Originally Posted by
abdon
Sadly 'value' is not exactly a good way to look at it as for the price of the triplizer I can buy two vintage triple cranks, and that doesn't even take into account that I would still have to purchase the third ring.
Heck for the price of the new triplizer and extra rings there are some quite fantastic vintage cranks to be had.
I agree that Red Clover triplizers.ain't cheap. I do think you get your money's worth. Whether or not to spend that much for the product is an individual decision, and I respect that you do not want to.
I just did a very quick eBay search and came up with only two or three options, all from Willow (also a good product), all over $100 and none for 144mm BCD. This tells me that your options are limited. The easy ones are Red Clover and a triple crankset.
You may already know this, but keep in mind that (1) you will almost certainly need a different bottom bracket if you go triple (regardless of whether you use a triplizer or a triple crankset), (2) you will likely need a different rear derailleur and (3) you might need a different front derailleur.
Good luck