Gear changing strategy; how do you use a triple?

[Brucey]

like many other cyclists I have spent hours poring over gear charts. I have also spent hours on the bike when my thoughts have strayed to gear ratios too (you can at times think about all kinds of weird stuff...). I have developed a liking for certain touring gear setups and not others. I have come to think that one of the reasons I like them is because it allows a different gear change strategy to be employed. I've not seen this matter discussed much in these terms; this is my first stab at putting it into words, so bear with me....

Contrary to many others, I don't mind a triple setup which includes a lot of gear duplication. In fact I have come to think that I actually welcome it. As Rohloff users will tell you, fourteen gears is enough for most uses; since even a basic 3x7 setup has 21 ratios on offer, there ought to be scope for using the 'extra ratios' in most touring triple setups in a creative fashion.

Some folk seek extra ratios on one chainring that lie between the ones available on another; a kind of half-step approach. This springs from a 'more is always better' assumption. I think that this is correct if adjacent sprockets are spaced far apart or there is a need for very closely spaced gears.

However neither thing really applies for a typical touring cyclist using a typical modern touring cassette; the ratios between sprockets may already be closely spaced enough, and there is no real need for (or benefit from) additional intervening ratios; in fact given that you will have to make a double shift to access them in a useful way, you are as likely as not to just confuse yourself, run worse chainllines and/ or make many needless shifts in search of that gearing nirvana.

So when you have a triple chainset with duplicate gear ratios, you can choose to shift in three distinctly different ways;

a) Shifting from Necessity Only (SNO) or
b) Anticipatory Shifting In Steady State (ASISS)
c) Shifting (in steady state), Same Ratio (SSR)

I think most people do most shifts SNO style; they wait until the conditions have already altered before they change gear. When you do this, and do it right, you immediately feel comfortable in the new gear ratio. However if you select a different gear ratio in anticipation of changing conditions (eg you see a major change of gradient coming, or know that when you make a turn the wind will be in your face) the new ratio is not immediately appropriate, but very soon becomes so. This anticipatory shifting I refer to as ASISS.

However the third category of shift is to make a double shift when it isn't strictly necessary, leaving yourself in the same ratio. This SSR shifting is in anticipation of the kind of gear ratios that will be required in the next few miles, rather than any sooner. So for example near the top of a pass, as the gradient levels out, you might SSR shift into the big ring, because you know there is a descent coming. Or likewise at the foot of a climb whilst on a comparatively modest gradient, you might SSR shift into the small chainring.

The benefit of both anticipatory shifts b) ASISS and c) SSR is that you don't have to be mashing on the pedals during the shift; because it is under nominally steady state conditions, you can put a little extra effort in, make the (double) shift and/or quickly recover back to the original cadence. This contrasts with SNO shifting; downshifts are often carried out under high chain tension because you feel you are in danger of conking out otherwise; it is this which exposes any weakness in the middle-to-small chainring shift for example.

If you don't have duplicate gear ratios, you don't have the option to do SSR shifting. If you do have duplicate gear ratios, it helps if they are at particular points in the gear range, so that if you do an SSR shift it is both useful and means that you have not painted yourself into a corner such that you will need to do another double shift anytime soon.

So this morning I've been looking at these gear ratios

http://ritzelrechner.de/?GR=DERS&KB=48&RZ=36,13,15,17,19,21,24,28,32&UF=2185&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=MPH&DV=gearInches&GR2=DERS&KB2=28,39,48&RZ2=36,13,15,17,19,21,24,28,32&UF2=2185

and thinking that I like them. The intervals in the cassette alone (upper box) vary from about 11% to about 17%, which is better than most and certainly 'good enough' for me, touring. When looking at the full set of ratios (lower box) you can see that 39/24 is very close to 28/17 , and likewise 48/21 is very close to 39/17. In both cases an SSR shift (in either direction) leaves you with additional (especially lower) ratios available on the new chainring, which means that you won't have to do another doubleshift anytime soon unless you have grossly miscalculated in some way. If you want to, you can even double-doubleshift 28/17 - 39/24 - 48/28 with this setup too. Note also that most SSR shifting results in the use of gears with good chainlines, rather than bad ones.

So do other folk use the SSR strategy, or seek (or have chosen without knowing quite why) gear ratios that better allow it? As I said upthread, I don't recall this being explicitly discussed previously; most people don't get much beyond SNO shifting...?

cheers

[hamster]

I use the SSR one for climbing when loaded - I have a big drop to the inner ring (24/38/47 7 speed) and it's nicer to shift onto the 24 with the chain lightly loaded and off the lowest gear at the back.
The odd ratios are a nice spacing for the large two rings (11-28 or 13-30 cassette) except when having to winch up a big hill. I generally find that a 34T middle ring is too small and prefer something around 36-38T. In the same way a 47T gives a substantial overlap but saves lots of swapping between front rings and jumping from one end of the cassette to the other.
While it's a rather different setup it's quite close to yours in result!

