Now I feel foolish agonizing over fitting (and I don't have the choice here of smaller) a 56-ring chainset to my 1987 Mecacycle. I have ridden quite a few 56t rings on classic 1970s British time trial machines and around here, if one picks the route and run carefully, they are astonishingly practical. Although with no front derailleur as was the norm for British tt bikes, not too suitable for street running and traffic signals etc! The key is LONG cranks, too.... 175 or longer. But at speed, it's actually easier pushing a big gear.

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA