I did the Dragon last year, my first big road event. Did lots of training in the Cotswolds and when I did the Dragon it all seemed a bit flat. Some of the climbs in the Dragon are much longer, but nowhere near as steep.
Oh, I started off on a double, then bought a new bike with a compact. Either would have been fine.
I rode last years Dragon Ride and it was my first big road ride and I was very glad of my triple and my mate was regretting only having compact as he ran out of legs. I am a big bloke and the only frustration with the triple I have is that on the flat/downhill I find that I wished I had the bigger gear of the lads with compacts but the bike I was riding was for a specific purpose (Giant SCR3).
Having used the Drgaon Ride as a gauge of fitness for the distance/time aspect of training for Lands End To John O Groats and numerous other training rides thereafter I find that there is only the rare occasion that I use the granny however on LeJog instead of developing the tendinitis that the other two got early on from trying to push to bigger gear too often (the route over Exmoor was quite punishing ie the climb out of South Molton to the top of the moor).
I am going to upgrade to a new BB and chainset in the future and this will be compact primarily as the road rides are now flatter and for the commute on it.
I was advised by a number of ex semi pro riders and LBS owners who had done the LeJog ride to use the triple and it came into its own on the climb out of Berridale in Scotland.
It aint soft to use a triple its what your legs will take and what you are comfortable with. Once you have built up the leg strength then you may feel that you could cope with a double. On the Dragon Ride I overtook so many people on the 7.3km climb who were walking pushing their compact equipped bikes whilst I spun by on the triple feeling smug.
Rode the Dragon last year on a Compact set up, you'll be fine. I didn't need any lower gears than I had.
Oh, never pushed/walked on the Dragon and I'm far from a roadie!
Edit - I too live in the flatlands of Norfolk so don't really have any serious hills to train on.
I ride compact in East Anglia as I ride with a very high cadence (120ish). Don't care too much what people think - would use a single on the front if I could find a brake lever that was the same shape as a Shimano STI!
I have a tripe on my road bike. I do not use the granny very often, but went past fit roadies on the David Lloyd Mega who were all very jealous of me riding when they pushed!
Gilly C - MemberI have a tripe on my road bike. I do not use the granny very often, but went past fit roadies on the David Lloyd Mega who were all very jealous of me riding when they pushed!
No way!Never seen a fit roadie push-ever!
On the triple if you are carrying heavy panniers for touring I think it makes sense
There is nothing steep on the dragon ride, a compact and 34-25 would be fine if you have any fitness at all.
i have a triple to go on my steel frame, when i get it polished. I'll use it for commuting, pub trips, and LEJOG. I see the benefits of a double, but i think that the more choice the better!
Look after your knees on the super steep climbs when in the easiest gear, standing up at walking speed etc.
I'm using a double 53-39 and it is tough up hills on 12-25 but I wasn't that fit but managed 72 miles after 4 weeks from riding from zero.
Once I'm back (injured unrelated to riding) I'll be using my triple till my knee is ok and if I have to stick with the triple then who cares what people say?
If everyone was that good they would be doing Le Tour etc
Also some peoples idea of hills vary too. Thats not a hill, points at the alps- now thats a hill 
Get what you want. Personally I've used compact gearing since 96, and am quite happy getting up most things with them. I do also have a triple bike although I'm not sure when I'll ever use the 30 except when towing the bobyak.
I'm reasonably fit, but hate grinding gears on hills and prefer to have a higher cadence.
I take the point about shifting, although lots of stuff on the web about the bigger jump on the front of compact.
Anyone else, still undecided!
Yeah....
There is *nothing* in the UK on a road that needs anything more than a double from anyone who is even moderately fit and strong, especially these new doubles that are coming out where the big ring is normal sized and the inner ring looks like a cock ring. But, if you like spinning away then no problem, just get a triple. I'll not judge you for it (although there will be plenty of roadies who do).
I'm rubbish on a road bike and I managed the Whitton, the Dragon Ride and the Tour of the Peak on a compact double with a 12/25 on the back. if you really want a triple, then go for it, but I'm not sure there's any significant advantage in the real world.
Don't discount the possibility that you might really enjoy road bikes. I'm a mountain biker first and backmost, but there's a purity and speed to road biking that's really addictive.
The Dragon Ride's ace by the way, the climbs are long but not that steep and it's a beautiful part of the world to ride. You'll love it.
As one of the previous posts mentioned, the advantage of a triple is that you can use it with a close ratio cassette and get a wide range without big steps between the gears. It also gives you real man top-end gears for downhills and good tailwinds.
I use a triple on my commuting/touring/winter training bike. The granny doesn't get used for day-to-day cycling (although it's been handy over the past week for getting through some sections of snow on back roads and paths). It comes in handy when hauling more weight on bigger hills (e.g. camping gear over Alpine passes).
Wouldn't recommend basing the decision on aesthetic reasons!
If you get a compact, some roadies will consider you a lower form of life. If you get a triple, pretty much everyone except tourers and a few MTBers will consider you a lower form of life. And the tourers will consider you a lower form of life anyway because you haven't got enough spokes.
You can worry too much about it, just buy one. It may be worth considering what ring you're likely to spend the most time in: a 34, 39, or 50, because that may dictate what you want to have somewhere on your chainset. But you probably have no idea yet.
For me the key element would be the facts that (a) shifters are bloody expensive and (b) whilst you can use a double chainset with a triple shifter, you can't use a triple chainset with a double shifter. So if you're unsure then it may make economic sense to buy a triple.
