I have a compact on my road bike and love it. I ride 650s on the tri bike, otherwise if it was 700s, I would have a compact on both bikes. It gives me the gearing I need for the races and rides I enjoy (slightly hilly as I am in the midwest) and is lightIer than the triple. I am sure that if you made the switch you would not reget it.

I am not a fan of my compact--but only b/c I prefer a standard double. If I had to choose between a compact and a triple, though, I'd take the compact every time.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
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Disclaimer that I haven't had a triple in a few years. I ride compact cranks though & love them. I've always ridden a bit higher cadence than most though, not sure if that's relevant.

I keep some fairly small gearing on my bikes though, I'd rather spin than mash. Unless you've got massive, massive hills around and use your little ring very often, I think you'll be fine with the compacts. I've not had any problems being able to survive....

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AW

Until relatively recently, the basic crank options were a standard double or a triple. (Note that these comments are assuming the same/similar cassette size in the back)

The standard double does not have a very wide range of gearing--it doesn't offer enough low ("easy") gears for many riders. When you shift gears (in back) there is not a big difference from one gear to the next (compared to a compact). There is also a lot of "gear overlap".... where one gear combination (like the large chainring in front, and a smaller cog in back) is the same as another (small chainring in front, larger cog in back).

The triple has a wide range of gearing, from ez to hard. The difference between the gears is similar to a standard double. The chain is longer, and has to travel a bigger distance, so they are more difficult to keep in-adjustment, and more likely to be noisy. They are heavier as well. There is gear overlap, but the wider range means there are still more unique gears overall.

Then came the compact double. It has a double chainring, but the rings are smaller and there is bigger difference between large and the small rings. The result is a much wider gear range than a standard, especially on ez side. There is less gear overlap so you actually have more unique gears to choose from. It can offer (with the proper cogset in back) almost as much low gearing as a triple, with out the slop, adjustment hassles, and weight.

The difference between shifts is more noticeable. Its not necessarily a good or bad thing, just different. You'll adapt in just a couple of rides.


It's not just about hills, fitness or leg strength. Two of my clients are professional Ironman athletes (male). Both ride compacts. Instead of mashing bigger gears, they spin faster, and they are able to maintain a higher cadence on hills and rolling stuff. That's better for the bike AND the run.


(Why it took a century for the bike/tri industry to figure this out is a mystery...)

Wow, great info... thanks everyone!

So what's your recommendation for the best compact gearing? I love to climb, but don't have much power... so I tend to stay in the saddle and spin. Slow and steady up the hills.

I believe SRAM offers a rear derailleur that supports up to 32 (so an 11-32 cassette). With a compact, that would be close to what you would get out of most triple set-ups.

This.

On flats or slight downhills, the compact doesn't give me enough gears.

"On flats or slight downhills, the compact doesn't give me enough gears. "

Considering that Tyler Hamilton in his prime raced and won TDF stages on compact cranks then you must be one hell of an AG tri stud to spin out a 50/11 on a flat.

It's more that I can't find the "happy gears" on the compact. I'm always slightly...off. Too much or not enough. I realize that's sort of a vague and handwavy (and yes, girly) comment, but I don't know how else to explain it. I feel like I use very few of the gears that I have, and that even those aren't spaced quite right. Kind of like a staircase where the steps are spaced at a non-standard increment. They work for going up and down, but you always feel like you're just a tick off.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

Yes. Yes I am. Thanks for noticing.

J/K

I think you're making some assumptions here.

Vague and handwavy does NOT equal "girly". You just have trouble quantifying the ratios of your preferred gears. Perhaps what you have trouble with is the difference in when you shift from big ring to little ring in the two gearing systems- i.e. going up a hill with changing gradient as a standard double rider, you may be in the small (front) ring the whole time, whereas a compact rider may switch from big to little (front ring) at the same speed/power outputs. And this can be annoying to someone not used to it. However, a compact may allow a rider to stay in the big ring for a longer portion of a rolling TT, which has its benefits.

However, the extensive range of cassettes offered these days makes compact gearing a good choice for many many riders, even the strongest riders, and I would personally say I love my compact.