Changing chainset from triple to compact

[phil_hg_uk]

Ok I need some help and views on this.

Currently I have a 2010 Specialized Secteur Elite Triple and which is 50 × 39 × 30 I have been pondering changing the chainset for a compact, looking at the Shimano 5700 105 Compact Chainset it is 34 x 50 so how much different is that going to be and will I lose some hill climbing gears on the harder climbs.

Would I be better of with a better combination on the front and if so what.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Do you ride the bike loaded with luggage? If not you'll probably be fine, if so triple is the way to stay, probably. Do you spend most of your time in the big ring and hardly any in the small? Are you prepared to swap the cassette out to get a lower bottom gear?

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Do you ride the bike loaded with luggage? If not you'll probably be fine, if so triple is the way to stay, probably. Do you spend most of your time in the big ring and hardly any in the small? Are you prepared to swap the cassette out to get a lower bottom gear?

I have upped the mileage on the bike in the last couple of weeks and I am finding I spend most of my time in either the big ring on the flat/slight incline/downhill and the middle on all but the really steep hills. However one of the hills i have now do my training route on it extremely steep ( I deliberately choose it for that reason ) and I need the granny ring for that one, but I am sick of having to fanny about across 3 rings if 2 will do.

I was thinking if it was a matter of mixing and matching chainring sizes I could just purchase whatever size rings I need rather than having to stick to the range supplies by the likes of shimano, but I dont know what I need.

The cassette at the moment is a 12 - 27 and there isn't much wiggle room there as the max it will take is a 28 as I already checked that out once before.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Seriously; why would you want to change it? You are going to end up with the same gear at the top of the range and lose some lower down.

A ponderance pre-purchase for sure but not when you are already up & running with what you have.

What do you mean by 'better' combination? What you have looks quite 'better' to me unless you need some 53 tooth mega-ring to hurtle down the side of a cliff without spinning out.

Or are you just worried that the triple does not look as cool as the compact?

I just thought why have all these gears when I could simplify everything by having the same range but with less gear changes and less messing about when I need to index them, so I thought I would look into what the upsides and down sides are.

Also I have noticed that more and more bikes seem to be compacts now.

I don't care about the cool factor that is not even a consideration.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I just thought why have all these gears when I could simplify everything by having the same range but with less gear changes and less messing about when I need to index them, so I thought I would look into what the upsides and down sides are.

Also I have noticed that more and more bikes seem to be compacts now.

I don't care about the cool factor that is not even a consideration.

Well, you essentially only use two rings now with an occasional foray onto the granny which you say you need. So I'm not sure where there is any gain for you.

I'd keep my money in my pocket and stay as is tbh.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Well, you essentially only use two rings now with an occasional foray onto the granny which you say you need. So I'm not sure where there is any gain for you.

I'd keep my money in my pocket and stay as is tbh.

Fair enough I just thought I would investigate as sooner or later the chainring will need replacing and it is always an option.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Hacienda71]

I have both. My lighter newer bike has a Sram compact set up and my older heavier Ribble has a triple. Riding both I wouldn't for a minute consider changing the triple to a compact. The compact is ok but I find myself riding with a poor chainline as I don't want to make the big drop onto the little ring on the front. If I didn't spend so much time in the Pennines I would change the compact for a standard double. I could ride most climbs with a double, but there are one or two climbs like Winnats that I fear I would have to walk with a standard double.

 

[fossyant]

Compact is far better than a triple for a road bike, without touring loads.

Triples are quite tricky to keep cadence etc, its hard work enough off road using a triple.

I am still standard doubles, but some of the seriously steep stuff aren't pretty at all.

 

[ColinJ]

Why spend a lot of money to give yourself a smaller range of gears, bigger steps between the rings, and a poorer chainline?

 

[jowwy]

Compact is far better than a triple for a road bike, without touring loads.

Triples are quite tricky to keep cadence etc, its hard work enough off road using a triple.

I am still standard doubles, but some of the seriously steep stuff aren't pretty at all.

i found it the other way round - i started off with a compact and found it tricky finding nice cruising gears within the range

now i have the triple, i use the middle 39 ring for all the cruising, big ring for head down arse up speed and then theres the granny ring for the long steep hillclimbs through the welsh valleys, that seem to be at the turn of every damn corner i go around

every body is different in what they ride, how they ride and what they want to get out of their ride.........

stick with the triple, its far far far easier to get up them pesky hills

 

[lulubel]

Compact is far better than a triple for a road bike, without touring loads.

Triples are quite tricky to keep cadence etc, its hard work enough off road using a triple.

I am still standard doubles, but some of the seriously steep stuff aren't pretty at all.

Why do you say triples are tricky to keep cadence?

Thanks to the wider choice of chain rings, you can have a closer range on the cassette, which surely makes it easier to keep cadence.

To the OP, changing it seems like spending money for the sake of spending money to me. A triple is easy to index once you've had a bit of practice.

 

[Broadside]

Hi Phil,

I've got both, a Secteur Sport triple which I have covered many thousands of miles on and a Tarmac Sport which has got a mid-compact (52/36) setup; my Tarmac is new and I am just coming up to 1,000 miles on it but I feel like I know it pretty well now. Moving to the compact I really notice the drop from the large to the small ring and usually have to combine this with a rear shift at the same time to keep the cadence from going crazy. The step from large-mid on the triple is a much nicer step change IMO. I don't dislike the compact but it is different to a triple and I wouldn't consider it to be a worthwhile upgrade, I do definitely end up with chainlines on the compact that I wouldn't have run on the triple.

I would not consider changing my Secteur for a compact - if I was really after some 105 shifters I would just buy the triple versions to put on the Secteur. Just my opinion of course but having ridden both quite a lot I wouldn't find it a worthwhile change, more like I would find the change a bit annoying because of the necessary double shifting after spending a load of cash doing it.

As you can see I waited for my next bike before moving to a compact. I have got a slightly higher lowest gear now but I am fitter as well so it doesn't trouble me like it would have when I was starting out 4 years ago!

 

[Over The Hill]

I would say triple gives the gears you need and there will be times in the future when you may have a lay off and be glad you kept the granny ring.
Also triple is easy to change up or down a notch as you go but the compact has such a jump you may end up with more gear chages as you have to go up one on the back when you down on the front (or vice versa)

 

[HLaB]

This is maybe only me but I would stick with the tripple and up gear the outer chainrigs (42t and 52t) if you can afford it; doubles are only really a fashion thing.

 

[TheDoctor]

I swapped a triple for a compact.
I wish I hadn't. I'm now forever swapping between the two rings - on the triple I mostly stayed in the middle, with forays into the big ring if I felt fit (seldom) and the granny ring if the road got a bit hilly for my liking (often).