Wileyrat

I'm keeping the 53/42 on my old Team Fuji, but the last roadie I bought is a 50/34 with 11/28 on the back. I chose that to give me a break, and not have mash up hills anymore.

PaulH

My next bike might have an 18 speed Roholoff instead of my current 7 speed Nexus.

big john

Not trying to knock you or others who say the same thing but most of your riding on the 39? I'm a little overweight and 64 and a little out of shape but I stay in the 50 until the climbs get steep or long. I have a triple on another bike and use the 52 a lot on that one. I wouldn't like a bike with a 39 big ring.

IronM

I can’t really brag about any of the bikes I’ve had over the years. I used to race masters, and have had several really nice race rigs. But I didn’t love them. Now my older, beat-up training, crit & rain bike – that’s a trusted friend. She may not be fast or pretty – but she fits just right & I always reach for her 1st. Not a show bike by any standard, nor particularly old compared to some, but that’s my bike – she’s a keeper! Changes due: new rims (they don’t last forever) as is changing out the crank to at least a semi-compact (knees…).

jlaw

I understand how the 39T ring sounds small, but plug your chainring numbers (50/34 ?) and my chainring numbers (39/26) into a bike gear ratio calculator using an 11-32 cassette. One of the calculators can be found here: BikeCalc.com - Bicycle Gear Speed Chart

You'll notice that my highest combination (39-11) with a 90 rpm cadence yields a speed of 25mph which is approximately the same as your 50-14 combo. Your combo does yield a max. speed of 32mph with 50-11, but I don't do a lot of pedaling at a sustained 25+ mph pace. What I do gain is serious hill-climbing ability with the 26T small ring which I need.

I am impressed with the many BF posters who ride vintage road bikes with their smallest chainring being a 42T and still manage to charge right up the hillls. I am not one of those people!

ctpres

At 79 age and riding changes for me: lower motivation to ride, lower gears on road bike, ride MTB a lot more often, less miles per year, less miles per ride, lower average speed and need better weather to ride.

Oldguyonoldbike

I'm with you. I'm very happy to have the bail out ring, but I tend to cruise in either the 53 or 42 ring. Of course, that may change with time too.
It's too bad that triples are so hard to find these days, except at the low end of product ranges. For me anyhow, the shorter intervals between gears on the triple more than make up for the extra weight compared to the large steps between gears on a wide-range double, not to mention a 1x.

Oldguyonoldbike

I get your point too. The whole reason I went with the triple was to tackle hills I was beginning to avoid. The 30t chainring is great for that. I also like going really fast down the other side! I do use the 53t chainring, but I rarely use it with the 11t cog, and I won't pretend that I use it going uphill (unless it's a really little hill and I've got lots and lots of momentum.)

JohnDThompson 

If you want to keep using your vintage 144mm BCD crank, you can always mount a "triplizer ring" and use a longer bottom bracket spindle. You'll be able to mount a widely-available 74mm BCD inner ring as small as 24T:


144 BCD Triplizer, 42 Teeth

big john

Nor am I! I've always been aware of my need for low climbing gears and back when I had a 42 small ring (1991 and before) I used a 28 cog out back. Recently I bought a new mtb with a single ring (30) in front and a 46 in back. Sometimes I want a lower gear on that thing, too.

bruce19

When I came back to cycling after an 8 yr. layoff I was 58. I rode a 53/39 crank. Can't remember the cassette although I think it was something like a 13x25. I was also 20+ lbs overweight. I struggled with that setup for a year or two until a guy I knew suggested a compact 50x34. He was a former track guy who was on target to make an Olympics team until he was hit by a car in training. Broke his leg. I figured if he was suggesting it I should try it. Ah, much better. Today I have two different cassettes to go with the compact. A 12x28 and a 11x26. These days my weight is down to 185 and I'm starting to be in shape and am using the 11x26. Seems to be going well although I will admit that at that weight and age 72 I'm never going to be a mountain goat.

Wildwood 

Concession to aging?
I've shortened my crank arm lengths. No more 175s for me on new builds.
And to those who say 'You can't tell the difference' - after riding 165/170s for months, getting back on a bike with 175 is very noticeable.