Originally Posted by
Hoopdriver
Add a bigger ring to your double and go riding.
I'm thinking you're right...
Originally Posted by
nfmisso
with a suggested 48/34 (14T difference).. Front derailleurs are sensitive to the difference in the number of teeth between adjacent chain rings.
I've already done the calcs and was hoping to bump from my prev 48 top to a 50 but see from others (below) that crank vs. derailleur size matters too, hmmm. Good info on the teeth differences though, didn't know that...
Originally Posted by
Steve B.
Biggest issue is can you raise the front derailer ?.You’ve got a mt. bike sized crank, so the front derailer is sized and positioned for that large (42) chainring size. If you’ve got a brazed-on derailer hanger (can’t tell from the photos), raising can be an issue. A clamp on derailer can be readily raised to the limit established by the water bottle bosses.
Geez, hadn't even thought about the derailleur size being an issue; I haven't gotten to give it a good look over yet but will keep that in mind too!
Originally Posted by
cpach
To switch to a road crank (the most common option is 50/34, other options are 48/32, 50/36, and more rarely 48/32 and 46/30) you'll need a road compatible flat bar front shifter and front derailleur in addition to the crankset. Don't worry about the BB--your bike uses a threaded BB shell and you can buy a BB to match whatever crank--it's a relatively minor cost in comparison to the crank itself and potentially the labor if you're paying for the work.
Also check out your shifter--is there a small switch on the underside? It may be a 3x compatible shifter as is, as they'll work with a double FD. If so you can get a 3x crank and derailleur.
Hmmm, more good info to chew on, thanks!
Originally Posted by
cpach
I don't know what cadence you ride at and the speeds you need. If I were in Florida, I'd probably either keep the bike as is (as you can go faster than 25MPH if you can pedal 100RPM) or run it as a 1x with perhaps a slightly larger ring.
My cadence could get just get ahead of my prev 48 occasionally in good flats and I'm definitely overpedalling the 42 I'm on now. I'm a little out of my depth here since I know nothing about road bikes, but keep in mind I'm riding on 29s which I ~think~ changes the cadence comparison if you're thinking about it from road bike sized tires.
Originally Posted by
hokiefyd
With that additional information, I certainly agree with sticking with a double in any of the popular configurations noted by others above.
Agree, I'm very much leaning towards upping my double and forgetting about the three.
Still, even though that simplifies things, it looks like I still have a bit of homework to do. I'll spend some more time looking her over tomorrow and will get back here for more input, stay tuned!