Triple on a road bike - yay or nay

[Bloke]

Wow. Thumbs up all 'round then.

I must admit I love the idea of having that flexibility to maintain your speed but double your cadence, it seems pointless to just default to 1st gear at the foot of every climb and slog all the way up.

I have heard that they can be more problematic or not change gear as sweetly - and of course racers will scorn and spit in disgust, but then every mountain bike I've ever seen has a triple, and all the entry level bikes have them, so they can't be that bad.

What kind of blocks do you guys run at the back in conjunction then?
I think I might be sold! . Yay indeed.

 

[Bloke]

Wow. Thumbs up all 'round then.

I must admit I love the idea of having that flexibility to maintain your speed but double your cadence, it seems pointless to just default to 1st gear at the foot of every climb and slog all the way up.

I have heard that they can be more problematic or not change gear as sweetly - and of course racers will scorn and spit in disgust, but then every mountain bike I've ever seen has a triple, and all the entry level bikes have them, so they can't be that bad.

What kind of blocks do you guys run at the back in conjunction then?
I think I might be sold! . Yay indeed.

 

[Bloke]

Wow. Thumbs up all 'round then.

I must admit I love the idea of having that flexibility to maintain your speed but double your cadence, it seems pointless to just default to 1st gear at the foot of every climb and slog all the way up.

I have heard that they can be more problematic or not change gear as sweetly - and of course racers will scorn and spit in disgust, but then every mountain bike I've ever seen has a triple, and all the entry level bikes have them, so they can't be that bad.

What kind of blocks do you guys run at the back in conjunction then?
I think I might be sold! . Yay indeed.

 

[jimboalee]

From '96 to '98, I rode all my Audax rides, including the Castleton Classic on 52/38 to 13 - 23.
The bike was 24lb.
In '98, I rode the TdeF 1st stage round Co. Wicklow on that bike.

I was stronger then.

My Dawes Giro is the same weight and has a triple. It came as standard.
I only use the 30T ring when the gradient gets to one chevron on the OS map.

 

[jimboalee]

From '96 to '98, I rode all my Audax rides, including the Castleton Classic on 52/38 to 13 - 23.
The bike was 24lb.
In '98, I rode the TdeF 1st stage round Co. Wicklow on that bike.

I was stronger then.

My Dawes Giro is the same weight and has a triple. It came as standard.
I only use the 30T ring when the gradient gets to one chevron on the OS map.

 

[jimboalee]

From '96 to '98, I rode all my Audax rides, including the Castleton Classic on 52/38 to 13 - 23.
The bike was 24lb.
In '98, I rode the TdeF 1st stage round Co. Wicklow on that bike.

I was stronger then.

My Dawes Giro is the same weight and has a triple. It came as standard.
I only use the 30T ring when the gradient gets to one chevron on the OS map.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

every mountain bike I've ever seen has a triple

keep your eyes peeled then as SRAM's top end XX MTB group set is 'only' a double with a wide range 10 speed cassette. Coming to a high end MTB near you soon, I'd say.

fwiw I'm a tourist type with rack and mudguards etc., fitted and thus have an MTB style cassette on't back end of my triple equipped road bike.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

every mountain bike I've ever seen has a triple

keep your eyes peeled then as SRAM's top end XX MTB group set is 'only' a double with a wide range 10 speed cassette. Coming to a high end MTB near you soon, I'd say.

fwiw I'm a tourist type with rack and mudguards etc., fitted and thus have an MTB style cassette on't back end of my triple equipped road bike.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

every mountain bike I've ever seen has a triple

keep your eyes peeled then as SRAM's top end XX MTB group set is 'only' a double with a wide range 10 speed cassette. Coming to a high end MTB near you soon, I'd say.

fwiw I'm a tourist type with rack and mudguards etc., fitted and thus have an MTB style cassette on't back end of my triple equipped road bike.

 

[I am Spartacus]

keep your eyes peeled then as SRAM's top end XX MTB group set is 'only' a double with a wide range 10 speed cassette. Coming to a high end MTB near you soon, I'd say.

fwiw I'm a tourist type with rack and mudguards etc., fitted and thus have an MTB style cassette on't back end of my triple equipped road bike.

sweet... you have to bear in mind that an uphill section on a trail is where you need those lo gears with difficult terrain to negotiate... on the road?
if you need a 26" gear to get up a hill... then you have clearly bonked and need to call for a taxi home

 

[I am Spartacus]

keep your eyes peeled then as SRAM's top end XX MTB group set is 'only' a double with a wide range 10 speed cassette. Coming to a high end MTB near you soon, I'd say.

fwiw I'm a tourist type with rack and mudguards etc., fitted and thus have an MTB style cassette on't back end of my triple equipped road bike.

sweet... you have to bear in mind that an uphill section on a trail is where you need those lo gears with difficult terrain to negotiate... on the road?
if you need a 26" gear to get up a hill... then you have clearly bonked and need to call for a taxi home

 

[I am Spartacus]

keep your eyes peeled then as SRAM's top end XX MTB group set is 'only' a double with a wide range 10 speed cassette. Coming to a high end MTB near you soon, I'd say.

fwiw I'm a tourist type with rack and mudguards etc., fitted and thus have an MTB style cassette on't back end of my triple equipped road bike.

sweet... you have to bear in mind that an uphill section on a trail is where you need those lo gears with difficult terrain to negotiate... on the road?
if you need a 26" gear to get up a hill... then you have clearly bonked and need to call for a taxi home

 

[GrumpyGregry]

if you need a 26" gear to get up a hill... then you have clearly bonked and need to call for a taxi home

bit harsh...

...you might be unfit, like me, or have loads of luggage aboard and are climbing an alpine pass, or just not used to cycling long uphills, or have knackered knees...

...but your point is taken

 

[GrumpyGregry]

if you need a 26" gear to get up a hill... then you have clearly bonked and need to call for a taxi home

bit harsh...

...you might be unfit, like me, or have loads of luggage aboard and are climbing an alpine pass, or just not used to cycling long uphills, or have knackered knees...

...but your point is taken

 

[GrumpyGregry]

if you need a 26" gear to get up a hill... then you have clearly bonked and need to call for a taxi home

bit harsh...

...you might be unfit, like me, or have loads of luggage aboard and are climbing an alpine pass, or just not used to cycling long uphills, or have knackered knees...

...but your point is taken