Originally Posted by
cubewheels
Oh, didn't see that.
I honestly don't see why changing the chain rings would be any worse than changing the cassette. Either way the guy wants to spin more.
I have a friend who is a heart-attach and leukemia survivor who just put an 11-40 on his bike because he still wants to ride up hills but he is 70 and fresh out of chemo. He also has strict doctor-imposed limits on heart rate---which he meets by watching his heart rate. He rides the same cadence but more slowly.
Maybe it would be cheaper to add the 11-36 and wolf tooth than to change the chain rings, but what matters is overall ration, not how big the sprocket is. I have to think a 50-34 could be had pretty cheaply .... and that 11-40 (should he ever use it) must weigh a ton.