Are three chainrings a "cop out" on hills?

[YannisG]

I ride an '08 Cannondale CAAD9 5 road bike. As it's the double chainring version (105 - 39/53), I'm wondering if this wasn't such a great idea for hill climbs as I try to ride a local circuit a couple of times a week (11ks of steeply undulating road, its steepest gradient being 9% over 2.2km). Would the ease of having triple chainrings come at the expense of being frowned upon by the cycling fraternity? While I don't mind the workout of double chainrings, the number of cyclist who pass me is slightly disconcerting!

I use a compact 34X27. Recently I had a 200 klm Brevet with many steep climbs. I changed my freewheel to 11-32 and added a MTN bike deraileur and a longer chain. This helped me on the steep sections when I was tired,and it worked without a problem. I have reversed the change back to the 12-27 freewheel for races and brevet that don't have unusually high climbing.
I think this solution is very cost effective if you just want to reduce yr gear inches for a particular event.

YannisG

 

[quenya]

GTfanatic, I think a better car analogy would be the gears final drive ratio. A triple has a super low gear that gives a lot of mechanical advantage for climbs or off the line acceleration that would equate to say 4.10s, a standard with an 11-23 might be a 2.73 great top end without much help off the line or up a hill.


I think the cam is more like one's LT, as it has more to do with the 'point of deflction' on the power band.

 

[GT Fanatic]

Quenya

GTfanatic, I think a better car analogy would be the gears final drive ratio. A triple has a super low gear that gives a lot of mechanical advantage for climbs or off the line acceleration that would equate to say 4.10s, a standard with an 11-23 might be a 2.73 great top end without much help off the line or up a hill.


I think the cam is more like one's LT, as it has more to do with the 'point of deflction' on the power band.

Good point.

 

[Eldrack]

Triples are awesome. They mean I can actually get up some of the ridiculously steep climbs in England which go over 20%. Even when you're in a 30-25 that still takes over 300 watts! And they're good for the really long climbs as well, especially if you like to keep your cadence high. They're a tad clumsy for racing but for training, touring and riding for fun you can't beat them.

 

[kdelong]

I have a mix of doubles and triples on my bikes. The triples go places that the doubles don't.

 

[GT Fanatic]

If it were one thing I don't like about my new road bike, it's the double chainring. I really have to work to get up some of the local hills, meanwhile, my wife isn't feeling hardly as tired by the time she crests the same hill, a she has a triple chainring on her bike. What really hurts my feelings is that she's on a mountain bike.

 

[gman0482]

triples normally have a slight advantage on top-end. I like to think of a triple chainring as a "high lift" cam like in a car; it has the mid/top-end advantage, while the double chainring has the "out of the hole" advantage.

I would have to respectfully disagree with you on that point. A triple chainring has an advantage on lower-end speeds, like climbing. Top-end speeds would be the same if not better on a double. As far as 20+ mph on a double being a disadvantage, I doubt that the pro's think so.

Remember, the extra ring on a triple is the smaller one, not a bigger one.
Smaller = climbing/higher cadence, bigger = speed/lower cadence.

 

[GT Fanatic]

I would have to respectfully disagree with you on that point. A triple chainring has an advantage on lower-end speeds, like climbing. Top-end speeds would be the same if not better on a double. As far as 20+ mph on a double being a disadvantage, I doubt that the pro's think so.

Remember, the extra ring on a triple is the smaller one, not a bigger one.
Smaller = climbing/higher cadence, bigger = speed/lower cadence.

Then I've been given misinformation by more than one source. In my small front gear/large rear gear, my road bike has more pull than my wife's mountain bike, which has a triple. If I'm in the easiest gears on the mountain bike, cadence is high and climbing is effortless. It's very easy to make it up hills. That isn't the case with my road bike, which has a double. Even in the "easiest" gears, it takes some effort.

This leads me to believe that it is correct that the double is going to provide a better bottom end.

 

[gman0482]

Personally, I'd rather have triples, because triples normally have a slight advantage on top-end.

This leads me to believe that it is correct that the double is going to provide a better bottom end.

So which one is it ?

A triple will provide a better climbing (aka bottom-end, aka lower-end, aka higher cadence). I was correcting you because you stated earlier that a triple has advantage in TOP-end, and that triple will be better in 20+ mph. That's not correct.

So which one you goin' with.... top-end ? or bottom-end ?

No biggie, all good. I hope you're enjoying that Schwinn.

 

[GT Fanatic]

So which one is it ?

A triple will provide a better climbing (aka bottom-end, aka lower-end, aka higher cadence). I was correcting you because you stated earlier that a triple has advantage in TOP-end, and that triple will be better in 20+ mph. That's not correct.

So which one you goin' with.... top-end ? or bottom-end ?

No biggie, all good. I hope you're enjoying that Schwinn.

Okay...

Double chainring= better acceleration out of the gate

Triple chainring= higher top speed

Is this correct?

The triple would provide higher cadence at low speeds, therefore it would be slower out of the hole due to the lower gear ratios, correct? Sort of like was mentioned with a car; a 2.73 ratio would have a higher top-end than one with a 4.11 ratio. The 4.11 would be quicker out of the hole...

 

[gman0482]

Okay...

