Originally Posted by
mechBgon
Besides the road-oriented triples and the MTB-oriented triples, also have a look at the trekking triples, which typically are geared with a 26-36-48. Example:
http://aebike.com/product/deore-m590...r0596-qc30.htm
Besides this Deore model, you can also scrounge these up at the SLX and Deore XT spec levels. The inner bolt circle is 4-bolt 64mm, so it'll take rings as small as a 22, although I'd probably try out the 26 and then go to a 24 if necessary.
If your current 50 x 12 high gear is satisfactory, then you might be OK with a SRAM 12-26 PG-950 cassette, which has one-tooth jumps from 12 to 15, then two-tooth jumps until the 23. If you wanted a higher high gear than you have now, instead of slightly lower, you could get the 11-26 model and suffer just one additional 2-tooth jump.
Hey mechBgon! I'm hearing "Spec" a lot around here but have not been able to nail down any good reads for "Spec" and am jst barely getting an idea as to what it means in relation to bicycles. Point: You mention a
trekking 26-36-48 triple but I've seen this in a Tiagra or 105 as well I think so what differentiates between Deore and Tiaga? Designed to run or more robust bearings? lighter bearings? etc?
Not to ask you guys to school me on this but I'd sure like to find a couple hundred pages of enlightenment some place.
But for both you guys, I think I'm going to get involved with touring rigs too and I'm going to want to assemble a LHT for the experience of it. That will be the bike for a lot of mix and matching and experimenting.