Road triple question

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Evileye
Currently I'm riding a standard road double crankset (front 53-39, rear 12-23). I often wondered why component manufacturer make road triples that are similar to mountain bike gearing? (e.g. standard road triple is: front 53-42-30 and rear is usually a 13-26)
Why is there not a triple made with the roadie in mind...front 53-39-34 and standard 12-23 or 11-23 in the rear.
Reason I ask is that on some group rides all the riders with triples have a tough time keeping up, or maintaining speed, since one gear change up they spin to fast, while the next down the cadence drops to much.
I guess I mean to ask, is wise to make a set-up of a front 53-39-(34?) and run a standard road cogset of 12-23 or 11-23. Most of the time I do group rides, but there are times when I'm riding some long mountain climbs and would like to have that extra to, "save the knees", so to speak.

Thanks

It may have more to do with the rider's abilities than his/her gearing. I ride more on a triple equipped bicycle now that I have multiple hadicaps (age, weight, fitness, injuries) that won't let me keep up.
As far as gearing choices, you may be correct, but I don't think that the 34 low front ring would satisfy most of the intended market. You can see what the gear inches are for the vaious combinations at Sheldon Brown's site:

<http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/>

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by daveornee
It may have more to do with the rider's abilities than his/her gearing. I ride more on a triple equipped bicycle now that I have multiple hadicaps (age, weight, fitness, injuries) that won't let me keep up.
As far as gearing choices, you may be correct, but I don't think that the 34 low front ring would satisfy most of the intended market. You can see what the gear inches are for the vaious combinations at Sheldon Brown's site:

<http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/>

Right.The triple will get you to the top,but probably not the podium unless the strongers riders screw up. The folks spinning out may have hit the granny and not shifted to a smaller cog or two in the rear. alot of people do not knnow how to shift or use the grars they have for sheit.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
Right.The triple will get you to the top,but probably not the podium unless the strongers riders screw up. The folks spinning out may have hit the granny and not shifted to a smaller cog or two in the rear. alot of people do not knnow how to shift or use the grars they have for sheit.

what does "hit the granny" mean? the smallest ring in the front?

just trying to learn all the terminology.

thanks,
phil

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by philbert
what does "hit the granny" mean? the smallest ring in the front?

just trying to learn all the terminology.

thanks,
phil

You got it.
There is no mistreatment of the mother of your mother or father involved here.
Shifting to the smallest of 3 front chainrings or "hit the granny" are the same in this terminology.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Evileye
Currently I'm riding a standard road double crankset (front 53-39, rear 12-23). I often wondered why component manufacturer make road triples that are similar to mountain bike gearing? (e.g. standard road triple is: front 53-42-30 and rear is usually a 13-26)
Why is there not a triple made with the roadie in mind...front 53-39-34 and standard 12-23 or 11-23 in the rear.
Reason I ask is that on some group rides all the riders with triples have a tough time keeping up, or maintaining speed, since one gear change up they spin to fast, while the next down the cadence drops to much.
I guess I mean to ask, is wise to make a set-up of a front 53-39-(34?) and run a standard road cogset of 12-23 or 11-23. Most of the time I do group rides, but there are times when I'm riding some long mountain climbs and would like to have that extra to, "save the knees", so to speak.

Thanks

Many here will tell you that riding with a triple makes you a weakling and isn't fit for a real race bike. How many of us are going for the podium in the Tour de France though.

I ride a Dura-Ace triple 53-39-30 up front with an 11-21 at the rear. Any way you slice it or dice it I have more available gear range than any double you can possibly come up with. The number of times I drop to the lower 30 chain ring during an entire season is probably less than 15, but when I need it I have it and I don't have to sacrifice the rest of my gear range by going with an 11-25 or even 11-23 at the rear.

When I have had to use it in group rides its on very steep hills where I usually end up spinning away from other riders with doubles.

Just for grins, though, don't forget -- the presence of triples on elite pro races and stages with hard-core grades is becoming more and more common. So long as we're talking about racing and triples. Of course, if FSA has their way, that will cease to be...

