okay, triples are for weaklings, and ruleurs ride big ringed doubles but….can I mix and match triple and double STI shifters, mechs and cranks? Such as:
– use STI triple shifters (eg 5603) with a double front mech or
– use STI double shifters (eg 5600) with a triple mech, if I’m only using it with a double crank? indeed
– can I use the triple mech on a double crank?

The rear shifter will work either way; to use your front triple shifter with a double chainset you’ll just have to adjust your limit screw to prevent the third click taking the chain any lower

I currently run a double crank up front, a triple front mech with triple shifters. It doesn’t overshoot if set up correctly. I do however run a 10 speed chain. I don’t have a problem with chain rubbing.

Sora Shifter, 105 Cranks, 105 Chain, Sora Front Mech.

The reason for the 10 speed chain is the cranks are 10 speed.

triples are cool, compacts are gay.

Are you in the market for bits? Because it’s not an issue with Campagnolo…is it?

triples are cool, compacts are gay

This is actually true; I’ve got an audax/randonneur mate who is hard as nails (Paris Brest, LEJOG in 3 days) and he’s triple all the way.

I’m looking at bits yes, but sticking to shimano. hunting around on merlin, bike24, rose etc to find the cheapest groupset for 105 (basically). intend to go for a double, but found some cheaper triple bits like an ultegra 30, 39, 52 chainset for 75 quid…well I can remove the granny ring and it’s a double, so long as a double front mech works with it (cheapest sti levers I found for 105 were double, as was the mech IIRC)

so other than tweaking limit screws to stop the 3rd shift dropping the chain everything should work. good.

neilnevill – Member
ultegra 30, 39, 52 chainset for 75 quid…well I can remove the granny ring and it’s a double

Nope, it’s still a triple. People will see, and point, and laugh.

neilnevill – would you mind dropping me a mail with the best rates you are finding for the bits? I’m in the planning stages!!

I’ve got triples on all my road bikes. No signs of campness here.

I had a triple and never used the cranny ring. Hence I moved to a double.

Roadie Fashion says double/compact or you are a wusssssss

Getting a Triple says you are sensible and want the max range of gears so you can take on bigger climbs

So I went for a triple.

Now I’ve lived with it a bit I can see the point of a compact. My 39T middle ring doesn’t spin very well for me on slight uphills. I tend to have to drag the chain across, whereas a 34T does spin quite nicely in the same circumstances.

And if you do the gear inch sums you are only about 4 gear inches apart on the two systems, provided you have the same rear cassette.

But if you are knackered and taking on yet another big hill 4 gear inches can make all the difference.

If you want definitive advice on what STI will work with what system, email Madison, the shimano distributor.

Generally Triple front STIs will have more positions (5) than a double STI (4) so you are going to have problems using the one with the other.

My road bike has a compact and my cycling buddy’s bike has a triple. We are closely matched physically and fitness-wise and climbing hills we find that my bottom gear is the same as his on his granny ring. Who reaches to top first is determined by who is feeling on form that day, nothing else.

but found some cheaper triple bits like an ultegra 30, 39, 52 chainset for 75 quid…well I can remove the granny ring and it’s a double, so long as a double front mech works with it

That won’t work. Taking the granny ring off gives you two rings, but they’re further out than a double, which has a narrower chainline. The front mech won’t reach far enough to nicely clear the big ring without modification. You can shorten the tail on the spring so it will, but it’s a faff. A triple front mech would work, just limit it so it doesn’t fall off the inside.

Or just keep the triple.

ah, thanks.

triples are heavy and clunky shifting, if you aren’t touring then I wouldn’t bother – a compact with a 27 is a lower gear than a triple with a 25 and even if 30×27 is lower than 34×28 there isn’t much in it

for the amount you’d need it, I would go with compact unless it really is a riotous bargain for the triple

edhornby – Member
triples are heavy and clunky shifting,

Utter BS, set up properly they will shift just as well. Weight…<100 gram?

It’s not just about the low gear – it’s about having the right chainring for the majority of pedalling. For me the 39-42 range is perfect and the granny hardly ever gets used (though when it does I am very grateful for the whole extra 100gm).

I know a compact would have me jumping between chainrings all the time even on flattish roads which is a complete PITA (esp in a chain gang) – but then it’s a mix of flat and hilly roads by me and little of my riding is at doddling pace.

