OK, I get it. If I were in your position -- big ring not much use, middle ring good for cruising but lacking the highs and lows needed -- I'd carefully consider a wide range double, though this might mean finagling your cassette to a custom pattern. On my Fargo I recently switched to a 38/24 with (Big Apple wheelset) 13-15-16-17-19-22-26-34 8 speed cassette. Since the 38 is actually in the middle position for a triple (I've got a chain guard on the outer ring position) this allows me to use the 38 with the full cassette and gives me a high of 85", cruising gears of 69", 64", and 58" (the drop from 64" to 58" is particularly useful on dirt roads), dirt rollers gears of 58", 50", and 42", and a low on the big ring of 32" which is low enough to get me up most hills. The 24 takes care of anything else. I could reduce the jumps by going 9 speed, but I don't really care for the kind of riding I do.
Or do what I did to the Fargo before: 46/36/24 and a 7 sp 16-18-20-22-24-28-34 (29" wheels) that let me go from 83" down to 48" on the 46 and down to 31" on the 36. (I switched because, on dirt, I too often had to shift between 46 and 36 to stay in the dirt road gear range of 65" down to 40". But a large like that ought to be useful to you, and you could leave the middle for hills. Patrick "A custom cassette is merely parts for building a better one of your own" Moore On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 11:40 AM, Michael <[email protected]> wrote: > @Patrick: > > I guess my dissatisfaction is with the 34 ring being not low enough for > climbs, while being too low for downhills. The big ring being too big for > everything but downhills for me. > > This drivetrain has been well used, and I think I will have to replace > cogs/chainrings/and chain all at once when I need to. So I am starting to > think about if I want to go compact next time, or just get a triple. I > think a triple will be best. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/SekxlqkvWEAJ. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > -- ------------------------- Patrick Moore, Albuquerque, NM, USA For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW http://resumespecialties.com/index.html ------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
