Regarding compact doubles, I've always run compact doubles on triple cranks, so that if I decide later that this particular bike needs the granny, I can do it. I've gone so far as to have a bagged up kit of parts for the swap (ft der, ring and bolts, bb). I admit I like the look of a compact double, and I like the idea of lighter weight even if I can't feel it. Also, I like a double when I can confidently say I'd never use a third ring in a particular application, just like those of you who are committed to a triple would call a fourth chainring unnecessary.
On my Renovelo/Bleriot I'm going to use a 30/44 in front and an 11-28 9 speed in back. If I decide that's not cutting it for me on the low end, I have the parts to go all the way to a 29/46 in front and a 12-36 in back. With that setup, I'd have a low gear of about 21.6 inches and a high of about 103. Very few people need a higher high or a lower low than that for any application. Spread out over 18 gears, with only 4 cross-chain gears that I'd want to avoid, that's 14 usable gears. I can live with those steps. I'd argue that there is very little to be gained in any triple setup over that. The marginal benefits would be limited to: better front shifting over my big 17tooth jump, a lower low possible, more gears in the same range with a 3x8 or a 3x9. On Sep 15, 11:05 pm, Fai Mao <i.am.fai....@gmail.com> wrote: > Especially when I am carrying something home my bike and luggage can easily > hit the 40 pound mark. A 30 something gear is a gear that I walk the bike up > 1:10 hill. I need a gear at least in the mid 20's to grind up a hill that > steep however, it is a quandry because I can at that point push the bike up > the hill faster than I can ride it up the hill. > > > > On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 1:39 PM, charlie <charles_v...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > I'm with you.......I must be a weakling too. I can't go up the > > foothills of Mt Rainier without a small inner ring, especially after I > > am all tired out. The only "compact double I would consider would be > > perhaps a 46x30 or a 44/42x28 coupled with a 12-32,34 or 36 cog set. > > I own a classic steel race bike from the 80's with a 42x52 and a 13-23 > > six speed. At 21 pounds I cannot ride it on anything but gentle > > rollers and relatively flat ground. It makes no difference to me that > > the shifting is "simple and crisp" and I don't think it makes me any > > faster than my normal all rounder style bike. Unless one is very lean > > and very in shape, I honestly don't think there is much of a reason to > > ride with a double and certainly not on a bike that will take you to > > unknown areas due to its versatility and fender-ability. Three cheers > > to those that can make compact doubles work......years of sit down > > bench work and too many calories have done wonders to limit my > > climbing abilities. I need a wide range triple and I am not afraid to > > admit it !!! : ) > > > On Sep 12, 9:43 am, Anne Paulson <anne.paul...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Anne, a 34/36-48/50 double with a 12-27 cassette yields a low gear in > > > > the mid-30s inches and lets you keep the crisp&simple-shifting short > > > > cage derailers. I have found even as a middle-age office worker that > > > > mid-30 gears will get me comfortably up anything (paved) here in > > > > Western Colorado. > > > > I guess I'm just a weakling here. Mid-30 gears don't do it for me when > > > the grade gets above around 10-12%. > > > > -- > > > -- Anne Paulson > > > > My hovercraft is full of eels > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<rbw-owners-bunch%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > . > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- > Fai Mao > The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
