Originally Posted by
Belteshazzar
Are the chainring shifts avoided by having the 39 cog really that frequent, and is shifting chainrings really that much of a problem? Yes, you can also get smaller increments- by switching chainrings and always having to think about which nearly-redundant gear combination is ever so slightly higher than the other.
Again, incredibly personal. I have read many posters on BF loving their 39 ring. But you asked if front shifting is a pain, and it depends on your level of finickiness. I don't like 16 tooth jumps, and 14 teeth is noticeably smoother, at least in the mid tier and lower end groups that I have used. My favorite double is a 50/36, but that is because of my terrain and riding style. It isn't that compacts shift horribly, it's just they don't shift as smoothly as tighter spaced cranks.