[road]

My trek pilot 2.1 came as a 105 triple and I’ve just carried on with that, now on the standard hollowtech II tiagra triple that I transfered to the Cayo. I have ridden a double which works ok with the right cassette but I do like my hills. I’m wondering whether its with going to a double next time I change the crankset.
Any thoughts or wisdom welcomed thanks.

Topic

[Matt eaton]

I generally like my bikes
I generally like my bikes without gears but when they are needed triples rule.

Standard doubles also have their place but compact doubles are not my cup of tea. They might look more ‘pro’ than a triple but that big jump between chainrings seems pretty inelegant to me (and my legs).

[CygnusX1]

Surprised nobody has quoted
Surprised nobody has quoted The Rules yet…

Rule #47 // Drink Tripels, don’t ride triples.

Personally, I don’t care too much for the rules [prepares for the inquisition] but would say the first half of this one should be obeyed, the second part is up to you. :))

[Simon E]

alexb wrote:I do wonder if

alexb wrote:

I do wonder if the answer isn’t a modern take on the half step plus granny.
Use a wide ration cassette and close ratio chainrings. I think somethin like 48,44t at the front would allow you to bridge the jumps in the rear sprocket with no overlapping gears.

46/36 CX chainset, as I have been suggesting for some time.

With 11-32 a 10 speed (11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-28-32). No yawning gaps there.

46×11 = 110″
36×32 = 30″, which is the same lowest ratio as a triple’s 30×25, though admittedly no match for the super-low gears discussed above, when a triple is usually the ideal solution.

I don’t have a problem with overlapping gears, you select the chainring for the terrain and move up and down. Simples 😉

[HowardR]

Looking at the
Looking at the following:
12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-26
12-13-14-15-16-17-19-22-25-28
12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-30
Against a 48/44/XX – none of them work quite so well as the 44/42/28 (13-28) ~X(

Another thing you can’t readily get any more is the ‘straight through’ block :”(
One of my other ‘favourite’ gering set ups was a 44 X 13,14,15,16,17,18
which gives: 99.0~91.4~84.9~79.2~74.3~69.9~66.0
Simplicity & practicality B-)

[alexb]

I have a triple 50,40,30
I have a triple 50,40,30 running on a 10 speed set up with a 26t lowest sprocket. It’s a pretty good set up, but I know there’s a lot of duplicated ratios.

My commuter has an 8 speed hub gear and the range is fine, but the jumps would be hard work on something like an Audax.

I do wonder if the answer isn’t a modern take on the half step plus granny.
Use a wide ration cassette and close ratio chainrings. I think somethin like 48,44t at the front would allow you to bridge the jumps in the rear sprocket with no overlapping gears.

[HowardR]

One of my all time favourite
One of my all time favourite touring chainring/sprocket set ups (yes I do lead a sad & empty life to have such a thing) was back in the day’s of 6 speed blocks. – The ‘Half step & granny gear’

At the front was a 44/42/28
At the back: 13/15/17/20/24/28

Which gives:
91.4 ~79.2~69.9~59.4~49.5~42.4
87.2~75.6 ~66.7~56.7~47.3~40.5
58.2~50.4 4~4.5~37.8~31.5~27.0

You use the front mech as much as the rear, but as there’s only 2 tooth jump between the big & middle ring it’s a very smooth change.

I can’t find any modern ‘off-the-shelf’ set up that gives me such a USEFUL range of ratios.

[CXR94Di2]

My mountain setup is
My mountain setup is 50/34:::11-40 11speed 😀

[Jack Osbourne snr]

My Audax bike has a 53-42-30
My Audax bike has a 53-42-30 Record triple fitted and usually a 13-29 cassette. I like this setup because I frequently just go and ride “somewhere” without a specific route and regularly find myself at the bottom of a wall.

I’m currently on holiday in Brittany and here its mostly rolling hills with the occasional steeper incline in or out of river valleys – I’m yet to use the granny.

