Just how "Wrong" is a Road Triple chainset?

I’ve been looking at Groupsets for a bike I’m going to be building up soon, my list of requirements means I want to spend a minimum, have 170mm cranks and ideally a compact (50/34) double chainset…

Its to go on a ‘Nice’ Carbon bike… and while I can all the features I want for even less if I buy a Tiagra group, something in me wants to get a 105 group instead as there’s a good balance of VFM/Function/semi-Bling with it, and I’ve not got an Ultegra budget…

So I’m looking at 5700 – 105 from a few places, the bargains seem to be more available either with the wrong length cranks (not going to do that), or if I were to compromise a bit and buy a triple (50/39/30) then I can get a relatively cheap groupset, and OK the ratios it would provide would be perfectly adequate (significantly better for big climbs I suppose), but then it is a triple and while I’m not a proper or committed roadie I don’t want to build a bike that’s not “Quite right”… .

Basically I’m slowly talking myself into a Triple chainset, but over thinking this one aspect…
So just how beyond the pale is a triple really considered?
Would I be shunned and/or beaten up for having one?

Give me a steer STW…

Personally I reckon a triple makes more sense than compact which just gives you a range of gears such that you’re unlikely to be in the gear you want at any given time.

I’d use a triple and disc brakes along with a steel frame would make an excellent bike for the majority of my road riding which is audax’s.

I currently use a 11-32 rear cassette and a compact, a triple would give me smoother shifting at the front and a good range with a standard road cassette.

People will mock you on the interwebz but not really in the real world.

How much money are you talking about ? I got a 105 compact groupset from Merlin erlier this year for a couple of quid over £300. Admittedly that was with 175mm cranks but are 170mm *really* loads more expensive ??

It just seems a bit pointless if you’re only doing it for bargain reasons, surely you can find a compact groupset for the right money. Will also give you a silly range of gears for your needs if it’s not a tourer or you’re not spinning up super-steep hills..?

So just how beyond the pale is a triple really considered?

By bike snobs,a huge amount.

Buy the triple and just remove the granny ring. 39/50 should be OK.

If you struggle either add the granny or change middle cog for a 34.

You just need to adjust the high low settings on the front Mech.

Are the shifters you are looking at double or triple specific?

If you live in the south and its flat I’m sure you will get funny looks but if you live somewhere hilly then its fine. Where I live only the machines run a 39/53

People will mock you on the interwebz but not really in the real world.

^ This

Triples are fine and make a lot of sense. I use them.

I’ve found riding with a triple to just be frustrating, and I feel like it combines the worst parts of a compact and a double. You either have too tall a climbing gear, or too small a descending gear. There’s not enough steep long climbs around where I live that I ever need a 30t, it’s just uselessly spinny. If my road rides were long touring type rides then maybe, but I’m out for short fast rides. Riding with a triple on the road doesn’t work for me at all.

I wouldn’t just for a bargain, if you’re not really sold on it then you’ll probably end up disliking it once the money is forgotten about.

If you want the ratios then fair enough…

The OP is just a bit worried, after reading this thread

Also, the same reason you might not have a triple (or double) on your mtb applies to road bikes too – added faff and ratio crossovers. Converting a triple groupset to a double would be a bad compromise (bad chainline and not optimal shifting) or not possible (having a triple shifter).

Triple has it’s advantages (stick a close ratio cassette on without sacrificing an easy climbing gear, better spread of gears etc.), ignoring the roadie fasion police the only real disadvantages in my eyes are that the cranksets are a PITA to clean (I always found that anyway!) and chainline not always great on big ring so you tend to end up shifting at front more than with a compact.

I’m not sure the ratios is that convincing an argument.

We live in a hilly area (edge of exmoor) my wife went from a triple with a 12-25 to a new bike with a compact and 11-30. Her granny gear is the same on both bikes but the shifting and clunking and general cleaness of use is far better on the compact. And it looks right!

If you ride mtbs you’r legs are used to cassette ratios that are more spread then a standard roadie cassette anyway

I’ve found riding with a triple to just be frustrating, and I feel like it combines the worst parts of a compact and a double.

+1 and I was quite open minded too – expected it to suit my riding.

I’d get the bargain groupset with the compact double in wrong crank length and meanwhile source a pair of s/h 170mm crankarms – if that’s viable financially? You can sell the other arms obvs.

I was very glad of my triple in the Pyrenees a couple of weeks ago, and despite being surrounded by ~7000 Spanish roadies none of them sneered.

It is a pain on the downhills, though – you spin out too fast.

