Can someone give me some feedback? Do you loose much on eather end of the gearing vs the triple? And what cassette range are you running on back? As I search for my first roadbike I am curious which route to go. I would like to go with the double but worry about not having the thrid ring.... I don't know if I can get up these colorado mtns without one!!

Can someone give me some feedback? Do you loose much on eather end of the gearing vs the triple? And what cassette range are you running on back? As I search for my first roadbike I am curious which route to go. I would like to go with the double but worry about not having the thrid ring.... I don't know if I can get up these colorado mtns without one!!
Compact will shift better than a triple. You lose the high end though. If you don't race I wouldn't sweat it though. Would likely only make a diff if you routinely cruise the flats above 25MPH on a regular basis.

And I was kind of interested in it cause I thought the shifting might be a little smoother and just keeps things simpler overall... I do some cruzin' on the flats but I would say most times above 25 it's because I am going down hill... As long as 18 to 20 mph is achievable I think I might like it

Can someone give me some feedback? Do you loose much on eather end of the gearing vs the triple? And what cassette range are you running on back? As I search for my first roadbike I am curious which route to go. I would like to go with the double but worry about not having the thrid ring.... I don't know if I can get up these colorado mtns without one!!
THINK THIS THROUGH!! Figure out what gearing you want and why. Just divide the number of teeth in front by the number of teeth on the rear for a relative 'mechanical advantage' number (smaller= more advantage). For instance:

34 front/23 rear= 1.48
34/21= 1.62
38/27= 1.40
38/25= 1.52

This would tell you that if you were considering a 34/50 compact crankset with a 11/23 cassette vs. a 38/52 standard CS with a 13/27 casstte, the standard would give you a slightly easier lowest gear with a slightly less percentage jump between the two lowest cogs. Is this important to you? Figure out what is important and do the math. Triples, standard, compact, MTB rear end, walking - they all work fine if done right and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. I do prefer not to walk.

Don't forget the asthetics. A compact cannot do what a triple can, but a triple will never look like a double.

TF

For Colorado, I would recommend a triple. I live in the Sierra near Yosemite Nat'l Park and I use a Campy Record/ Chorus drivetrain with an FSA Team Issue carbon crank with 53-39-28 rings. I use either a 12/25 or 13/29 Chorus cassette. The 12/25 will give you all the "race" gears, plus the 28 ring that is great for those long,long mtn. climbs. The 12/25 with the 53-39-28
has very close gearing; when shifting rings you will generally only have a 2 cog difference; so keeping cadence is no problem while shifting rings. If you do a search for C-40's posts on this forum, you will find alot of info on triple gearing vs compact and why a Campy/FSA triple is a great way to go in the mtns.
The compact will lose the very high and very low gears; ratios that I use on every ride. I use the 28 ring/ 25cog going up 9 and 10% grades; and the 53/12 on fast descents. If you plan on doing those big Colorado verticals.....like Mt. Evans, Trail Ridge, or countless other punishing rides...
go with the triple. Use all Campy except for the FSA crank/rings and the Wipperman 10 speed link on your Campy chain, and you will have an easy to adjust, bombproof setup.

If you run a 50/34 and 11-23 cassette, you sure don't lose much high end. I don't run out of gear until around 38mph, which has been plenty fast for the little bit of racing I've done so far.
That said, if you don't mind the look and the weight, play it safe and get a triple. You can always go compact on your next ride!

of not being able to use the 53t, except for tailwind flats, I switched to the R10 Compact triple (30/40/50t) and kept my 12x25....absolutely love the system....average picked up (due to the 40t) and I can use the 50t without the legs turning 'toast'.....I seldom use the 30t, but now I can survive the 'hilly with some big hills' rides with some gusto left....

I've never heard of a compact triple. Searched the web and only came up with Cannondale. Can you point me/us to a web site ?

For the orginal poster:
I have bikes with each of the following:
1) Std 9-spd double 53/39 12/25, DuraAce. Shift are snappy. Best of system I have ... unless I'm heading into serious climbing
2) Compact 50/34 12/25 - I don't like it all. Just haven't been able to get used to the huge gap from the 50 to the 34. it's like having two completely different gearing systems and jumping between them takes some thought.
3) Ultegra Triple (on two bikes). 53/42 with 12/25 and 12/27. For me this is the best compromise for long rides where I don't know what type of riding I might encounter. Doesn't have the snappy shifts of the DuraAce double, and certainly doesn't have the looks. But, I've always got all the gears I need right there with me. If a whim takes me to a 4,000' climb in 10 miles it's not a problem as I'm carrying the 30 chainring. Wouldn't go there with the double (might with the compact). The shifting is anything but snappy. I need to think and work it a bit to move chainrings. But, I'm not racing. So it takes me 1.5 seconds instead of 0.5 seconds. It's a compromise. My main ride has a triple.

of not being able to use the 53t, except for tailwind flats, I switched to the R10 Compact triple (30/40/50t) and kept my 12x25....absolutely love the system....average picked up (due to the 40t) and I can use the 50t without the legs turning 'toast'.....I seldom use the 30t, but now I can survive the 'hilly with some big hills' rides with some gusto left....

Here's one - Sugino XD. Great touring crank. I suppose "compact" could be defined by the 110 mm chainring bolt circle diameter for the big ring(s).