At home in Scotland, the granny ring gets used frequently… Especially if I turn South as a 9 mile climb starts at my front door and offers no gentle warmup.

What’s the main reason I ride a triple though? It’s because I took advantage of all the retailers ditching Campag Record (alloy) triple kit for silly prices back in 2007/8 eg I have two chainsets that cost me 80 quid each. I put a full Record gruppo together for just over £500.

[MrC]

I found that on rolling
I found that on rolling terrain I was constantly swapping the front ring on a compact on rolling terrain. Ended being really annoying. I also didn’t like the big jump either
I’ve got a triple on the old bike which was great. I rarely used the small ring on the front, but was bloody glad it was there when I did use it
As they don’t seem to be supporting triples on 105 and above I went for a 46 36 CX on the new bike with an 11 28 on the back. Very happy with it so far. No big jumps front or back and far less changing on the front. If I’m doing anything really hilly I can stick a 12 32 on the back

[alotronic]

rjfrussell wrote:alotronic

rjfrussell wrote:

alotronic wrote:

Triples on a couple of my bikes –

Audax bike – has a close ratio triple (28/38/48 with 12-23 block) which gives me a full spread of very close gears which I very much like.

.

That sounds pretty sweet- who makes the kit?

Well there’s the thing, you either have to bling out on Middleburn (I don’t) or go to Spa Cycles where they will sell you any number of old-school square-taper triples with TA rings for any combo you want (which I did). Shimano do a trekking crankset at 26/36/48 or 28/38/48 but they are from the MTB line so they are overkill for a road bike and look a little out of place. Also Velo Orange from Fresh tripe do some good looking setups if you like a bit of retro.

[Chris James]

I know cadence is a personal
I know cadence is a personal thing, but 53/11 is a heck of a high gear to be using for any sustained period. It’s 16% harder than the gear Bradley Wiggins used for the world hour record and about 20% harder than any gear used by Eddie Merckx in his entire career!

[psling]

I still run a triple on my
I still run a triple on my light tourer but run good old 53/39 double on my road bike though.

”Does anyone need 52/11 top gear, other than the likes of Cav?”

Well, I spend a reasonable part of my 35 minute commute into work at 53/11 and am glad of it. Unfortunately, I spend an unreasonable part of my 55 minute commute home in 39/25…

[Chris James]

issacforce wrote:how about

issacforce wrote:

how about considering the new 11 speed with 52/36chainring with either 11/28 or 11/32 thats my next upgrade, best of both worlds imo :H

The same thought has occurred to me (i.e. 11 speed cassettes making triples redundant).

I am slightly put off by the fact that there is still a 16 tooth jump between chain rings and the dinner plate cassette probably ends up being the same overall weight as a triple!

Does anyone need 52/11 top gear, other than the likes of Cav? According to my calculations, even at a (low) cadence of 90 rpm then that is 34mph! I can sprint up to around 120 rpm, so theoretically 45mph.

[issacforce]

how about considering the new
how about considering the new 11 speed with 52/36chainring with either 11/28 or 11/32 thats my next upgrade, best of both worlds imo :H

[rjfrussell]

2 Wheeled Idiot wrote:Yeah

2 Wheeled Idiot wrote:

Yeah I’d say double….depending on your strength a compact or mid compact and 11-28…you can get up anything short of vertical with that

With all due respect to 2 Wheeled Idiot, who is obviously immensely fitter than I am, mmmm…..

I think there is a lot of masochistic bollocks talked about gearing.

I am pretty fit, I like to think, and am in top 10% on the local climbs (in Kent/ Sussex) such as Toys/ Kidds Hill/ Ditchling Beacon on Strava- for whatever that is worth.

But I spin on a 50/34 & 11-32 set up. And I would not be happy with a lower gear higher than that 34-32 combination.

If you are basically an average guy- not some nailed on semi-pro- I would definitely go for the easiest gears you can- spinning is fast and easy, grinding is slow and hard (and hurts).

[Author]

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