From the Archives: The Death of the Triple

50 34

50 x 34, spin

7 years into this blog with thousands of posts, hey we can occasionally publish a best-of, re-run, like this one from Mark V about the death of the triple.

Bike companies have toted the compact double as the ideal way to gain most of the benefits of a triple crank (namely better low range gearing) while having a better chainline and lower weight. This is mainly true, but before you decide that the compact double crank is right for you, you should understand its real advantages for you as a user as well as the motivations bike companies have for selling it to you.

Having recently spent 100% more time climbing on a compact than usual, Mark’s take is an educated follow-up to my ride with Patrick O’Brady in which I tested every possible SRAM 11-speed gear combo looking for the one that felt right. Never found it, but the chain didn’t rub!

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