I don't have experience with a P3 and triple set-up, but doesn't Campy have a 13-28 cassette? Were you planning on using a 12-23 on the triple? The reason I ask is that I don't think there's a huge difference in gear inches between say 32x23 and 39x28. You might want to check it out on the Campy gear inch calculator (on their website).

For cable rub, you can buy a chain stay protector which is like a clear plastic adhesive strip. These usually come with these round plastic sticky dots that keep cables from rubbing off your paint. I have these on the head tube of my Soloist where the cables touch the frame.

I have a triple on my P3. I have no problems with it. I have a 51.

You don't say whether you have a 10 speed or 9 speed Campy. I would imagine the 9 speed would have the same issues as my Shimano.

I don't know why you mention the front derailleur cable routing unless you have problems shifting on the front chainrings. You shouldn't have any trouble with this. A little rubbing is normal. Binding is not normal.

I don't know what you mean by chainline issues. If you mean that you can't get to crossover gears without chain noise, that is my situation as well. Generally speaking, I use five gears on the small and large chainrings and seven gears on the middle chainring. You can push it around the edges, but it is best to avoid the other gears. Those are the only gears you need though, if you pay attention to the gearing as you ride. No, that isn't a plan for the peleton, but it should be no problem during a bike leg.

It sound like you just have to get the hang of using it for a bit, unless I misinterpret what you are trying to say.

Wow, if your wife is fast enough to warrant a P3, one would expect that she can fly up any hills at Wildflower on a double using the big chainring only :-). Seriously though, if you put a 39 front chainring on, and a 26 tooth in the back with 650 wheels, you get a gear of of only 61 inches. This is more than sufficient for anything on the Wildflower course for anyone :-). Going with the double will just simplify all the mechanics of shifting. Save triples for your mountainbike where you need it for 20% grades :-). This is where they belong, not on a Ferrari type bike like a Cervelo P3 :-)



Good luck at Wildflower.



Dev

the 2 main problems are that she drops the front chain sometimes, while other times she can't get the jump to the 30 at all. I believe that the shop is arguing that the short chainstay combined w/ the amount of chain slack that needs to be taken up leaves very little margin for error in adjustments, making it more sensitive to chainline issues. I've always found triples to be a hassle and while I feel confident adjusting a double and getting good results, I'm at a bit of a loss on how I could tune the settings any better since her experience suggests to me that it's behaving poorly at both ends of the spectrum (dropping AND not shifting). I'm glad to here that someone else has gotten a triple application to work.

the other problem is that she finds it hard to shift the front der. too much pulling is required. given that the inner wire cable is rubbing directly on the frame (not the housing, but the inner wire) this doesn't surpise me. I have never seen a bike that allows this so I really don't trust the shop that this is normal. I'll probably have a hard time believing anyone but gerard on this one. (I've mailed cervelo directly, but got no response.)

She was riding an STI triple setup before so she's familiar with which gears to avoid. I just think it sucks to spend this kinda green on a bike and need to adapt yourself around the shifting. She's giving it one final ride this morning to see if she can make it work well, or decide if she wants to try the double instead.

You shouldn't be having that problem with the front derailleur. I have had problems like that in the past when I didn't run the cable correctly. My cable goes through the plastic guide on the left (non drive) side. It goes up through the frame and is connected on the frame side of the fastening bolt on the front derailleur.

From your description it sounds like the cable is catching on the derailleur itself, probably right by the little black wheel. That would cause the difficult shifting.

I don't understand the chain slack issue if you have the triple rear derailleur. That can pull up more slack than you would ever need. I haven't done it yet, but I think that I could use the double derailleur since I don't try to use the crossover gears. I don't buy the bit about difficulty of adjusting the front derailleur. Just not true.

In all fairness, I never understood the design of the front derailleur. It seems like the cable should hit the center of that little black wheel. On all my bikes, the cable has to squeeze just to the side of the wheel, and it risks getting hung up. These are obviously heavily engineered products, so I am obviously missing something.

I am talking Shimano here, so I hope that carries over to the Campy world for you. I know nothing about Campy stuff.

Good luck,

I was a little afraid to respond to this honestly for fear someone might jump on me for my response. But, here's my honest response as a Cervelo dealer and triathlete: A P3 is an inappropriate bike to install a triple on. It may accomodate a triple marginally, but triples weren't designed for time trial bikes and time trial bikes aren't (generally) designed for triples. Ultimately, I would have never done this in my store. For a customer who is concerned enough about hills to prefer a triple I would recommend a different frame more appropriate for a triple. I cannot site specific technical documentation that will support my adversity to this right now, but I sense there would be several nagging issues that would compromise the bike's drivetrain and overall performance. I would not recommend it.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

It's got to look almost as funny as putting training wheels on a P3, doesn't it?

I think I would try what others have suggested, going double with a larger (or is it smaller) cassette on the back. I have never done Wildflower before and I am putting on a 12-27 on the back of my bike for it just in case. I really doubt I will even get near the 27 since I ride with a 12-21 all the time during my hilll training.

I see nothing wrong with having a P3 and wanting a triple. She wants something nice and she can afford it.

Just looks like it was not a major priority in the P3 to have a triple be as smooth as a double. Congrats on the new bike.

Be nice to us guys on cyclocross bikes racing the long course when you pass us :)

Reverend Dr. Jay

if you don't mind me asking what steered your wife to the p3?

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

I have set up several p-3's and p2/k's with triples at my shop. The 700c wheel size is easier to do than the 650c, but both do have chainline issues in crossover gears. You basically are a little more restricted to the extent of cross-chaining that the combo will handle. I have setup both Sti and barcon versions for shifting. I will say that the bar-con definitely works better on these bike because you can feather out the shift and stand a way less chance of chain drop. The hardest adjustment comes with the dura/ace triple sti setup, for some reason the ultegra works better on this setup(maybe more inherent range of tolerance). Do not intermix d/ace and ultegra front derailleurs and sti lever and crank combos. The front derailleur shape is designed for a 42T on the ultegra and a 39t on the d/ace, it picks up and catches the chain very precisely. Your LBS should install some teflon cable guide tubing over the front cable from where it comes out of the cable guide to just below the cable clamp. This simple fix will help prevent the cable from snagging on the derailleur as to the close tolerance area. Tell them they can order it from Qualit Bicycle Products if they don't have it in the store. Have your wife tell any double snobs that riders in the Vuelta use triples as she passes them on Beach hill at wildflower. Hankster

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Prankster

not at all. our riding is pretty much limited to training for and racing in triathlons. so she wanted a steep and aero bike. we were both interested in the Cervelo's based on the good feedback we've heard. Given that she'd never ridden steep, a test ride was important, so that further narrowed us down to Cervelo since there really aren't any other tri bikes sitting around in shops to take for a test ride. I guess there is a shop locally that carries QR, but after the Cervelo rides there didn't seem to be much point. She's one of those people who either buys the best or doesn't buy at all. She was lobbying for the P3 and I was suggesting that the P2k was plenty good and for $800 less. I think I'd convinced her, but then the shop told us (still not sure whether it was true or not) that it would take 4 weeks to get a 52cm P2k in, but they did have a 52cm P3 frame in stock (we needed a frame because we were doing a custom campy build kit). With Wildflower approaching, getting some seat time on the bike became critical, so she got the P3.

2 side advantages to this. When you let your wife get that nice of a bike, you know there won't be complaints when you want a new bike. I wanted a P2k all along and didn't want to have matching bikes. Since cervelo only offers 1 color this way we aren't twinkies.