With a compact, going to the smaller chainring is certainly a pain especially for the riders behind you because you slow down suddenly, unless you simultaneously go 2 to 3 gears smaller on the cassette to take up the difference. A triple at least gives you a more “seamless” ring change.

I’ve had another rider yelling at me when I changed down at the bottom of the hill and he nearly went up my chuff.

tripples? Compacts? pah

get yourself a 39-53

42-52 more like, only gayers need the 39.

42-52 more like, only gayers need the 39.

I think you’ll find it should be 42-53 for proper roadies. 😉

My Road bike came with a triple LH STi and triple front mech with a double chainset, inner limit screw set was so that the final downshift just does nowt and it all works fine… (old 9spd – Tiagra)…

I’d never want to be a proper roadie 😛

“I’ve had another rider yelling at me when I changed down at the bottom of the hill and he nearly went up my chuff.”

and that pretty much sums up why I’d never join a road club!

I started with a triple then went to a compact, now I just have a Single 42 🙂

A triple?

The shame ..

Then again. Its kinda like when you see guys with big camelbaks on at trail centres … it kinda tells you all you really need to know..

May i suggest a bright orange or yellow gilet too. It will compliment your triple perfectly.

will shimano sti’s work work with an mtb drive train?

only shimano mechs or sram as well?

any issues with the mtb cassette ratios and the sti?

building a commuting/tourer.

thanks

1) You’ll need a 9 speed MTB mech, whether you use 9 or 10 speed STIs

2) SRAM are not cross compatible at all

3) It’s dependant on the rear mech, if you have an MTB rear mech you’ll be fine

cheers.

will the sram sti’s work with sram mtb deraileurs?

i’ve got a mtb triple on my road bike. boom!

will the sram sti’s work with sram mtb deraileurs?

10 speed will, 9 speed won’t, they’re not STIs though, they’re Double Taps 🙂

I’ve had another rider yelling at me when I changed down at the bottom of the hill and he nearly went up my chuff.

I nearly hit someone who changed down in front of me on the Dragon Ride last year, probably an mtber on a road bike…I didn’t yell though.

Forget fashion (whether Roadie or MTB) – and forget received wisdom too. If you have the time and inclination, do your own experiments, or think outside the box….

After 20+ years on road, mtb and CX trying every gear combo imaginable, I have found the future! You read it here first! 😀

And that future is….. CX gear ratios on a road bike: a 38/46 double chainset with 13-28 cassette. 😆

Why…..?

Because many people find the small chainring (39 or 42) on ‘conventional’ road chainsets too large for climbing. You can climb on a 39 for sure, but unless you’re very fit, or your last name is Contador or Schleck, it’s no fun.

Hence the massive market take-up of Compact (34 tooth) in recent years.

However, Compact has 2 big disadvantages – there is a BIG gap in gearing between the 34 and 50 tooth chainrings, and a compact 34 tooth ring doesn’t work particularly well with wide-ratio cassettes e.g. up to 27/28 tooth – the gains in each cog are very, very noticeable and many find them awkward.

The huge gap between the 34 and 50 for me was a big problem, detracting from the ride… when rolling along on a 34 you are constantly shifting between it and the 50 whilst simultaneously having to shift multiple cogs on the cassette, all to compensate for that big gap in gearing produced by the 34/50. This can become seriously annoying and detract from the pleasure of the ride. For me, I felt like I was constantly shifting around in a never-ending quest to find the right gear.

Triples can have compromises too. The middle ring on a Triple is generally a 39 (same gearing as the small ring on a ‘conventional’ road chainset) with a 30-tooth granny. Some folks like these for hills or touring with heavy loads, but shallower gradients e.g. rises in the road mean that (sometimes) you can be shifting between the 30 and 39 chainrings and the cassette to find the gear that’s right – a bit like a Compact. Triples do add that little bit extra clutter, although many people don’t have a problem with this.

So what about CX ratios?

Try a CX chainset 36/46 or 38/46 with a 12-28 or 13-28 cassette. I’ve been using a 38/46 chainset with 13-28 cassette for a year now, and as a road bike it does away with all the compromises of ‘conventional’ road gearing or triples.

A 38 x 28 low gear is EXACTLY the same gear as a 34 x 25 which is what most Compacts come with (for those who care about these things, it’s 35.7 gear inches). Yet with a 38/46 there is no massive gap/jump in the gearing between the front chainrings – it’s a smooth transition that I find requires no simultaneous change at the cassette. A 38 front ring with a 28 cassette is a great gear for climbing (as stated above – it’s the same gear as a 34×25 Compact) but unlike a Compact a 38 chainring is also a great gear for spinning along on flat and rolling roads… whereas with a 34 Compact you’re constantly shifting between the 34 and 50 to find the right gear.

