keydates said:I guess a 42 might be a little high to climb. Unfortunately/fortunately, since I have a triple, it's either that or a 30 in front. I'd like something in between (like a 35 or even a 39), but you can only find those on doubles. The problem with doubles is that the bigger gear usually has 50+ teeth, which is, as of right now, too hard to sustain a ~90 rpm cadence. As I said before, maybe in a year or so I'll be able to do that.
People might also think that a triple will make them look weak in comparison to the other riders.
You can always change your 42 to a 39 if you want. I ordered my FSA triple crank with a 39 since with a 12-25 cassette it gives me that 90 cadence at the speeds I most often ride. Another option is of course the 50/34 compact crank.
Agree the cadence is the important thing. As you get faster and stronger, you'll use the inner ring less and less, but it still doesn't cost much to carry it for the days you need it. My 56 mile club ride today was typical....inner ring not needed, about 85% of the time in the middle ring at 15-19
mph, with 15% big ring at 20-25. Since there were no fast wheels to suck...I had to do a lot of the pulling, meaning mostly little ring and 90 rpm.
Concerning looking weak, I've found that if I can climb side-by-side with a stronger rider by using my triple, they tend to be impressed regardless of the gearing. To me, walking your 39/23 bike up a 15% grade looks weak, and I've seen plenty of riders doing that.