Originally Posted by
Barrettscv
I really, really like the 5603 Shimano 105 crankset. It has the 50, 39 & 30 chainrings you seek and is almost as light as the Ultegra and Dura ace cranks. I also like that the small chainring is a 74 BCD and easy to replace with a smaller 26t chainring.
The new 2011/2012 5703 has a larger BCD for the small chainring and 30t is the only chainring size I can find for it.
I run the double version of that on my Kona commuter. Works great but has a 53.
I had the Ultegra triple (30/39/52) on my Trek and jump from the middle to large ring drove me nuts. It went from 39 to 52 and my legs hated it. I ended up putting a 42 on the middle ring which smoothed the shifting significantly.
I can't really tell the difference between 105 and Ultegra cranks so I would say look for whatever you can get the best deal on. The Ultegra triples that Ive seen come with the 52 tooth large ring while the 105 most likely comes with the 50. All the Shimano stuff will work together. Id offer to sell you my Ultegra triple but it doesn't sound like what your looking for.
You should be able to find a new 105 triple on Ebay for $100 or less, make sure you get HollowTech II. Model #5600 or newer IIRC. You can tell because the spindle is attached to the pedal arm/gear body. The old style doesn't have a spindle at all.