I was doing the math on a triple vs. a compact double (FSA's 50/34) and I found out that with a 12-26 10s, I could get almost the entire range of my existing 52/42/30 mated to a 13-26 9s.

I'd be only giving up one climbing gear, but I'd gain a taller top gear. The only compromise is that everytime I switch from small to big ring, I'd need to rack through 4 cogs to keep a smooth progression. Yikes!

If you want, you see my calculations here (any play with your own): http://powergyoza.com/bike/gain_ratios.xls

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Proud member of Team Tooth Pick (TTP): like a leaf in the wind.

I setup my P3 with a triple every year for IM Lake Placid. It works fine. I went back to just using the standard DA derailleur instead of the long cage version. With that configuration I can't get to the smallest cogs when using the 30 tooth chain ring since the derailleur doesn't take up enough slack.

The setup shifts fine, but you do have to avoid anything resembling a cross over gear. This setup probably wouldn't work well in the peleton, but in a triathlon you have plenty of time to shift and pick your gears. You should get the seven middle gears in the middle chain ring and five or six gears from the biggest and smallest chain rings with smooth operation.

I have considered switching to an XTR rear derailleur and using the big mountain cassettes to get the gearing I need. The gaps between gears would be pretty big in that case. I am going to stick with my triple for the next couple years.

I don't mind the ridicule. I climb so poorly, there is no way around that anyway.

I also ride a triple when facing long climbs in races (and every day on my road bike). I've been pondering that FSA compact double as a compromise. But, then I keep remembering that the secret weapon in the triple setup is the 42. I rode a 2:32 half IM by riding in a 42 on all the flats and easy uphills. The 42 is the perfect ring for 18-22 mph flats riding. A 39 is too small and a 53 too big to ride 18-22 mph. At 90 rpm, 21 mph in a 53 is on the 19 cog; 21 mph in a 42 is on the 15 cog -- a much cleaner chainline. The advantage to the 42 is even more pronounced at slower cruising speeds or higher cadences.

Why not just put a 42 on a double? Because -- if you're an AG'r that cruises at 18-21 mph, then you probably need a 38 or smaller ring for climbing. The triple serves that function.

I'll play the voice of dissent here, but let me caveat by saying this was on my wife's 52cm P3. The chainstay measurement on the 52 is shorter than on the 55. I'm no slouch when it comes to derailleur adjustment, I like mine to be crisp, but I was unable to get all the gears to shift well. The manager at the shop was unaware that the salesman had allowed us to order a triple for it and said he wouldn't have recommended it with such a short chainstay. Gerard is also not a big fan of the triple. we went to a double (53/39 w/ a 13/29, yeah we're campy folk) and the shifting has been fine.

YMMV, but caveat emptor.

I can't comment on the Campy stuff, but my triple works fine with the qualifications described above. I am a Shimano user, for better or worse.

OK- in a sitcom-like move, I went and put a downpayment on a 2003 P3 at my LBS as soon as they put they marked off the 2003's by 15%. This was way too good a deal to pass up. Now I'm just waiting for the opportune moment to break this to my wife so I can put the rest of the $$ down and get my new bike! I've already asked them to upgrade the aero bars to C2's. After following the thread on the compact 50/34, I'm wondering if I should also have them put a triple on the bike while they're at it. My questions are:

1) should I buy the bike with the standard DA double, and swap triple hardware only when expecting a hilly course, or just set the bike up permanently with a triple?
2) what do I need to swap? Just the crankset and front der, or do I need the long-cage rear der also? Due to the really short chainstays (as AJ mentions) I'm expecting to only be able to access 6-7 cogs from any given gear. Does the long-cage der increase the number of cogs I can access, or is this limited by cross-chaining? Do I need to change the bar-end shifter, or does the same shifter work for doubles and triples?

Thanks.

In order to mount the triple DA crank, you will need the triple bottom bracket. It is slightly wider than the double. Without it, the bolts that hold on the smallest chain ring will rub on the frame. It is a real bummer because they almost clear. If these bolts were recessed better, you wouldn't need the triple BB.

I set up the triple only when I head to Lake Placid. I ship the bike up there, have the bike shop assemble it, do one or two training trips up there, then do the trip for the race. When the bike comes back, I switch back to the double.

Doing the switch is a real pain. I suggest you stay with the Ultegra BB for the double, since it is so easy to install and uninstall. I always have a problem with that funky DA BB wrench you need to swap the DA double in and out. The DA triple installation is just like the Ultegra double though. It is easy.

I used to use the long cage BB with the triple. I no longer do. I just mounted it on my road bike and I leave it there. I use the DA double and I carefully adjust the chain length. The double cage is not long enough to take up enough chain slack to allow you to reach all the gears. You will be left with a trade off of being able to reach all the large chain ring gears that make sense (6 or even 7) and some of the small chain ring gears (5 or 6 with some clicking), or the reverse, but not both. I make the chain long enough to accomodate the big chain ring and I give up some of the small chain ring gears. This is no problem, there is plenty of overlap, but you need to pay attention to the gear you are in while you ride. Easy in a triathlon, but probably not in the peleton.

The real reason for this choice is that it is a pain to swap derailleurs and you look like a dork with the big derailleur on all the time. This way, I only look like a dork in Lake Placid. With my current approach, I only need to swap the front derailleur, the BB and the crankset. You never need to swap the bar end shifters. You can swap the rear derailleur if you want the extra two or three gears on the small chain ring.

Hope this helps.