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/cranks_bbs_c-rings/12067.html

this gives me a lot to work with. I think the best thing to do is figure out, as turbo turtle suggested, the gear ratio/mechanical advantage that I am currently using on my cross bike (which I have been doing myu road riding on) and determine where I am doing most of my climbing and go from there... I appreciate the excellent advice

I rode for almost 25 years with "standard" off the rack gearing, first 52-42 and then 53-39. I spent less than 5 percent (probably less than 2 percent) of my time in the big ring and the small half of the cassette. Finally, three or four years ago, I built up a bike with a 46-36-26 triple, and I'll never even glance back. I have more usuable gears and only one or two I can't turn, and the 36 is just low enough that I rarely have to use the granny.
I'll keep the triple on the Atlantis, but if I were building another bike now, I'd probably use a compact double in the 50-34 range with about a 12- or 13-28 cassette. We've got big mountains around here.

FYI.... Campy is available in 30-40-50 on their triple; I think they are difficult to find(for a substantial discount like other Campy cranks) but I am not sure. Also, there seems to be a fair amount of negative feedback on certain compact drivetrain systems, others, however, say their 34-50 works great. For example, there was mention that D/A 10 and an FSA compact crank had shifting problems; then FSA designed a special 50t ring to adress this problem with (I think) good results. A full Campy compact drivetrain (with the new CT FR DRR) has maybe the best feedback in terms of great performance...
So.... If you do decide on a compact system, go with the system with the best record for front,rear,and chainline issues.
Hope this helps!

FYI.... Campy is available in 30-40-50 on their triple; I think they are difficult to find(for a substantial discount like other Campy cranks) but I am not sure. Also, there seems to be a fair amount of negative feedback on certain compact drivetrain systems, others, however, say their 34-50 works great. For example, there was mention that D/A 10 and an FSA compact crank had shifting problems; then FSA designed a special 50t ring to adress this problem with (I think) good results. A full Campy compact drivetrain (with the new CT FR DRR) has maybe the best feedback in terms of great performance...
So.... If you do decide on a compact system, go with the system with the best record for front,rear,and chainline issues.
Hope this helps!
Are you a campy rep or something? A guy asks about compact vs triple and you reply with TWO "buy campy" posts. - TF

Are you a campy rep or something? A guy asks about compact vs triple and you reply with TWO "buy campy" posts. - TF
If he was a campy rep I would assume he would be more familiar with the availability of the products hehe....

I went the compact route since I already had a D/A 9 speed double and an Ultegra 9 speed double. If I went to a triple I would have had to swap out the derailleurs. I run my main D/A ride with a 12/26 SRAM road cassette (and the other with a 12/25 Ultegra cassette).

I'm a clydesdale and ride in north Atlanta, and while not mountains there are more than enough climbs to make me happy with the purchase. I do miss the 39 or 42 tooth ring, since in many cases you can go for a group ride and never shift in the front. With the compact (especially in a hilly area) you will be shifting a lot between chainrings.

I am likely to change to a 36 tooth ring in the front just to try it. However, I probably will never go back to a 53 tooth big ring. The 50 is EXCELLENT, and I have no problems keeping up with my riding buddies in a paceline.

The other reason I like it is I am too much of a poser to go to a triple. That being said, I love the compacts and highly recommend them.

I just went through this dilemma. I just bought a new Specialized Tarmac Comp and wanted to swap the stock 53x39 for either a compact or a triple.
I live on top of a hill where the shoterest climb to get to my house is 8/10's of a mile. So every ride out I have a hill to climb. I also live in very rolling terrain.
I rode a bike at my shop with a 50x34 compact.
As one of the posters above stated you end doing a bit more shifting without having the 40 or 42 ring you'd have with a triple. I spin more than mash so having that middle ring is more convienant for me.
I prefer the triple. I don't buy into the poser factor. It's my bike. I don't care what the next guy thinks.
That being said there less components to swap out if you have a double and want to try a compact. It doesn't hurt to try. You'll probably know in the first ride or 2 if it's for you.

Not a Campy rep...I just prefer the Campy triple over the Shimano triple for performance and ease of adjustment...
And with the compact systems; there have been many reports of shifting problems front and rear
depending on the components used. I mentioned the Campy compact drivetrain because the CT FR DRR seems to have a better record for shifting performance than a Shimano double or triple FR DRR
when used with the 34-50, but the above posters mention no such problems...
As far as cranks....the FSA SLK compact looks interesting because it has outboard bearings and there are many options for chainring combos. (i.e. 34-50; 36-50; 36-52; 36-48; etc., etc.)

I've been racing, riding since about 1962. Makes me an old fart. Anyway, back when they were "ten speeds" my low gear was about 52 inches -- about a 46 X 22. (It's been a while so that's an estimate.)

Then I got a bike in 1988. Seven speed casette and double. Low gear was probably lower than 52 inches. As I get older I appreciate the lower gears. Still, I'm inclined to "save" the lowest gear until I get desperate on a climb. I like to know that while I'm riding I still have an option for a lower gear.

So finally, a few months ago I got a Trek 1500. The gearing is 9 speed casette 12-25, and a triple 52/42/30. It's not Colorado, but we have climbs here. Also, I'm older and not near the rider/racer I was at 16 yrs old.

You're not racing, and you live in the mountains. You want the extra gears. I use all 27, all the time. On "flat rides" I mostly stay in the upper chain-rings, but there's a climb out of Seaside that runs a couple miles, another over Neahkanie Mt. that is long and steep. It's nice to have the gearing where I can sit in the saddle and ride.

Racers will tell you you don't need the third ring. But they're racers! The third ring improves my times in the climbs and makes the whole experience less agonizing, more enjoyable.

A double may be smoother and faster for racing, but you're not racing. The triple works fine and is nice to have. Go for the triple. You're in Colorado!