Triple Chainring

oilcanharry

I ride a Trek SL1000 with a double chainring. I returned to cycling last year after a 20year lay off and did the Sean Kelly 100k on the Trek comfortably enough with a few months training with my local Sportif club. Yesterday, I was out for a spin in the car and decided to check out Seskin Hill and Mahon falls as they are part of the SK 160. After the shock of seeing those climbs again, I was thinking that I might be best to change the chainring to a triple to help get over these. I have started training already as I intend to do the WW200 also, just the hills don't get any easier due to my build. I am 5ft 10 and just under 100kgs weight, not your ideal climber, so that is my thinking for the triple chainring. Any advice welcome?

Captain Havoc

I've been up Seskin a few times already this year and Mahon falls once and there was a big difference in the first time from the last time. My feeling would be to hold back on any expenses until you realise it's not going to happen. I use a triple which I think if you're doing soley sportives is the way to go anyway.

godihatedehills

Would you not change to a compact? Cheaper than changing to a triple and it will get a poor climber up Seskin (I can tell you that from personal experience...)

Lumen

Both the WW200 and SK are months away.

The difference between 30 and 34 teeth is the same as you dropping 1kg a week between now and the WW200.

Gearing doesn't reduce the amount of effort, it just spreads it out over a longer amount of time.

seamus

5'10" and just under 100kg, unless you're pumped up like a rugby player, I assume your plan is to lose some of that, which will make a big difference.

As the Cpt. says, I wouldn't waste your money until you're sure that the compact/double won't cut it.

There is a lot of psychology in climbing hills though too. I was on a sharp incline at the weekend, really pushing it in the easiest gear on my compact. If I had the smaller chainring to switch onto, I would have. But I didn't have it, so I had no choice but to keep going. When faced with the option of pushing it for another 200m or getting off and walking and feeling like a plonker, you'll be surprised how much strength you can gather.

oilcanharry

@ Lumen, it is mainly due to my age (41) and build that I now want to start preparing for the SK and the WW200. I think that there is a better chance of me changing the chainring than losing the kg per week. however, I am quite well aware that no matter what the gearing, it is I that has to get the bike up all hills. That is why I laugh to myself when I hear people telling me how light their Carbon Bike is when their belly is bigger than mine!!!

oilcanharry

@Seamus, I have been planning to lose some of that with the last 10 years, I was down to 90krs for the Sk last year, it is just winter padding that has not left yet. Working on it though.

Lumen

oilcanharry wrote: »

@ Lumen, it is mainly due to my age (41) and build that I now want to start preparing for the SK and the WW200. I think that there is a better chance of me changing the chainring than losing the kg per week. however, I am quite well aware that no matter what the gearing, it is I that has to get the bike up all hills. That is why I laugh to myself when I hear people telling me how light their Carbon Bike is when their belly is bigger than mine!!!

Changing the gearing is easy, but you can always do that nearer the time if all else fails. It just strikes me that it is a little like admitting defeat at this stage, in March.

But obviously if you can't train properly with your current gearing you should fix it ASAP.

There is absolutely no way I could get up the hills with another 30kg, respect for that. It is perhaps the case that the heaviest riders end up the fastest once they've trimmed down.

blorg

I think a triple is a very good idea for you if you are overweight and looking at sportives.

Losing a kilo a week would be very nice but that is a big ask.

The only issue with changing to a triple is that it is quite an involved job, it is not just the crankset but also front derailleur and probably shifters and rear derailleur also. You would also need a new chain.

It might be more cost effective to sell your bike and look at buying a new one with a triple. You should have little trouble shifting it.

It might be cheaper to shift to a compact, and if it is a stock Trek it probably has a 12-25, you could change this to get 12-27 or even 11-28. A compact still lacks the lowest gear of a triple though.

oilcanharry

@Lumen, no definitely not defeat, I did my first duathlon at the weekend and enjoyed it no end. Great sense of achievement and motivator to do more. Maybe, it was the eye-opener of seeing the brute that is Seskin after 20 years. I did climb Seskin a number of times when I was 18-19 so I know that I can climb that. That should help with any mental blocks. I will get a few more weeks in before I attempt it on the bike though.

ROK ON

Hi. I have perspective on this that most of the respondents on thus that I know don't have. I was close to 100kg doing his years SK. I was also suffering from pretty bad chest infection.

1. There us virtually no gearing difference between a 34/27 and a 30/25.
2. While steep the climb is very short and there is a break in the middle.
3. Before I hit Seskin I shifted into what I thought was 30/25. It was only after the flat bit at the then in the middle that I happened to see I was actually in 39/25.
4. I made it to the top. It wasn't easy but was doable.
It is not a race so practice, try and breathe deeply and control your HR.
Take your time.

Try lose some weight. Practice on steep climbs and long climbs at different intensities.
Then decide on your gearing. It would be cheaper uf possible to fit a 27 or 28 tooth cassette than changing the crank or entire group.

oilcanharry

@ Rok-on, many thanks for this reply. It is great to get a reply from someone who was in a similar position along with the helpful and very much appreciated advice that I have received so far. I am not too technical on the ratios so it will have to be trial and error. I will also talk to the lads in my local bike shop. Definitely agree about it not being a race. I am taking a sensible approach, all my traing is being done at my pace(using HRM and Cadence counter which is a new dynamic to my training. The only person I will be racing on the day is myself, not a race as such but a challenge. No doubt as the miles increase on my training spins, the kgs should come down a bit also.

ROK ON

The weight loss thing really works. I am now 88.5kg from over 100 last summer.
To give you an example on a local climb for the same speed I now climb at a HR of below 165 as opposed to above 180 last summer.
For me this great "aerobic efficiency" so to speak meansthat (1) I can now climb for much longer than I could and (2) I can up the pace/effort if I want to or have to.
This is a tangible benefit that is worth going after. I say all of this as someone who is a slow methodical cyclist as opposed to a highly fit racer.
Best of luck.

Limestone1

Find out what your current set up is and use Sheldon's calculator to work out the gear ratios. That way you will know what benefits you will get before you go spending money.


http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/

blorg

For what it's worth I am a reasonably light and pretty fit cyclist and I would use a minimum of a compact with 12-27 on the Sean Kelly myself.

I would frankly think a standard chainset unsuited to that course for almost anyone never mind a rider who is overweight.

tomasrojo

blorg wrote: »

For what it's worth I am a reasonably light and pretty fit cyclist

You cycled Dublin->Galway and halfway back in one day. There must be a better term for that than "pretty fit".