Do I need standard, compact or triple gearing on my road bike?

Gearing is a small choice that has a big impact. There are three typical options: standard (often chainrings with 53 and 39 teeth up front, paired with a 12-25 tooth-range 10-gear cassette), triple (three chainrings, with granny gears, often 50/40/30 or 52/42/30) or the increasingly popular compact (50/36 or 50/34 chainrings). Which is best depends on how you ride. If you ride only a few miles a week or live near killer hills, then a triple may be best. But if you ride regularly over varied terrain, we recommend a compact. The smaller gear ratios enable nearly the same climbing prowess as a triple, but without the weight and added mechanical complexity of the extra chainring. Compacts also tend to cross-chain well; you can stay in the big chainring and gear down to the easiest cog to power up rises. Standard gearing makes cross-chaining a challenge unless you're a racer or big-wattage masher.