Originally Posted by
headloss
For touring/commuter riders, a 48t +/- 2 is a much better sized large chain ring, paired with a middle ring that can go smaller than 38t and a granny smaller than 30. There's definitely a demand for this type of gearing, and yet that's generally not what gets made (FSA and Sugino being current exceptions, but each have other faults).
There are zillions of these. They are "trekking" or hybrid cranksets, built on mountain bike cranks. From Shimano they are available up to XT level. I have an Acera level version on my recently-de-commuterized MTB.
Looking at Shimano's site, there are also still XT level V brakes (BR-T780). I had no idea.
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Genesis 49:16-17
"Well, well!" said Holmes, impatiently. "A good cyclist does not need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths and the moon is at the full."