Double chainring= better acceleration out of the gate

Triple chainring= higher top speed

Is this correct?

The triple would provide higher cadence at low speeds, therefore it would be slower out of the hole due to the lower gear ratios, correct? Sort of like was mentioned with a car; a 2.73 ratio would have a higher top-end than one with a 4.11 ratio. The 4.11 would be quicker out of the hole...

A triple does not have a higher top end. A triple has a better low-end, high cadence, better climbing.

The difference between a double and a triple, is that triple has an extra smaller ring, which is for climbing purposes, not higher speeds. The larger rings are pretty much the same on both.

Make sense ?

 

[GT Fanatic]

A triple does not have a higher top end. A triple has a better low-end, high cadence, better climbing.

The difference between a double and a triple, is that triple has an extra smaller ring, which is for climbing purposes, not higher speeds. The larger rings are pretty much the same on both.

Make sense ?

Ah, got it. Thanks!

I just got done a ride tonight and had one Hell of a time climbing those hills with that double. I really had to start standing on those pedals, and by the time I got to the top of said hill, my legs were literally quivering. If I had been standing, I would have fallen over.

Not liking this double, but the people in the club say I will grow to love it. Hmph...

 

[gman0482]

Not liking this double, but the people in the club say I will grow to love it. Hmph...

The double has nothing to do with you having a hard time climbing right now. It's you being new to cycling. If you had a triple you still would be feeling it. Just keep riding and you'll be fine.

 

[GT Fanatic]

The double has nothing to do with you having a hard time climbing right now. It's you being new to cycling. If you had a triple you still would be feeling it. Just keep riding and you'll be fine.

I have a triple on my mountain bike and have climbed this hill before. Yes, it's a tough hill, but I wasn't nearly as tired by the time I got to the top...

And yes, I would certainly agree with you that it is a degree of fitness I haven't hit yet.

 

[cooperplace]

I ride an '08 Cannondale CAAD9 5 road bike. As it's the double chainring version (105 - 39/53), I'm wondering if this wasn't such a great idea for hill climbs as I try to ride a local circuit a couple of times a week (11ks of steeply undulating road, its steepest gradient being 9% over 2.2km). Would the ease of having triple chainrings come at the expense of being frowned upon by the cycling fraternity? While I don't mind the workout of double chainrings, the number of cyclist who pass me is slightly disconcerting!

My main ride is a huge hill, so when I built a new bike I put a Campag 30/39/53 on the front. What a pain!!! The chainlines are poor, so from the 30, I could only access the bottom 3 or 4 on the back, so while climbing I was always having to change at the front, which is a pain. So I threw it away and went to acompact 34/50 with 12-28 rear. I leave it on the 34 all the way up, and can access the lot at the back. Haven't looked back.

So, IMHO, they might not be a cop-out but are sure not worth the trouble.

 

[vspa]

as for riding etiquette if you want to have racing road bike buddies you need to be one of them also in terms of equipment. I have a three chainring bike and a road bike. I bought a 27 cog cassette for the road bike. I wouldn't go to a group ride as the only guy ON a triple. Just the same i wouldn't like road bike aces or mountain bikers for example joining me on a ride WITH my triple. For me its part of adulthood, I wouldn't have care as a teenager. I mean if you are serious about cycling.

 

[alienator]

as for riding etiquette if you want to have racing road bike buddies you need to be one of them also in terms of equipment. I have a three chainring bike and a road bike. I bought a 27 cog cassette for the road bike. I wouldn't go to a group ride as the only guy ON a triple. Just the same i wouldn't like road bike aces or mountain bikers for example joining me on a ride WITH my triple. For me its part of adulthood, I wouldn't have care as a teenager. I mean if you are serious about cycling.

Wow. Riding with your local groups must suck if they're going to pass judgement on what kind of drivetrain you have. What part of adulthood is that?

 

[cooperplace]

as for riding etiquette if you want to have racing road bike buddies you need to be one of them also in terms of equipment. I have a three chainring bike and a road bike. I bought a 27 cog cassette for the road bike. I wouldn't go to a group ride as the only guy ON a triple. Just the same i wouldn't like road bike aces or mountain bikers for example joining me on a ride WITH my triple. For me its part of adulthood, I wouldn't have care as a teenager. I mean if you are serious about cycling.

you sound very insecure

 

[gman0482]

as for riding etiquette if you want to have racing road bike buddies you need to be one of them also in terms of equipment. I have a three chainring bike and a road bike. I bought a 27 cog cassette for the road bike. I wouldn't go to a group ride as the only guy ON a triple. Just the same i wouldn't like road bike aces or mountain bikers for example joining me on a ride WITH my triple. For me its part of adulthood, I wouldn't have care as a teenager. I mean if you are serious about cycling.

Which part of adulthood was that again ??

Is it just one of those "cool" things ?

So if I see you climbing up a big hill with your triple ON, and I pass by you on my racing road bike, you won't try to draft off of me ?

How old are you again ?

 

[GT Fanatic]

Wow. Riding with your local groups must suck if they're going to pass judgement on what kind of drivetrain you have. What part of adulthood is that?

Wow, for once you've said something I'd actually agree with...for once.

I guess your manhood isn't judged by how many chainrings you have on your bike in this part of the country...