I just finished up a conversion to a modern triple crankset (52-42-30) on an early-'60s bike with a 5-speed freewheel (14-28) in the rear (and 120mm rear spacing). I'm very happy with the final results, but making it work was not easy. Really not easy. I'm planning to write up a report of what I learned from the project, but in the meantime, if you need some advice, let me know.
Originally Posted by
Bandera
1st, read Sheldon Brown on gearing:
Gear Theory for Bicyclists
Re-gearing can involve a plethora of interrelated hardware changes, treat it as a Project with your Requirements, Budget and Timeline.
A good shop will help you work it through but you must be specific about
: Requirements, Budget and Timeline to be successful.
Here's a pic of my '92 that needed a thorough re-gearing to meet my current requirements. It works a treat, was fun to do and keeps an old favorite in service. On spec, within budget and on time.
-Bandera