You can use a triple anywhere but a double for mostly flat areas.A double would be a bit better shifting i would think to.

You can also use a double in the mountains. So we've established that you can use a triple anywhere, and you can also use a double anywhere. That should clear things up.

Thanks.

--Josh

errr, I'm not going to throw out any fancy math here (although my trig teacher would disaprove) but I can give you a real life experiance....

First, I run a double- usually a 39-52 and 14-25, but my dad ran a DA triple set up on his CAAD 7 with a 12-21 cassette in back for the close gear ratios (and a 30-21 bailout gear). I took it upon my self to save him from this travesty of style as well as to save his poor CAAD 7 from the abuse it gathered from other high end bikes. So, I put a 38-52 DA double on with a 12-28 rear cassette.

After he threatened to tear my Orbea apart piece by piece and replace my STI's with friction down tube shifters he actually went for a road ride with me- AND LOVED IT. Given, I live in a hilly region. The hills aren't long (1-3 mi), but they are very steep. Still, he's kept it.

If you race- you better run a double. Unless it's the Angruli (sp?).

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double on the road bike.

triple on the MTB and I spend most of the time in the middle ring and the granny.

I have a triple but never use the 30 tooth what so ever. I also have a double. I live in Australia, we don't have mountains.

I have a quadruple, but rarely use the fourth-only on really long flat straights. The rest of the time I'm going down those killer downhills, and me being the beast that I am I can manage with just the three....j/k

Double-because it says "Hey, I'm low maintenance" and it forces you to work harder on hills, though there certainly are times when I wish I had my granny to help.

Triple! Got one at 50 yrs old and am still riding 100 mi's per week at 61. Makes all the difference in the hills of No. Cal. Longevity and a passion for riding is all that counts. Ride, Ride, Ride, Whatever it takes to make it enjoyable!

Third rings are for people that are too old to ride

And two rings are for people who live in countries that don´t have mountains .

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' too old to rock 'n' roll : too young to die '

Or, maybe for people that no longer need to pretend they are pro road racers?

Ha, Ha, Ha, what an attitude. All I can say is "I'll give up cycling when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the handlebars" By the way, did a 50 mi ride today with 3500 ft of climbing. Sure enjoyed having that triple. Easy on those knees in the cold. Is the 1988 in your name your birthyear?

I use triples for two reasons:

1. I live near very big mountains.

2. I want a closer spacing between gears. With a triple I almost always use a straight block 12-21 cassette. Nice small steps between gears.

I keep chainrings in 53, 52, 50, 42, 39, 37, 32, 30, and 28 on hand and mix and match them for whatever terrain I might face. I travel and ride a lot in unfamiliar places and I prefer to error on the side of having a low enough gear for any situation that might come along.

It is not really an "AGE" thing other than perhaps as I get older (mid-40's) I bonk harder, always unexpected of course, usually at the end of a ride that finishes on a hill in an unfamiliar area. Or on a ride that I have underestimated the mileage.

There is no shame in using a triple, especially if you have a logical reason for using it. Even the "Pro's" use it for certain stages of big tours, Angrilu (spelling?) and others.

Triples are about gearing and gear choice, not about age and machismo.

Triples are about gearing and gear choice, not about age and machismo. [/B][/QUOTE] Very well put. I did see a picture of Jan Ullrich in Cycle sport magazine using a triple one of his training rides. Most of the riders in our club have triples. Most of our club rides involve climbs, can't escape them here. If we rode on mostly flat terrain we would not have the need for one. Give those knees a break now and they will thank you later on.

Very well put. I did see a picture of Jan Ullrich in Cycle sport magazine using a triple one of his training rides. Most of the riders in our club have triples. Most of our club rides involve climbs, can't escape them here. If we rode on mostly flat terrain we would not have the need for one. Give those knees a break now and they will thank you later on. [/B][/QUOTE]

Same here. Several younger and stronger guys in the club have triples now, so the machismo thing isn't really an issue. I just got my first triple, and like the idea that I've now got gearing for the hardest and longest rides, or on days when I'm not riding strong.

Same here. Several younger and stronger guys in the club have triples now, so the machismo thing isn't really an issue. I just got my first triple, and like the idea that I've now got gearing for the hardest and longest rides, or on days when I'm not riding strong. [/B][/QUOTE] The quote "Triples are about gearing and gear choice, not about age and machismo." is from Retrogeek. I can't take credit for it.