When my local bike store set me up with my new great ride, I agonized over getting the easier-to-shift double (2 ring) front gearset vs. a triple (3 ring) easier-to-climb option. Turns out, you can have your cake and eat it, too!
I used this amazing gear resource
and customized it to help me compare options to see if a different rear cassette could bridge the gap. It could! I get a higher top speed/ring now with a double and my easiest gear is now only about 66% harder than my old bike’s triple. So yes, climbing is a teeny harder, but it’s nothing like how much harder it would have been with the standard cassette!!
Ladies and other bikers — don’t fear the double when you can get a compact double and larger rear cassette!