[Vorpal]

I've never given it that much thought, but I use all three strategies. My work is ~300 metres higher than home. the first bit is on quiet residential streets, the second a cobbled & partly pedestrianised town centre, then a few miles of relatively flat cycle path / quiet streets, and then the climb. Before the climb, I go down on the chain ring, and up a couple on the cassette while it's still flat, to maintain similar gearing, but knowing I will need the small ring.
On the climb, I do some anticipatory shifts, and some when needed. I mostly prefer to shift when needed, but there are couple of steep bits where it's hard to shift, so I shift just before they start.

On the tandem, I do much more anticipatory shifting because it is harder to change gears on hills on the tandem, but my strategy is otherwise similar.

[Cugel]

Simplification - once the complexities of choosing the right ratios is completed - is my approach.

The first thing to do is to ensure the top and bottom gears are sufficient. Mostly I aim for a 1:1 bottom and a max of 4:1 top. Some of my wheel/cassette/chainring set-ups vary slightly, usually to get a lower bottom gear. Three bikes have triple chainsets and two have double chainsets. The doubles are what the bikes came with except that one has a 48t big ring replaced with a 44t. I also tend to install cassette ratios that are as close as possible (one tooth jump) for the higher gears but with larger jumps for the lower gears.

Example for the 10sp summer bike: 14-15-16-17-18-19-21-24-27-30. 30-39-52 chainset.
Example for the 10 speed spare winter bike: 13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-30-34. 34/44 chainset.

As you can see, the spare winter bike has bigger sprocket jumps (it's for pootling) whilst the summer bike has more close ratios (it's for thrusting about vigorously).

Once these various ratios-ranges have been set up, I use any triple chainsets as thus:

Downhill/flat and/or wind behind faster roads: big ring.
Most roads of the flat-but-undulating kinds: middle ring.
Generally uphill of the steeper sort: small ring.

I always have a good idea of what road-speed type of roads are imminent and change rings accordingly. There are quite large overlaps in the ranges of each ring, so even if a generally up section has a bit of flat or less-up now and then, there's still a small chainring gear that's suitable. Ditto the other chainrings for other road-speed types.

Big overlaps of gear ratios in the three rings are good because they mean less need to change rings for different road conditions - until the road conditions change significantly from up to flat to down, etcetera. And they allow closer ratios on the cassette.

In practice I spend a lot of time in the middle ring, which is 39t on two bikes and 36t on the heavier shopper-tourer. I can generally do between 10-20mph in one of the middle-ring gears for the cassette I have fitted, as all the bikes have longish chainstays and so the middle ring works well with all cogs of the cassette without any extreme cross-chaining in big or little cog.

Once these gears are set up. I never consciously think about what gear I'm in, other than to anticipate the road ahead in terms of the best chainring to choose, which choice generally remains for some time. I wouldn't change to the big ring from the middle for a couple of hundred yards of slightly faster road - I'd just pedal at 110rpm or freewheel. DItto the other chainrings. I might even heave up a few tens of yards of a steep bit in the middle ring rather than change to the small one just for that bit.

I feel that it's possible to overthink gear choices when actually out cycling. They should become automatic, really. The thinking bit should be done when choosing which gears to install.

Cugel

[Vorpal]

My choices are largely intuitive, though some of my shifts on my commute come from having learned what's best through repetition or trial & error. 99% of the time, I couldn't tell you what gear I am in. Only whether it is comfortable.

[Mick F]

I'm with Vorpal.
I never give it much thought, and the choices are intuitive. Triples are brilliant.
It would be interesting to have some sort of telemetry on my gearing and see when I change from what to what.

I do do many anticipatory changes ........ knowing that there's a junction coming up or traffic lights on red ......... sort of thing and get into a gear ratio in anticipation of pulling away again. Often one steep hill up followed by a down followed by another steep one up. I'm often going from low to high and back down to low - maybe even bottom gear to top gear all in a couple of double shifts.

I mentioned Hessenford (Cornwall) some years ago on here. Long long hills in and out of the village with a kink in the road as well as a junction. Fly down for a mile or so and within 100yds of the bottom, you're going right through the gears to almost the lowest just to get up the mile or so the other side. No point trying to keep in a high gear, so you may as well relax and change early in anticipation of the hard work to come.