~£300 is about the budget, yep Merlin are on the list I can have a 170mm Standard double chainset from them (53/39) and an 11-28 cassette almost replicates the range of my current bike’s 50/34 with 12-25 cassette which I get on with quite well, TBH I don’t need a 53-11 ratio, its a shame they don’t do a 13-30 for mincers like me who’ve accidentally bought a Standard rather than compact chainset…

I’m still thinking I’d rather have a compact or a triple and a narrower range cassette, the bike isn’t really going to be an audax type build, but I will want to do longer rides on it,I can see the range of a triple being handy…

I guess cassette choice has as much impact as anything here doesn’t it… I could go with the 53/39, take a dose of MTFU and possibly buy a “Big climing day” cassette for when I know I’ll need it, how big a sprocket can the 5700 mech accomodat? could I get an MTB 11-30 or 11-32 to work? or would that be a bit shite too?

Less wrong than pushing up a hill because you’ve run out of gears 🙂

-oops-

Nah I’m not getting 175s again, my knees have been Sooo happy since all my bikes went to 170, even as a stop gap I know I can’t do it…

Send me your standard cranks and I’ll send you a 105 compact with new rings on…

for 5700 in silver or black, 170mm Compact is an out of stock option on both Merlin and Ribble so far as I can see, triple or Standard I can have 170 from one or the other the question really is MTFU or Spin like a mad thing I guess…

I’d mock you in the real world.

Only in a banter kind of way though 🙂 I don’t really like triples, more for the wider q-factor and the ratios that they come with, plus that I find a double provides all the necessary range but there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with them.

Who are you trying to please?

Us lot of aggravated naysayers or yourself?

Triples fine IMO 😀

Send me your standard cranks and I’ll send you a 105 compact with new rings on…

Hmmmm… really?

I’d mock you in the real world.

TBH I think I’d deserve it…

Who are you trying to please?

My legs, piss poor cadence and choppy pedaling style…

I get on OK on a heavier bike with a compact and a 12-25 9 speed at present, but this new build demands new parts and I’m struggling to replicate what I’ve currently got within budget…

Oh Christ! I’ve become Hora!

Slightly leftfield but Shimano’s CX50 chainset is available relatively cheap and IIRC is the same as 105 but with different chainrings.

I use a tripe i dont care what they think

I have almost never used the granny* it just came on the bike

* hardknott pass and once to go slow with a fat biffer

Oh Christ! I’ve become Hora!

Woah there cowboy,you have a long ,long way to go before it gets that bad.

If you don’t mind using square taper cranks, SPA Cycles have a variety of Stronglight double and triples where can choose more or less whatever ring combinations you want.
Might be a bit too retro for a flash carbon bike though.

I’ve got a triple on my nice road bike, as I’d rather spin than walk up hills when I get tired. And closer ratio cassette has less gaps at the low end.

monkeyfudger – Member

Send me your standard cranks and I’ll send you a 105 compact with new rings on… if OP isn’t interested I might be, email in profile.

I was very glad of my triple in the Pyrenees a couple of weeks ago, and despite being surrounded by ~7000 Spanish roadies none of them sneered.

It is a pain on the downhills, though – you spin out too fast.

I don’t understand your logic there. My triple comes with 30-39-53T chainset and I have an 11-28 cassette on the back. If you are spinning out 53-11 gears then you must be Fabian Cancellara.

No don’t do it just to save a few quid. IMO triples are awful on a ‘normal’ road bike (i’m excluding tourers), millions of gears but lots of clunky shifting at the front to try and find the right one, plus increased Q-factor, and pointless excess weight. A 50-34 compact is perfect for 90+% of road riding.

none of them sneered.

On the outside 😛

It’s your bike, put on it what you really, find a way to justify the extra cost of the double. You’ll not need the granny ring very often at all. And if you’re doubting if you want it now you’ll only end up wanting to change it in the future.

Swapped out my triple for compact shortly after purchase 10 years ago. Shifting and chain noise much improved, don’t really miss the really low gears or the higher gears – just suits me better 50/34 generally. However if Ilived somewhere with a lot more 20% climbs, I might have kept it just in case.

So put what you want on. Helpful, aren’t I?

I’ve a triple on my Vaya.

Makes sense to me…

On a “normal” road bike triples are overkill. Ask yourself why they are an option rather than the norm, and its not because every one bar you has amazing athletic ability. You just don’t need a triple on a regular 30-50 miles road ride, you just don’t. Now triples have their place, and their place is on a touring bike that will go hundreds of miles in variable terrain, not a couple of loops of your local towns and villages with the occasional stern-ish tarmaced hill.

theres plenty of steep climbs around here, compact and a 28 cassette is fine.

for comparison in gear inches, 34 front, 28 rear = 32 gear inches
30 front (9 speed triple) 25 back (standard cassette) = 31.7 gear inches

i.e almost no difference

depending on your derailleur you can put an mtb cassette on, my hefty mate has 50/34 12-32 with a compact double brings the gear inches down to a measly 28, way below your standard triple

touring bikes are usually carrying plenty of extra weight which might necessitate a triple. a ” good” lithe stiff road bike should climb fine with a compact without froome style legs!