I know nobody uses a triple anymore because it’s like whimpy and grannyish and all that but I’m going to be using one. Is a triple with a 25 on the back enough or should I put on a 27?
enough for what? Can’t imagine anyone under 65 would need anything more than a compact 34 and a 12-27/28 rear to get up anything.
Well… depends on you, and on the climb… (and the chainring).
For most hills, you will probably be fine with a 25 unless you are really limited on power, really prefer a high cadence, or are really trying to use a bike where you should use rock climbing shoes.
Check out this page… You can guess your power, and based off the the climbs in there, find a gear selection that lets you maintain a comfortable cadence (and you could steal the equations and make your own calculator if you felt up to it):
http://www.northeastcycling.com/neclimbs_hillcalc.htm
I have no idea what the small chainring is on a triple, but I use a compact 50-34 with a 25 on the rear. Trust me…at age 54…in the mountains of Sedona the 34 is a god send. I don’t know if I would ever need more then this though. The 27 seems like over kill unless you are climbing very steep and long.
enough for what? Can’t imagine anyone under 65 would need anything more than a compact 34 and a 12-27/28 rear to get up anything.
Elitest jerk.
I am a huge fan of the triple.
Depends on how steep and how long your going to be climbing. As well as how much extra wieght you are carying. Don’t listen to all the crap about “I can’t imagine ever needing xx”, it’s better to have gears in reserve and spin at the cadence you want then be forced into a grind fest. If in doubt go with the 27.
See - I think it takes balls to run the triple. Go for it!
DON’T put on a 27 or else someone might mistake you for a Skil-Saw salesman.
Run a triple with 11-23 or 12-23. The reason is that triple up front was made for a “standard” size cassette. Let’s do the math assuming the triple is a 52-42-32
BIG RING UP FRONT 11t OUT BACK: 34mph at 90RPM
SMALL RING UP FRONT 23t OUT BACK: 10mph at 90RPM
You’ll have every other speed possible inbetween those two with a triple. Also, at only 80RPM with the tiny ring you’ll be going like 8mph or so…
That’s my two cents worth I guess!
enough for what? Can’t imagine anyone under 65 would need anything more than a compact 34 and a 12-27/28 rear to get up anything.
Elitest jerk.
Dying to post pics of my new roadie - just waiting on the frame. Had a hard time deciding on the chainring combo too. Ultimately decided against the triple though 
I don’t really see the humor. I’m a 60 year old woman with 2 grandchildren. If you were me, you’d be 40 lbs overweight, home baking brownies and complaining about your aching back - not out screaming down descents at 45 mph. You’re not really an elitist, just kind of an idiot…no offense…
You are probably right. I always like to have too much gearing rather than not enough. I’ve never had to walk a climb and one reason I don’t ever want to is that I feel quite certain that if I have to stop, I’ll fall straight over! I usually use a 27 with my triple which for the record is 54/39/30 - that with a 27 in the back is just about all the gearing you can even get on a road bike! 25 isn’t that much less is it?
I don’t really see the humor. I’m a 60 year old woman with 2 grandchildren. If you were me, you’d be 40 lbs overweight, home baking brownies and complaining about your aching back - not out screaming down descents at 45 mph. You’re not really an elitist, just kind of an idiot…no offense…
??? Sorry if you don’t “see the humor”. Certainly nothing personal on my end, but the fact you felt compelled to reply to this thread in this manner speaks volumes.
edit: Record10 - there you go, getting me in trouble again … Oh, and I go descending much faster than 45 mph
But the way you responded was cool right? You obviously dont have a grandma!
My first serious road bike was a Frejus I bought in 1973. I lived in Boulder CO and climbed the canyons, rode to Estes Park and along the Peak to Peak. It had a 52/42 and a 13-21 five speed freewheel. I thought that was all I would ever need. When I bought my next pro-bike ten years later it had a 13-22. I then went to a 13-23 and 52/39. When I bought my third bike another 10 years later I went to a 13-26. Then a 13-29. Then I went to a triple 52/42/30. Then I went down to a 13-26. It is now 10 years later again and I am looking to buy my first TT bike. I’ll probably go with a compact and whatever I feel I need in the back. It is not about how it looks. It’s about what gets you from point A to point B the fastest. It also has a lot to do with fitness and fatness which explains, along with age, all the changes I’ve made.
I’m not at all fat. I’m fit considering what I have to work with - 60 year old body, diminished VO2 max, etc. I should probably do more strength training for these mountain rides. You forgot to mention knees - mine are a bit worn.
I agree however that the point is to have the gearing you need to get from point A to point B preferably without walking. I really do fail to see how using a triple makes a person the brunt of jokes, I mean really…especially when one actually is a ‘granny’. I enjoy climbing with my 27 and more than once I am still riding up steeper climbs getting plenty of envious looks from guys walking their 39/23’s.
I enjoy climbing with my 27 and more than once I am still riding up steeper climbs getting plenty of envious looks from guys walking their 39/23’s.
Then why are you asking?
it comes down to “enough for what?” I have one bike that has a 22 front / 34 rear low gear, and that isn’t low enough sometimes. On one of my others I have a 39 front / 23 rear, and the 23 only gets touched when I accidentally go into the 53/23 combo. a 39/19 would be low enough.
Ride with the 11-25 or 12-25. if you need a lower gear, replace it.
Depends on your total body and bike weight,cadence,Power that you can sustain and gradient of the climb.Look up"BICYCLE GEARING for WISCONSIN HILLS " on google.If you are like most slowtwitchers and weigh 140,have a 15 lb bike and can hold 350 watts you only need a 39/23 to climb a 12% grade at a 70 cadence.Unfortunately I weigh 200 and for a prolonged effort can sustain only 200 watts. I need a 22/34 gear for a long 12% grade at a 70 cadence.I actually have a road bike with mountain bike gearing and love triples.Actually ther are quite a few people like myself carrying too much weight and unable to sustain(for 20 minutes ) more than 200 watts.ALL of them should be using triples.Before triples were banned in professional cycling(I think this is true) Roberto Heras used a triple with a 25 rear gear in a Vueta climb with a 22% grade.He destroyed everyone else using their doubles. And that was a climber (loaded on all kinds of juice) who would DESTROY every poster ever on slowtwitch up a steep hill.The long and the short of it is-you know your weight and that of your bike(with all the added crap),You can easily find out how much power you can hold for 20 minutes.Do not use less than a cadence of 70 for a long climb.The toughest variable is figuring out the gradients of hill in your races.If you are a little heavy, a bit older and don’t like to destroy yourself on the hills you will LOVE a triple (with a big rear cassette -11/28 is my favorite.