i have my bike set up as a 3x1 right now. i finally got it working fairly well with some parts bin stuff, except for the chain tensioner. i had mismatched crankarms for a while, then i got a 122 bottom bracket to fit all the gears on my Tourney XT triple (idk anything about these cranks, but like them!!)

on getting my chainline correct (i think) i found that my front derailleur was pretty hecked up. and i think independent of that problem, it wasn't shifting into my littlest ring. this is all friction shifting.

now that i've had it working and i know how much i like it (it's a lot btw) i'm trying to decide if i want to get some external BB cranks, probably just deore. one of my questions is, will a 2 piece external bearing crankset potentially cause me any extra problems with setup, chainline, front derailleur etc? or will it wind up being easier?

rear is staying the same for now. my main concern is that as things are, no front derailleur will pull the chain far enough in to shift to my granny/hill gear. i'm not really sure if this is true or not, and i realize a shift down from a compact 34t chainring isn't the best. but can someone help me identify the features i need in a front derailleur, and what extra setup i need to do? and if a more modern crankset would make this way easier, just say the word...

i've been using a top pull with a cable stop on my seat tube, but i'd use a bottom pull if it's possible (???) an extra factor however is that the front derailleur can cut down on my rear tire clearance, and i'd like to stick with a 32c.

also if anyone is curious, my gearing is 42-34-26 x 13 right now, but i'm really liking the sound of 42-32-24 x 12. my rear wheel was a 130mm spaced 9 speed, i spaced it down to 120mm ish by removing the cassette lockring and using the right sized seatpost clamp to keep my rear cog on.