I'm an old dude (56) who lives in Colorado and likes to ride up big Mountains. I did Pikes Peak Gran Fondo yesterday (4700 feet in 12.4 miles) and Mt.Evans (7000 feet in 27 miles) a few weeks ago. I "race" but I'm hoping only to finish, not win. I live in a canyon with my training ascent 1500 feet, 1/3 paved, 2/3 gravel. I've had meniscus removed from both knees, I'm 200 LBS of weekend warrior. I NEED A BIG Gear to do these things. I currently have a triple ring road bike w a 52/42/30 crank, and a 12/36 MTB cassette an XT rear derailleur. Call me a weenie, I don't care. Try Pikes Peak with its relentless 9-12% gradient at 14,000 feet and my slow twitch physiology, 200 LBS., and tell me you wish you didn't have an easier gear! :-)

In my perfect build, want a disc brake carbon cyclocross frame (Nashbar has one on sale for about $550), MTB straight handlebars, and my gear preference is a compact road crank 50/34 in front, with an 11 speed 11-12/42 rear cassette to keep my gearing where it is now, or close to it. The problem is finding a shifter/derailleur set up that will work with a road crank in front and MTB rear Cassette. Will Shimano XT/XTR shifters work with an Ultegra or Dura Ace front derailleur? Can an XT/XTR rear derailleur work with a 50T front chain ring or will cross chaining instantly break it? Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I know I can get 50/34 with a 32 rear Cassette, it just not quite big enough though. So it seems the only solution is to mix and match road and MTB gear, just not sure if it can be done.