Just for grins.

Thanks for some of the answers that you all provided. See I live in British Columbia, Canada and we have our fair share of mountians. There are times in the year that we do some ride outside of the local areas and more near the mountians. Some rides are flats one day, the next being a 20km, 12% climb in both directions. I was contemplating a triple, but it seems that the standard triple gearing on road bikes seem more akin to mountain bike gearing, being 53-48-30, with a rear of 12-25 or 13-28. A 13-28 rear cogset just has to many teeth jump between gears making it pits on a regular group ride, but great on the long hills. Why is it that manufacturers don't make standard road gearing (common standard being front 53-39t, common rear 12-23t 9-spd, 11-23 10-spd) with an extra front gear of the 30, making it a triple road bike of a 53-39-30t front and standard 12-23t rear 9-spd or 11-23t 10-spd. Of course I don't see myself using the 30t on everyday group rides around home, but on some of those car-camping-day-rides wear we usually see some large challenging mountains to climb.
Seems most women specific bikes feature a triple and using a 53-48-30t front and a 12-25 or 13-28 rear, which I find makes for somewhat difficult group riding, looking for the right gear combo that maintains a desired cadence, rather then having a cogset with a 2 tooth difference between gears.

Thanks again

Thanks for some of the answers that you all provided. See I live in British Columbia, Canada and we have our fair share of mountians. There are times in the year that we do some ride outside of the local areas and more near the mountians. Some rides are flats one day, the next being a 20km, 12% climb in both directions. I was contemplating a triple, but it seems that the standard triple gearing on road bikes seem more akin to mountain bike gearing, being 53-48-30, with a rear of 12-25 or 13-28. A 13-28 rear cogset just has to many teeth jump between gears making it pits on a regular group ride, but great on the long hills. Why is it that manufacturers don't make standard road gearing (common standard being front 53-39t, common rear 12-23t 9-spd, 11-23 10-spd) with an extra front gear of the 30, making it a triple road bike of a 53-39-30t front and standard 12-23t rear 9-spd or 11-23t 10-spd. Of course I don't see myself using the 30t on everyday group rides around home, but on some of those car-camping-day-rides where we usually see some large challenging mountains to climb, yes. Thankfully.
Seems most women specific bikes feature a triple and using a 53-48-30t front and a 12-25 or 13-28 rear, which I find makes for somewhat difficult group riding, looking for the right gear combo that maintains a desired cadence, rather then having a cogset with a 2 tooth difference between gears.

Thanks again

Thanks for some of the answers that you all provided. See I live in British Columbia, Canada and we have our fair share of mountians. There are times in the year that we do some ride outside of the local areas and more near the mountians. Some rides are flats one day, the next being a 20km, 12% climb in both directions. I was contemplating a triple, but it seems that the standard triple gearing on road bikes seem more akin to mountain bike gearing, being 53-48-30, with a rear of 12-25 or 13-28. A 13-28 rear cogset just has to many teeth jump between gears making it pits on a regular group ride, but great on the long hills. Why is it that manufacturers don't make standard road gearing (common standard being front 53-39t, common rear 12-23t 9-spd, 11-23 10-spd) with an extra front gear of the 30, making it a triple road bike of a 53-39-30t front and standard 12-23t rear 9-spd or 11-23t 10-spd. Of course I don't see myself using the 30t on everyday group rides around home, but on some of those car-camping-day-rides where we usually see some large challenging mountains to climb, yes. Thankfully.
Seems most women specific bikes feature a triple and using a 53-48-30t front and a 12-25 or 13-28 rear, which I find makes for somewhat difficult group riding, looking for the right gear combo that maintains a desired cadence, rather then having a cogset with a 2 tooth difference between gears.

P.S. this sound like the most ideal, apart for the dura-ace stuff, I'm a Campagnolo man.

