Originally Posted by EnLaCalle
Don't want to sound like a snot, but have you tried loading up your bike and riding up some hills before you go ahead and spend money on a new crankset? I have a Trek 520 that I toured South America on, like silly-loaded. I've yet to encounter again hills like the ones I rode up in the Andes and I did fine with the stock gearing. That being said, there were times where I wouldn't have minded having a couple more lower gears to shift onto, but it definitely wasn't necessary. I'm not trying to dissuade you from doing what you think you need to do. I'm just wondering if you've tested what you've got yet.
I understand that. I’ve been out biking around Seattle here where we have plenty of steep hills. If I were not thinking of touring, I’d leave the gearing the way it is—I can climb pretty much any hill with the 30/34 combination. But I do find myself wanting a lower gear on some of the steeper hills. I went back to the LBS here and talked to a different mechanic who was more amiable to swapping out chainrings. He said it would be possible to replace the 30 with a 26 and it would probably work OK. I’m leaning towards doing that instead of changing the whole crankset. I actually use the higher gears on some of the converted rail trails out here when there’s nothing in my way and I can fly.