Double, triple or compact? Help.

[Mange-tout]

I'm looking for a road / audax type bike for a short lady with small hands, so am really looking at a ladies bike for the short reach, and comfort in mind rather than a 'race' bike. Trouble is I think I need a triple as I use all the gears on my hybrid, but there's much more choice in my price range (about £600-£800) if I stick to a double or compact (I've decided to aim for the new Sora at least). But I'm not sure if I'm mistakenly ignoring the ones that aren't triple and therefore limiting my choice.

For example, I could get a triple with 50/39/30 and 11/28 or 'compacts' of 50/34 and 12/30 or 11/28 or 12/28. Trouble is I don't know which of the rear numbers make the difference? Which of these compacts have the lowest gear? Is it the 11/28 or 12/30? And what difference would I notice between the 50/34 compact and 50/39/30 triple if the rear cogs are the same?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Typhon]

Basically the highest number on the back is the lowest/easiest gear, so 12-30 has a lower gear than 11-28. It's the opposite on the front - the lower the number the lower the gear.

A standard 50/34 compact with the same cassette as a 50/39/30 will have a big chain ring that's exactly the same, but a small chairing that's roughly in between the middle and small chainring on the triple (slightly nearer the smaller one).

The best thing to do with gears I find is to work out the ratio. Divide the number of teeth on the front by the number on the back. E.g. let's say that 50/34 compact has an 11-28 cassette, that's 34 divided by 28 which is 1.241. If it had a 12-30 cassette it would be 34 divided by 30 so 1.133. A lower number, so a lower, easier gear.

If you work that out for your current bikes and bikes you're looking at you can work it if you'll have a bigger lowest gear than you have now, if that makes sense.

 

[montage]

compact.
triple is a pain to adjust.
double is too much if you live somewhere hilly

 

[Mange-tout]

That's a great explanation, thanks. I always wondered how it all works. I'll calculate the ratio of my lowest hybrid gearing (it's 3 x 8) and arm myself with a calculator for another session of bike watching. Using the ratio method I suppose I could work out which combination of front and rear cogs on my current hybrid would be most like the lowest gear I would get on a compact? And then try sticking with this gear when the going gets tough before making my final decision.

 

[Mange-tout]

compact.
triple is a pain to adjust.
double is too much if you live somewhere hilly

That's really why I fancy a compact for a change, less chance of the gears going skew wif, and the fact there's much more choice of models. However I do struggle on the hills (only going up) so need to make the right choice.

 

[Typhon]

That's a great explanation, thanks. I always wondered how it all works. I'll calculate the ratio of my lowest hybrid gearing (it's 3 x 8) and arm myself with a calculator for another session of bike watching. Using the ratio method I suppose I could work out which combination of front and rear cogs on my current hybrid would be most like the lowest gear I would get on a compact? And then try sticking with this gear when the going gets tough before making my final decision.

No problem. Yep you could do exactly that.

 

[Mo1959]

That's really why I fancy a compact for a change, less chance of the gears going skew wif, and the fact there's much more choice of models. However I do struggle on the hills (only going up) so need to make the right choice.

If it gives you any help. I am not a good climber but manage the hills around here with a compact with 11-28 so I think the 12-30 should definitely get you up pretty much anywhere depending on your fitness level.

 

[kerndog]

That's really why I fancy a compact for a change, less chance of the gears going skew wif, and the fact there's much more choice of models. However I do struggle on the hills (only going up) so need to make the right choice.

Hi - I started riding a road bike a couple of months ago after along time off a bike and got a compact double with a 11/25 cassette on the back. I live in cornwall and it's hilly, around 100ft climbing per mile. after a week or two I swapped out the cassette for a 12/28 and it made all the difference. not sure a triple is necessary to be honest although I'm no expert!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've got one bike with a triple, and used to have another, and I've never had more trouble indexing the front dérailleur than the rear one.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

That's really why I fancy a compact for a change, less chance of the gears going skew wif, and the fact there's much more choice of models. However I do struggle on the hills (only going up) so need to make the right choice.

Test ride different bikes and find out if you prefer a triple or a compact, don't listen to people who say that triples are hard to adjust - they aren't.

 

[coffeejo]

Another shorty here.

If I could go back in time and buy my road bike all over again I would get it with a triple. I'd also ensure it came with compact handlebars. Just had the latter fitted after 18+ months and it's made a HUGE difference to the way the bike handles, especially on the descents. I've also got rubber insert thingies (technical terms being my speciality) to make braking easier from the hoods as I've only got ickle hands.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'd always go with a triple, given the option. They're no harder to set up than a triple, and far more customisable. Compacts always have me swapping from one end of the cassette to the other as I change chainrings.
Of course, what I really want is a super-compact chainset - about 40/28 or so. I rarely used the big ring when I had a triple...

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

I would get a triple if you have any doubts about hills. I have never had any issues with the front mech operation, I just love the spread of gears that it gives you. I spend most of the time on the middle chainring which I guess is similar to that of a bike fitted with a double chainset's inner chainring. Then again I have a dodgy knee and have a 28t inner chainring and a 28t cassette. The extra weight having a third chainring has never bothered me as I would guess it is neglible and it is well worthwhile having a granny ring as bail out option and the excellent gearing that the middle chainring gives for fairly flat riding.

 

[Venod]

Basically the highest number on the back is the lowest/easiest gear, so 12-30 has a lower gear than 11-28. It's the opposite on the front - the lower the number the lower the gear.

A standard 50/34 compact with the same cassette as a 50/39/30 will have a big chain ring that's exactly the same, but a small chairing that's roughly in between the middle and small chainring on the triple (slightly nearer the smaller one).

The best thing to do with gears I find is to work out the ratio. Divide the number of teeth on the front by the number on the back. E.g. let's say that 50/34 compact has an 11-28 cassette, that's 34 divided by 28 which is 1.241. If it had a 12-30 cassette it would be 34 divided by 30 so 1.133. A lower number, so a lower, easier gear.

If you work that out for your current bikes and bikes you're looking at you can work it if you'll have a bigger lowest gear than you have now, if that makes sense.

Or just look up your gear in a gear table there are loads on line, some you can download & enter your own figures.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

 

[Mange-tout]

Thank you everyone for your advice. Lots to think about, and I've had fun telling my husband how to measure his gear ratio. I think he's in the garage now as I type........

I've worked out that my Cannondale Quick hybrid has a lowest gear ratio of 0.875, which I use on the steepest hills, and which I can't replicate on a 'road' bike. However, two of the bikes I fancy have very similar ratios of 1.06 and 1.07 - the 1.06 is a compact, Cannondale Synapse at 50/34 and 12-32, and the other a triple, Scott Contessa. I could therefore choose either of these and have to put in the same effort in the lowest gear. However the Scott is £100 more.

Despite me being swayed by the decals and colours of various models, I will make my choice based on gearing / components / price and secondly on whether it has a pretty colour. There's no point having a gorgeous bike that you have to get off and push. The lowest ratio I've found so far is 1.0 on a Specialised Dolce triple, but the price is more than I want, sorry, am allowed, to spend.

Saying all this, I used to have just 12 gears on my old Raleigh racer in the 80's, I suspect it was much too big, I couldn't reach the brakes very easily, the seat was all the way down, but the gears were handily placed on the down tube and I could get up any hill without walking. Oh, to be young again.