What happened to 3 chainring setups

[brommieinkorea]

Are triple cranksets out of production? My touring bike is a 3x9 configuration. I really like most things about the bike. My latest bike is a 2021 but it's a Brompton so it's really a 1988. Am I that out of touch with the latest and greatest?

 

[Punkawallah]

Are triple cranksets out of production? My touring bike is a 3x9 configuration. I really like most things about the bike. My latest bike is a 2021 but it's a Brompton so it's really a 1988. Am I that out of touch with the latest and greatest?

For square taper and hollow tech bottom brackets, you can still get triple cranksets. No idea about other specifications, but Spa Cycles are your likely source:
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p0/Drivetrain/Chainsets

 

[wafter]

I'm with you on this and lament the passing of the humble triple...

I think 1x fundamentally suits MTBs as the simplicity is a win from a cleaning / functionality perspective given the conditions they have to endure, while the gaps between ratios is tolerable and even beneficial sometimes.

I’ve never got on with doubles on road / gravel bikes, finding myself skipping between chainrings frequently. I think if there’s ever a good use case for a triple it’s on a gravel bike (or at least those that are more road-adjacent) – since it essentially needs both a good spread of ratios to accommodate mixed terrain and smallish increments between them to keep on-road cadence fairly consistent.

Sadly Shimano have effectively killed the triple as I don’t think any of their current lineup features any – the last being the touring-focussed Deore XT T8000 and Deore T6000 groupsets along with some of the lower-end utility-focussed offerings... all now killed off by Cues which has no triple options

 

[raleighnut]

You’d like the “straight block” freewheel on my ‘77 Centurion touring bike.

12, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17 teeth.

how’s that for close ratio.
View attachment 790652

Ah a 'Corncob' set up, I've got a 'semi-corncob' on one of my bikes 12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I'm with you on this and lament the passing of the humble triple...

I think 1x fundamentally suits MTBs as the simplicity is a win from a cleaning / functionality perspective given the conditions they have to endure, while the gaps between ratios is tolerable and even beneficial sometimes.

I’ve never got on with doubles on road / gravel bikes, finding myself skipping between chainrings frequently. I think if there’s ever a good use case for a triple it’s on a gravel bike (or at least those that are more road-adjacent) – since it essentially needs both a good spread of ratios to accommodate mixed terrain and smallish increments between them to keep on-road cadence fairly consistent.

Sadly Shimano have effectively killed the triple as I don’t think any of their current lineup features any – the last being the touring-focussed Deore XT T8000 and Deore T6000 groupsets along with some of the lower-end utility-focussed offerings... all now killed off by Cues which has no triple options

A triple is perfectly suited for a heavy tourer or tandem. The gear range is unmatched.

We have 24/36/46 with 11-36, which is a wider range than a Rohloff, and use them all.

 

[mickle]

I seriously considered setting my touring bike up with a super compact double 24/38 but there's a big shortage of choice in front derailleurs to suit such a set up. Further complicated by my refusal to use anything Shi**no. So its got a triple with a vintage Sachs front mech and it works a treat.

 

[wafter]

A triple is perfectly suited for a heavy tourer or tandem. The gear range is unmatched.

We have 24/36/46 with 11-36, which is a wider range than a Rohloff, and use them all.

Absolutely - bet it excels in those applications. Sadly it seems they're too niche for the big boys to bother catering for them any more

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Absolutely - bet it excels in those applications. Sadly it seems they're too niche for the big boys to bother catering for them any more

I'm not sure what the official capability of the new CUES doubles is. They might be similar (we're actually just outside of official Sora capacity)