There is *nothing* in the UK on a road that needs anything more than a double from anyone who is even moderately fit and strong
I did the Dragon Ride as my first ever century bike ride (in miles) last year on a 12/25 compact. I am 49 and could hardly be described as a race snake and have only been road riding properly since March 2009, though I have done a fair bit of mountain biking over the last ten years.
As the posts above mention most of the hills on the Dragon Ride are long without being necessarily that steep.
I found my hill climbing ability improved dramatically through training rides, and I certainly would have felt over-geared with a triple for the Dragon Ride.
One option mentioned might be to get a 12/27 which gives you a lower gear when you want one. A friend of mine runs one and he can spin a bit easier up some of the really steep hills we sometimes ride in the Mendips.
Above all get something that you are happy with not what is cool or fashionable.
1:4
You need to get yourself over to the Ramsbottom rake hill climb (which is my only experience of watching other people ride up proper steep hills) where you can watch macho men (oh no, hang on, I meant 12 year old girls), climbing up a 1:4 climb on roadbikes with doubles. I'm sure they're not the exception.
you'd ride all day at
I said 'UK'.
Compact double it is then he hee.
Next you'll be putting MTB SPD's on there too 
Compact but 12-27 changed from 12-25 as I struggled up some BIG hills. 27 is fine now though !
Darkside - Triple or Compact
I agree with righty. get a normal double and fit a 23 block. You'll soon get used to it, and its served me well
i have a triple I like it as it offends roadie snobs
standing up for triple riders everywhere by kicking the asses of the poseur roadies who care what gears you run on 500 quid triple chainsetted bike .....some of them get quite upset .
the fast guys couldnt give a shit what you run.
get a triple, if only to annoy all the bloody roadies idiots who think it matters to them what you ride.
i've been told off in the past for too many colours on my bike / not enough colours on my bike / using shimano / riding a specialized / the 'wrong' helmet / wearing a bright jacket / not wearing a bright jacket / wearing baggies / using 'mtb' shoesnpedals / having a red led / not having a red led.
have you seen 'the official rules of the euro cyclist' ? - some people take this seriously...
Wouldn't be without a triple myself; don't like having to get off & walk, & some climbs I just wouldn't get up with a compact. Bealach na Ba, + the succeding climbs back to Sheildaig, for example; while some rippling-riding-gods can, no doubt, sprint up them all with a compact, there were plenty who couldn't in the previous challenges.
My road bike is probably more tourer than racer though (Genesis Day 06) & cosmetics don't really enter into it!
Compact here - good in the pyreness with a 27T on the back.
Twas all the guys in our group had - even the super fit ones.
Would get a triple for a touring bike - never else though.
J.
wow - I can't believe how much 'appearance' / 'rules' matter when riding a road bike - glad now that I'm not part of any roadie group and just get out on my bike and ride.
Anyhow, I ride with a triple (never realised that it would be an issue or considered unacceptable!), for 2 reason - (a) I live up a really steep mountain and do most of my riding in Snowdonia, and (b) I have a knee problem that means that I have to try and ensure that I minimise strain by maintaining an easy cadence.
It seems a real shame that people who ride road bikes are so judgemental and image conscious 
i've been told off in the past for too many colours on my bike / not enough colours on my bike / using shimano / riding a specialized / the 'wrong' helmet / wearing a bright jacket / not wearing a bright jacket / wearing baggies / using 'mtb' shoesnpedals / having a red led / not having a red led.
Thank god I don't ride with any roadie snobs on my triple chainset road bike with MTB shoes/pedals and usually a mud-splatted, peaked helmet!
MTB shoes/pedals and usually a mud-splatted, peaked helmet!
Add on some baggies and you've got my normal road riding gear.
It's best when you get in a race with a roadie wearing all that stuff and leave them.
It seems a real shame that people who ride road bikes are so judgemental and image conscious
That on an MTB forum ha ha ha.
risers with bar ends ok then?
lycra ok then?
pot and kettle spring to mind
I once had a mate ring me on the eve of a [roadie]ride out with him & some of his mates
He wanted to be sure I wasn't going to turn up in baggies - why on earth the thought of that bothered him, I've no idea
What annoyed me when I tried a 39/53 instead of my 42/52 was that I was having to shift the front mech all the time as my most commonly used ratios were not covered by one ring*. This was when I was racing, or training for short distances, I have a triple hidden away now for day rides and always had one on my tourer.
*This issue would affect my choice. Internet braggers who can "get by on a double" or whatever wouldn't - ride whatever works for you.
warton - MemberThat on an MTB forum ha ha ha.
risers with bar ends ok then?
lycra ok then?pot and kettle spring to mind
there's plenty of people who ride MTBs &/or road bikes are very concious of what they look like
a lot more roadies however seem bothered about what other people look like for some reason
just an observation
aracer - Member"There is *nothing* in the UK on a road that needs anything more than a double from anyone who is even moderately fit and strong"
No, of course not. 1:4 is quite straightforward on 34:27 - you'll be doing a steady 30rpm on that gear at a 20m a minute climb rate. Of course all the macho men on here can climb far faster than that, and 30rpm is a perfectly comfortable cadence of the sort you'd ride all day at, so you're dead right, a double gives gears plenty low enough for anybody, whatever climbs you might want to go up.
Well said that man
wow - I can't believe how much 'appearance' / 'rules' matter when riding a road bike
Heh. Reminds me of a pal, really fit rider, former Scottish champion etc. would do 2 laps of GT red using a 46T ring while his mades did 1 laps etc. Couldn't understand why weekend warriors needed small rings etc.
Thing is they probably pushed themselves way harder on their rides than he ever got...
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