Quoted post said:

I ride a Dura-Ace triple 53-39-30 up front with an 11-21 at the rear. Any way you slice it or dice it I have more available gear range than any double you can possibly come up with. The number of times I drop to the lower 30 chain ring during an entire season is probably less than 15, but when I need it I have it and I don't have to sacrifice the rest of my gear range by going with an 11-25 or even 11-23 at the rear.

Thanks again.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Evileye
Thanks for some of the answers that you all provided. See I live in British Columbia, Canada and we have our fair share of mountians. There are times in the year that we do some ride outside of the local areas and more near the mountians. Some rides are flats one day, the next being a 20km, 12% climb in both directions. I was contemplating a triple, but it seems that the standard triple gearing on road bikes seem more akin to mountain bike gearing, being 53-48-30, with a rear of 12-25 or 13-28. A 13-28 rear cogset just has to many teeth jump between gears making it pits on a regular group ride, but great on the long hills. Why is it that manufacturers don't make standard road gearing (common standard being front 53-39t, common rear 12-23t 9-spd, 11-23 10-spd) with an extra front gear of the 30, making it a triple road bike of a 53-39-30t front and standard 12-23t rear 9-spd or 11-23t 10-spd. Of course I don't see myself using the 30t on everyday group rides around home, but on some of those car-camping-day-rides where we usually see some large challenging mountains to climb, yes. Thankfully.
Seems most women specific bikes feature a triple and using a 53-48-30t front and a 12-25 or 13-28 rear, which I find makes for somewhat difficult group riding, looking for the right gear combo that maintains a desired cadence, rather then having a cogset with a 2 tooth difference between gears.


Thanks again

Go for the front triple and the cassette of your choice for the type riding you are doing. You may end up with a couple of cassettes to meet this set of requirements. It takes a few minutes to swap out a cassette. There is even a tool that allows you to make the cassette swap without the bulky and more expensive chain whip cassette tool + wrench combination. You can have your close ratio "Porche" and your wide range "SUV" gearing with just the cost of swapping out your double for a triple, a new rear derailer, an extra cassette, and the Stein Mini Cassette Lock tool. See the tool on Sheldon Brown's site:
<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/cassette.html>

for the triple you are asking about see the Shimano site:

<http://bike.shimano.com/Road/Dura-Ace/componenttemplate.asp?partnumber=FC-7703>

If you aren't getting the answer you are looking for it may be we dídn't understand your question(s),,... and/or manufacturers are not asking you what you want, but they are telling you what is "best". Tell us specifically what is helpful and what else you are looking for.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Evileye
Thanks for some of the answers that you all provided. See I live in British Columbia, Canada and we have our fair share of mountians. There are times in the year that we do some ride outside of the local areas and more near the mountians. Some rides are flats one day, the next being a 20km, 12% climb in both directions. I was contemplating a triple, but it seems that the standard triple gearing on road bikes seem more akin to mountain bike gearing, being 53-48-30, with a rear of 12-25 or 13-28. A 13-28 rear cogset just has to many teeth jump between gears making it pits on a regular group ride, but great on the long hills. Why is it that manufacturers don't make standard road gearing (common standard being front 53-39t, common rear 12-23t 9-spd, 11-23 10-spd) with an extra front gear of the 30, making it a triple road bike of a 53-39-30t front and standard 12-23t rear 9-spd or 11-23t 10-spd. Of course I don't see myself using the 30t on everyday group rides around home, but on some of those car-camping-day-rides where we usually see some large challenging mountains to climb, yes. Thankfully.
Seems most women specific bikes feature a triple and using a 53-48-30t front and a 12-25 or 13-28 rear, which I find makes for somewhat difficult group riding, looking for the right gear combo that maintains a desired cadence, rather then having a cogset with a 2 tooth difference between gears.


P.S. this sound like the most ideal, apart for the dura-ace stuff, I'm a Campagnolo man.



Thanks again.

If Campy does not give you the crank and cogs you want you can use Shimano DURA ACE for the crank/cogs with all the rest Campy.
Campy RacingT has 52/42/30 as does Centaur; Record and Chorus have 53/42/30.