How many decades have engineers been working on "improving bikes" without providing a good shifting system? How many more would ride if pedaling were easier? You would think some big bike customer would be pushing for better engineering. It shouldn't be hard to engineer. It's very easy to spec out. All that is preventing it today is:

1- no 11 tooth chainrings
2- derailers unable to handle 38 tooth spread between High and Low.
There may be other engineering opportunities, but only reason it's not being done is too may are NOT asking for it.

See the specs: High crank ring only, middle crank ring only, low crank ring only and all crank rings:

Look at these numbers and drool



HIGH GEAR
===============
Wheel Diameter: 27.00 inches
Gears: 54 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SP CRxFW GI GIdf DI diff DF PRPM RT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1> 54x21 69.43 5.00% 218.12 10.91 18' 2.12" 290.49 1:2.57
2> 54x20 72.90 5.26% 229.02 12.05 19' 1.02" 276.65 1:2.70
3> 54x19 76.74 5.56% 241.08 13.39 20' 1.08" 262.82 1:2.84
4> 54x18 81.00 5.88% 254.47 14.97 21' 2.47" 248.99 1:3.00
5> 54x17 85.76 6.25% 269.44 16.84 22' 5.44" 235.16 1:3.18
6> 54x16 91.12 6.67% 286.28 19.09 23'10.28" 221.32 1:3.38
7> 54x15 97.20 7.14% 305.36 21.81 25' 5.36" 207.49 1:3.60
8> 54x14 104.14 7.69% 327.17 25.17 27' 3.17" 193.66 1:3.86
9> 54x13 112.15 8.33% 352.34 29.36 29' 4.34" 179.83 1:4.15
10> 54x12 121.50 9.09% 381.70 34.70 31' 9.70" 165.99 1:4.50
11> 54x11 132.55 0.00% 416.40 0.00 34' 8.40" 152.16 1:4.91

MIDDLE GEAR
==============
Wheel Diameter: 27.00 inches
Gears: 32 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SP CRxFW GI GIdf DI diff DF PRPM RT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1> 32x21 41.14 5.00% 129.25 6.46 10' 9.25" 490.20 1:1.52
2> 32x20 43.20 5.26% 135.72 7.14 11' 3.72" 466.85 1:1.60
3> 32x19 45.47 5.56% 142.86 7.94 11'10.86" 443.51 1:1.68
4> 32x18 48.00 5.88% 150.80 8.87 12' 6.80" 420.17 1:1.78
5> 32x17 50.82 6.25% 159.67 9.98 13' 3.67" 396.83 1:1.88
6> 32x16 54.00 6.67% 169.65 11.31 14' 1.65" 373.48 1:2.00
7> 32x15 57.60 7.14% 180.96 12.93 15' 0.96" 350.14 1:2.13
8> 32x14 61.71 7.69% 193.88 14.91 16' 1.88" 326.80 1:2.29
9> 32x13 66.46 8.33% 208.79 17.40 17' 4.79" 303.46 1:2.46
10> 32x12 72.00 9.09% 226.19 20.56 18'10.19" 280.11 1:2.67
11> 32x11 78.55 0.00% 246.76 0.00 20' 6.76" 256.77 1:2.91
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOW GEAR
=====================
Wheel Diameter: 27.00 inches
Gears: 16 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SP CRxFW GI GIdf DI diff DF PRPM RT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1> 16x21 20.57 5.00% 64.63 3.23 5' 4.63" 980.40 1:0.76
2> 16x20 21.60 5.26% 67.86 3.57 5' 7.86" 933.71 1:0.80
3> 16x19 22.74 5.56% 71.43 3.97 5'11.43" 887.02 1:0.84
4> 16x18 24.00 5.88% 75.40 4.44 6' 3.40" 840.34 1:0.89
5> 16x17 25.41 6.25% 79.83 4.99 6' 7.83" 793.65 1:0.94
6> 16x16 27.00 6.67% 84.82 5.65 7' 0.82" 746.97 1:1.00
7> 16x15 28.80 7.14% 90.48 6.46 7' 6.48" 700.28 1:1.07
8> 16x14 30.86 7.69% 96.94 7.46 8' 0.94" 653.60 1:1.14
9> 16x13 33.23 8.33% 104.40 8.70 8' 8.40" 606.91 1:1.23
10> 16x12 36.00 9.09% 113.10 10.28 9' 5.10" 560.23 1:1.33
11> 16x11 39.27 0.00% 123.38 0.00 10' 3.38" 513.54 1:1.45


