Triple on a road bike - yay or nay

[jimboalee]

I don't mind 'Whole step', 'Double step' or even 'Alpine' chainsets.

Never had a 'Half step'.

You just have to remember where the combinations are, so when you shift rings, you get the chain up or down the correct number of sprockets.

 

[PpPete]

I think of my 30/42/52 ( with a 9 cassette ) as a 42 ring with 7 gears ( the middle 7 ). There are some higher gears with the big ring and some lower gears with the little ring.

With you there Jim. It's how I try to ride.... with the intention of only ever wearing out and replacing the middle ring.

But exactly what is a "half step" "single step" "double step" let alone an "alpine"?
Could you explain please - or link me to somewhere it's explained ?

 

[Carboncyclestore]

I have always had a triple on my road bike.

Like you I dont race I enjoy the European Raids and UK Sportives.

On the Raid Pyrenean I used the granny Ring on all the mountains and found it to be essential!! for me anyway.
On the Raid we were crossing 3 or 4 cols a day, one day we had the Cat 1 Marie Blanque, Hor Cat Aubisque and then had the Tourmalet at the end of the days riding..I rode strongly that day but honestly dont think I would have done it on a 39T.

On the U.K sportives I like to have it there if I need it which I always do because there is usually always at least 1 really steep climb.

I cant recommend a triple more from what you have said about the type of riding you do.

 

[jimboalee]

I have always had a triple on my road bike.

Like you I dont race I enjoy the European Raids and UK Sportives.

On the Raid Pyrenean I used the granny Ring on all the mountains and found it to be essential!! for me anyway.
On the Raid we were crossing 3 or 4 cols a day, one day we had the Cat 1 Marie Blanque, Hor Cat Aubisque and then had the Tourmalet at the end of the days riding..I rode strongly that day but honestly dont think I would have done it on a 39T.

On the U.K sportives I like to have it there if I need it which I always do because there is usually always at least 1 really steep climb.

I cant recommend a triple more from what you have said about the type of riding you do.

Preparing for those climbs consists of a lot of 'leg press' in the gym, plus a few dozen 20 minute 300+ Watt sessions on the gym bike turning the cranks at 55 - 60 rpm.

A 39 x 21 should do the trick.

 

[Sharky]

Thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and look at some old posts.

But noticed a lot pf the posts are duplicates or even triplicates. Is it me or the site?

@Shaun

Cheers keith

 

[Gravity Aided]

With you there Jim. It's how I try to ride.... with the intention of only ever wearing out and replacing the middle ring.

But exactly what is a "half step" "single step" "double step" let alone an "alpine"?
Could you explain please - or link me to somewhere it's explained ?

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-theory.html

 

[Ajax Bay]

@Gravity Aided
In the 8 years which has passed since @PpPete asked that question in 2010, he has gained a lot of experience - certainly he seemed very knowledgeable as we briefly rode in company towards Moffat after dark on the second day of LEL (at about 600km). It was his second LEL.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I didn't catch it in 2010.
But good info for the congregation at large.

 

[PpPete]

@Gravity Aided
....he has gained a lot of experience .....

But not much wisdom!
Having ridden triples for years now I'm seriously considering my options to achieve a super compact (sub-compact?) as modern RDs have a sufficient range to make life bearable with only two rings up front.
My second best road bike is now running 44-28 front (mounted on middle & inner of triple crankset, with a bashguard outer) with 11-32 ten speed cassette. Gives a very appropriate spread of gears for an old fart like me.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Sounds good, better than a 1-1 on the low end. You should be able to climb trees with that.

 

[andrew_s]

But exactly what is a "half step" "single step" "double step" let alone an "alpine"?
Could you explain please - or link me to somewhere it's explained ?

Half step was used back when the rear was only 5 or 6 speed.
If you had a 14-28 5-speed block, the interval between gears is about 20%.
The idea was that you would have 2 chainrings 10% apart, to split the difference in a rear shift.

You'd end up shifting at the front every shift, but you'd get smaller gaps between gears.
Going down from top, you'd have a sequence like ...
48/14, 44/14, 48/17, 44/17, 48/20...

You could get special front mechs to handle the small difference between chainrings.

"Half step plus granny" was also a thing - a triple like 48/44/24, which gave close ratio cruising gears without losing the climbing gears.

"Alpine" is a smaller than compact double - something like 42/28.
It gives the climbing gears for going up an Alp, and the expectation is that you aren't racing so 42/11 is high enough for the valley roads.

 

[classic33]

42/52/62 triple on the road bike.