Double or triple?

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ShinSplint

Well-Known Member
Buying my first road bike. Did 30 mile on saturday on my mates Bianchi, with double chainset, and found the hills tough. I am sure I would eventually get used to it, but im thinking I would be much faster uphilll with a triple.

Is there generally a big difference in overall weight with a triple?

What are the other reasons for using a double, other than weight.?

Cheers for any help in advance ;)

Edit to say: Doh ! Thats meant to read "Double or Triple", sorry..
 
Landslide

Landslide

Rare Migrant
Location
Called to the bar
I'm definitely a convert to the way of the triple, but I wouldn't make any sweeping claims about being quicker up hills, just that it hurts less.
Triples weigh approx 1 chainring and a set of chainring bolts extra. This weight can easily be offset by going to the loo before you leave for your ride. There are those who say that doubles look better and that triples are ugly. Such worries are normally just about the furthest thing from my mind when grovelling up gravelly lanes with 20% gradients.
 
yello

yello

back and brave
Location
France
Horses for courses really and you would get used to a double. Weight difference is negligible.

Very general advice; if you're over 40 and/or got suspect knees then play safe with a triple... or perhaps a compact double.

Gearing's not just about double v triple though. You also have a range of options on cassette sizings. A compact plus suitable cassette can give you a gear spread that'll work for you.
 
jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
When you say double it will either be "standard" or compact. Standard is 53/39 and compact is 50/34. Unless you enjoy straining up steep hills with your legs barely going round, or you live somewhere very flat then I suspect your choice will be between a compact and a triple. If you need extra ease of climbing the rear cogs probably will be a max of 25 teeth - swap this for a 27.

The only issue with compact or triple is that you might run out of gears on a steep downhill pedalling hard at 35mph+. Not something I am too bothered about!
 
G

Greenbank

Über Member
Triples have a larger q-factor (the distance between the pedals) and there is some research that this makes for less efficient cycling.

Other than that, it's about gear ranges and chainlines. I have a triple on the geared Audax bike, but then that gets taken to lots of hilly places (Cornwall, Wales, the Peak District) and also gets used for carting around reasonable loads (up to 25kg in panniers). At the end of a hilly 400km ride I'm happy that I've got a tiny gear to sit and spin up a hill when I just want to be finished.

The new carbon bike will have a compact double as I'm planning on taking that to the Alps next year and it'll never carry any luggage.
 
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ShinSplint

Well-Known Member
Cheers for all your replies ;)

jimboalee said:
How heavy was your mate's Bianchi? What was the gearing? And how steep was the hill?
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To be honest, I probably should have wrote this thread in the beginners section, as im completely new to road bikes.

The Bianchi is a fairly old, steel frame, yet feels reasonably light. Gearing... all I can say is its a twin, chainset. Seems a pretty huge cog at the front - but then, as I said, im new to road bikes so maybe its normal.

Can't say how steep the hill was mate.. just felt bloody steep at the time lol
 
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ShinSplint

Well-Known Member
I'm looking at (probably buying) a Trek 1000 tomorrow (from the classifieds). This is a triple, which is probably a good thing as i'll be able to compare that against my mates Bianchi. ;)
 
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SilverSurfer

New Member
jay clock said:
The only issue with compact or triple is that you might run out of gears on a steep downhill pedalling hard at 35mph+. Not something I am too bothered about!
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A triple will have the same top gear as a double so how would this be the case?

Also, if you can swallow your pride to go to the Tiagra level, you can get an 11-25 cassette which gives 34" to ~120" with a 50-34 compact. That's a bigger top gear than a 53-12! And you get a bottom gear similar to a 30-23 on a triple.

Personally I prefer a triple as you get a better chainline and smaller increments. But I have compacts for some reason.
 
jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
A triple will have the same top gear as a double so how would this be the case?
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Only if the double is a compact. If it is 53 largets ring vs 50 on a triple, the 53 will be a bigger gear (assuming the same cassette
 
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