ALL RINGS
===================
Wheel Diameter: 27.00 inches
Gears: 16/32/54 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SP CRxFW GI GIdf DI diff DF PRPM RT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1> 16x21 20.57 5.00% 64.63 3.23 5' 4.63" 980.40 1:0.76
2> 16x20 21.60 5.26% 67.86 3.57 5' 7.86" 933.71 1:0.80
3> 16x19 22.74 5.56% 71.43 3.97 5'11.43" 887.02 1:0.84
4> 16x18 24.00 5.88% 75.40 4.44 6' 3.40" 840.34 1:0.89
5> 16x17 25.41 6.25% 79.83 4.99 6' 7.83" 793.65 1:0.94
6> 16x16 27.00 6.67% 84.82 5.65 7' 0.82" 746.97 1:1.00
7> 16x15 28.80 7.14% 90.48 6.46 7' 6.48" 700.28 1:1.07
8> 16x14 30.86 7.69% 96.94 7.46 8' 0.94" 653.60 1:1.14
9> 16x13 33.23 8.33% 104.40 8.70 8' 8.40" 606.91 1:1.23
10> 16x12 36.00 9.09% 113.10 10.28 9' 5.10" 560.23 1:1.33
11> 16x11 39.27 4.76% 123.38 5.88 10' 3.38" 513.54 1:1.45
12> 32x21 41.14 5.00% 129.25 6.46 10' 9.25" 490.20 1:1.52
13> 32x20 43.20 5.26% 135.72 7.14 11' 3.72" 466.85 1:1.60
14> 32x19 45.47 5.56% 142.86 7.94 11'10.86" 443.51 1:1.68
15> 32x18 48.00 5.88% 150.80 8.87 12' 6.80" 420.17 1:1.78
16> 32x17 50.82 6.25% 159.67 9.98 13' 3.67" 396.83 1:1.88
17> 32x16 54.00 6.67% 169.65 11.31 14' 1.65" 373.48 1:2.00
18> 32x15 57.60 7.14% 180.96 12.93 15' 0.96" 350.14 1:2.13
19> 32x14 61.71 7.69% 193.88 14.91 16' 1.88" 326.80 1:2.29
20> 32x13 66.46 4.46% 208.79 9.32 17' 4.79" 303.46 1:2.46
21> 54x21 69.43 3.70% 218.12 8.08 18' 2.12" 290.49 1:2.57
22> 32x12 72.00 1.25% 226.19 2.83 18'10.19" 280.11 1:2.67
23> 54x20 72.90 5.26% 229.02 12.05 19' 1.02" 276.65 1:2.70
24> 54x19 76.74 2.36% 241.08 5.68 20' 1.08" 262.82 1:2.84
25> 32x11 78.55 3.12% 246.76 7.71 20' 6.76" 256.77 1:2.91
26> 54x18 81.00 5.88% 254.47 14.97 21' 2.47" 248.99 1:3.00
27> 54x17 85.76 6.25% 269.44 16.84 22' 5.44" 235.16 1:3.18
28> 54x16 91.12 6.67% 286.28 19.09 23'10.28" 221.32 1:3.38
29> 54x15 97.20 7.14% 305.36 21.81 25' 5.36" 207.49 1:3.60
30> 54x14 104.14 7.69% 327.17 25.17 27' 3.17" 193.66 1:3.86
31> 54x13 112.15 8.33% 352.34 29.36 29' 4.34" 179.83 1:4.15
32> 54x12 121.50 9.09% 381.70 34.70 31' 9.70" 165.99 1:4.50
33> 54x11 132.55 0.00% 416.40 0.00 34' 8.40" 152.16 1:4.91