Slightly off topic, but i need opinions from Power Forum Readers

please pardon my slightly off topic post, but i value the opinion of the people who frequent the Power Training forum.

I have a 2002 Cannondale CADD 7 with Campagnolo Record components (52/39 front, 13/26 rear). I am very happy with my Campy gear but want to move to a triple chain ring in front and use this bike as my "steep climbing" bike. my other bike is Dura Ace and I am contemplating switching the entire Campy Record gruppo to a Shimano gruppo. as a bit of background, I will probably rarely use the small front ring except on infrequent unusually steep climbing rides (probably 2 - 3 times/year). I just turned 50, and getting up 10% grades in 39/27 is getting harder each time I try it.

here's where i need the advice: the Dura Ace 7803 triple ring gruppo is around $1875 US while the Ultegra SC Triple gruppo is $1145 US. Since I am used to great shifting gruppos (my Campy Record and my Dura Ace), i wonder if I will see a quality or performance difference with the Ultegra gruppo? i do not plan to use the triple ring bike any less than I use it today -- I split time between both bikes.

so that is my dilemma -- do I save about $700 and go with the Ultegra triple gruppo? or do I spend the $700 and go with Dura Ace triple gruppo?

your comments & experiences would be much appreciated.

 

I wouldn't change manufacturers just to solve a gearing problem. It means your wheels won't be interchangable, you'll need to keep multiple tool sets around and in general it's a hassle. If you like Campy, stick with Campy and just get the gears you need.

Have you looked into compact cranks instead of a triple? I went to a 50:34 compact setup for my road bike last summer and I'll never go back. Pair those chainrings up with a 11:25 or 11:26 cassette and you get more top end with the 50:11 than you'll get with a 53:12 and you get a lot more low end with a 34:25 vs. even a 39:28. It's a lot of useable range and it allows you to keep your existing shifters, I didn't even switch front or rear derailleurs, just lowered the front a bit and it shifts great. I've swapped in a 12:27 rear cassette for really steep hill climb events and it's amazing what I can ride seated with a 34:27 (that's a 34" gear!). Anyway, it's an alternative to a triple that shifts a bit better, gives you a lot of gearing range and will almost certainly save you money.

-Dave

 

compact cranks is a great suggestion. i will look into that option. i never thought about a 50/34 front with a 11/23 (or 12/27) on the rear. Do you ever feel like you run out of gear when in 50/11? If not, then compact cranks might be the way to go since I am trying to solve a climbing gear problem.

oh and just to clarify.......now I have a bike with Campy and a bike with Dura Ace. one of the benefits of changing gruppos was to get my two bikes aligned so I COULD swap wheels and spares. (good point !).

thanks for your feedback, Dave !

 

My previous high gear was a 53:12 which is 119 gear inches.
The compact setup with a 50:11 is nearly 123 gear inches. IOW, the 50:11 has more top end than a 53:12 so no I don't run out of top end with that setup.

-Dave

 

I went Compact just over a year ago for a climbing trip to Italy (50/34:12/27) and it made the riding completely manageable and enjoyable when I felt like gearing down and taking an easier day in the mountains.

Have since thrown on a 12/23 for local hilly road races and crits and have a gear for every situation. Shifting is sweet...and that's even with me having been too slack to lower my front derailleur! Anyone wanna buy my now spare 53/39 crankset?

Mike Lawson

http://mikelawsonscyclingblog.blogspot.com

 

I have raced with triple cranks. They are great when they work, but IMO they have too many potential problems. The crankset is much wider than a double, and hence you create a lot of cross-chain problems (this is why triples have two click-settings for the middle gear, and still you will get front derailleur rub on some combinations that otherwise would be useable).

I used to drop chains a lot more often with the triple. So far that has only happened once with the DA double (and not in a race). I have seen other riders drop chains with triples too.

I would add another vote for a 50-34 crank. SRAM makes 11-26 cassettes that cost less than half of what a Dura-Ace model costs (they are heavier though).

Another option that a friend of mine does on hilly time-trials is to take his standard 12-27 DA cassette and swap out the 12 cog for an 11. He says he doesn't mind the big jump between 13 and 11.



clear as mud.

 

I also love the compact for the same reasons.
My rides can range from flat to Cat 1 Tour de Georgia hills and the same bike is comfortable on both. I use a SRAM 11-28 so the range is great for a variety of terrain up to Burkhalter gap that has a short section of 22% gradient.

 

That's the part we can best help with. They should be getting easier if you're doing it right.

 

thanks for all the helpful suggestions. i just ordered a Campagnolo Record compact crank set. even got them on sale !

as far as making 1.5 mile 8% - 10% grade climbs easier at my age, i may have to give up on all my hill climbing repeat training and go straight to EPO.

 

Better watch out complaining about your age. It makes the real old timers cranky.

 

+1 Plenty of gear for P/1/2 crits when I got a compact on my new bike but hadn't built it up with the old groupset a couple of years ago. Can be a little tricky to set up the front derailleur perfectly, but not compared to a triple. Also, less weight and q factor penalty.

 

+1 for the compact.

You may want to look at a $35 device called ShiftMate that allows you to interchange drive train components - cassette, rear derailleur, etc without missing a shift. All of my wheels to include PT's are set-up for Campy but when I purchased a TT bike with Shimano, I couldn't afford the added expense of swapping everything over to Campy. The bike shifts like a dream and I'm using a Shimano chain and rear derailleur with my Campy cassette on my Zipp wheel.

http://jtekengineering.com/shiftmate.htm

 

i've never heard of the shift mate.............thanks for the link !