I have no problem with it at all. Parts, as yet, are not hard to come by, though it's clear that the big companies are trying to phase out their road triple offerings. As for duplication of gears, you get that on doubles too - with the added disadvantages of shifting much more frequently at the front, and having wide spaces between ratios at the back.

​De gustibus non est disputandem.

fietsbob

OK since this is all focused on derailleur road Bikes I wont say anything, much, about the IGH bikes I actually ride most of the time, now.

50-40-24 <C> 'race' triple 13-28t 6 speed freewheel . its in the C&V niche , friction shift bar ends, older Campag F&R,Derailleur


now I use the Rohloff hub - Bike Friday more .. and the 3speed + Swiss Mountain Drive 2 speed crank, Brompton, a Lot.

Drew Eckhardt 

One personalized drive train based on fitness, weight, and local terrain that works for all rides.

That could be very different for a 150 pound rider that manges 250 Watts for an hour than 200 pound one at 200 Watts. The same rider may need lower gears in the Colorado Rockies than Florida where the tallest hill is 345 feet. Being able to spin 145 RPM when needed offers a lot more latitude than when you're a new cyclist that can't break 100.