What about the big ring on a CX chainset then?

Some will say that a 46 tooth big ring is for girls…. well, OK then. So how much time do you spend in the 53 x 12 or the 50 x 13? And for those of you who actually use that gear even occasionally, are you spinning that gear out or are you straining to grind it over? Be honest.

Frankly, I never find myself outspinning the 46 x 13 gear. I don’t find that I even get into that gear that often, perhaps 4-5 times per ride. And when I do, I can hammer the heck out of it, pretending I’m Cav on the Champs Elysee, but hardly give anything away to those on bigger chainrings.

So in summary, a 38/46 CX chainset (or 36/46) with 13-28 cassette provides the exact same climbing ratios as a Compact, but does away with the big disadvantage of Compacts being the huge gap in gearing between the 34 and the 50. And for 99% of riders a 46×13 provides a sufficiently big gear to hammer like a nutter when sprinting.

I’m sure that some will say that there is an overlap in gearing between the 38/46 chainrings i.e. the ratio is not wide enough, but… they will likely be folks who haven’t actually tried it therefore don’t know what they’re talking about.

sorry, slightly confused.

will the sram 10sp double taps work with a 9sp sram mtb rear mech and cassette or do I need 10 sp mech and cassette then?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to get it right.

38/46 double chainset with 13-28 cassette

Quite big jumps on the cassette though?

I use 34/50 with a 12-25 cassette and find it fine. I only use the 34 when climbing, perhaps I stay in the 50 a bit too long before dropping down? Don’t notice that but when I drop down I’m happy to stay there for the rest of the climb. I mostly ride in the Surrey Hills with it’s numerous short/steep climbs.

Some will say that a 46 tooth big ring is for girls…. well, OK then. So how much time do you spend in the 53 x 12 or the 50 x 13? And for those of you who actually use that gear even occasionally, are you spinning that gear out or are you straining to grind it over? Be honest.

I use my 53/11 fairly regularly in a few places, not spinning out, but ticking over on some fast sweeping descents. I’ve used the inner ring on my compact on the winter road bike once this year, on a 21% road climb.

46/13 at 90rpm is 26mph, which IMO is too small for a road bike, significantly so if you’re racing. 46/11 is better (29.4mph @ 90rpm). You’ll also wear the cassette quicker as you’ll be at the top of the block the whole time and you’ll have big jumps in between gears.

So, in conclusion, no, CX ratios would be stupid (for me) on a road bike!

Frankly, I never find myself outspinning the 46 x 13 gear

I would on chain gangs no problem, and those big jumps would be a right PITA on any long or hard ride IMO.

But for many riders you are probably right, it’s fine. Good to see people doing their own thing.

42-11 is my top gear which is just slightly higher than 46-13, I find it fast enough as I don’t race. So long as you can spin you can still pick up silly speed downhill.

I don’t understand how riders good enough to claim they need a 52-12 ish top gear also claim they need the 30t ring of a triple

RestlessNative – Member
42-11 is my top gear which is just slightly higher than 46-13, I find it fast enough as I don’t race. So long as you can spin you can still pick up silly speed downhill.

I don’t understand how riders good enough to claim they need a 52-12 ish top gear also claim they need the 30t ring of a triple

It’s not need, it’s about not having to spin on long/steep downhills, and getting back up them after a long/hard day.

I don’t understand how riders good enough to claim they need a 52-12 ish top gear also claim they need the 30t ring of a triple

So now you’re getting testy because people disagree with you!?

For me it’s about my ‘normal’ gears. If I spend the majority of my time at one extreme or t’other I’d say I’m under, or overgeared. I’d look for a setup in which I spend most time somewhere in the middle of the range.

Yes, I could get away with the same set up as you, by spending a significant proportion of my time in the top gear, but what’s the point. By having bigger rings you’re leaving yourself something in reserve be that for descending or what. Otherwise as I said you’ll wear the top ones, and never the bottom.

Same on the MTB. When I ran a double I used 28/42, not because I needed a 42/11 top gear, but because I’d never ever use a 22, so something like a 22/36 would be utterly pointless.

Horses for courses innit.