[thelawnet]

Obviously doubles are evil and wrong, but some things to consider:

* top gear should go up to about 25mph (just about here)
* bottom gear should go down to about 3mph (likewise)
* presumably you will want to wear both your big and middle chainring, so more time in the big ring
* top gear should never be the default, so a biggish jump between top and second gear is not such a big problem
* likewise but more so with bottom gear, as there is not really any sense of 'efficiency', it's just about getting up the hill, so a lower gear is almost always better.
* where there is a very short incline in an otherwise flat ride you might not be inclined to change down to middle ring, and can just put a bit more power through
* for slightly longer inclines you will likely want to engage middle ring on approach so as not to be required to get out of the saddle
* on gravelly bits where you may be going slower than on tarmac, then staying in middle ring is probably makes more sense. Likewise if carrying a very heavy load - if you're not going above 10mph then big ring is not called for.
* the predominant tempo determines the ring selection; e.g., if you are averaging 14mph on a particular ride or section then you will want to be in top ring and switch up and down more there, whereas if you are averaging 10mph then you might find yourself briefly using small cog. Depending on effort then this could be different on the same road on different days.
* if you are transitioning from 'easy ride' to 'giving some beans', then you may well make the double shift (i.e. from middle to big ring, and down a cog at the same time), in anticipation of this.
* granny ring is seldom engaged and really only when it become necessary or in anticipation of the same. E.g., when carrying a very heavy load up a hill, or when up a very long hill, or on a very steep section. May head from small to big without making use of middle upon cresting a hill to make the descent.

[Mick F]

Granny ring is engaged just as much and as often as the other two rings.
Try living in Cornwall.

Someone on here a few years ago said ...........

Pick the highest gear you can ever imagine using for flying down the longest fastest hill, and the lowest gear for getting you up the steepest of hills, fully loaded and with a hangover.
Then, fit as many ratios in between as you can afford.

I agree.

[Vorpal]

My granny ring get lots of use going to work, and hardly any going home.

[PH]

I'm mostly a) though I'd prefer to say when necessary rather than from necessity which makes it sound last moment, so maybe I'm more a+/b-. I'm pretty much never c) even though I have an idea which ratios are duplicates and know some are preferential, I'm not usually giving it enough thought to change.
On my triple I spend around 85% of the miles in the middle ring, 10% the big and 5% at most on the small. It wouldn't make a huge difference to my cycling to do away with two of them, I'd need to walk up a few more hills (Which I don't mind and the speed difference is minimal) and I might struggle to keep up in a fast group (Well I do anyway, so it'd just be more often) on my own I'm rarely in such a hurry that losing a couple of top gears would matter.
I do most of my miles on hub gears, which is of course all a) there's no need for anticipation and there's only the one option per ratio. I was trying to explain to someone over the weekend how it's different, not just another way to achieve the same ends. When I got my first IGH, I used it like a derailleur, now it's the other way round and I sometimes forget when I'm using a derailleur which can be frustrating.

[NUKe]

Not quite the same As Brucey’s request but similar as I use a an SRAM DD3 -24
Hub gears are used as follows.
I will select first gear for the following 1. Setting off from a standing start the great thing about the hub is it can be selected at standing 2. On unmade roads tracks and around town where its stop start and I want short but fast acceleration. and of course for steep uphills
Second gear once moving in areas where the terrain is predominately flat. So mild undulations are taken care of by the rear eight
Third gear selected when predominately downhill or a good tailwind on flat ground.
The rear 8 are used to keep the cadence as even as possible.

[thelawnet]

:lol: My granny ring get lots of use going to work, and hardly any going home.

depends on the size of your granny and the size of your hill I guess.

I have a 40/30/22 with 11-36 so I suppose my middle is someone elses granny

[RickH]

These days my bike with a triple mostly stays hung up in the shed & I ride my 1x.

I don't really miss the triple - the gear range is similar (Campag 10s 50/39/26F 13-29R v SRAM 11s 36F 10-42R) & the bike is more versatile & better suited to the sort of riding I do these days. Plus all the bits seem to be holding up OK despite the proclamations of the "Prophets of Doom"!

[landsurfer]

How do i use a triple ??
Carefully remove the front changer.
Remove the chainring side from the bike.
Remove the chainrings.
Refit the middle chainring with short track bolts and appropriate spacers.
Refit to axle.
And enjoy the single ring experience ...

[iandriver]

I think a lot may depend on your local conditions. I always think of a tripple as a low, cruising and high speed gearbox. If I'm principally in need of the low ratio gear box, I will switch into that in anticipation and micro adjust with the rear on the fly etc.

Also if I'm cruising on the flat for a decent distance, I'll often use the 50t ring so I can combine it with an 18 or 20t rear, just so I'm avoiding the 11 t cog and the middle ring which I'd use for short periods.

I know when I'm tired, because it all goes out the window.