Originally Posted by senior_banana
Well, you're not going to be able to go any higher than 34 in the back, but you could probably change the granny in the front to something smaller. Currently, we've got 26-38-54 in the front with a 11-34 in the back. Seemed fine touring the coast in CA.
Is this combination (26/38/54) on a 'racing' triple like Ultegra? We considered changing the 30 on our 30/42/52 Truvativ set to an 28. Our LBS - who generally is very knowledgeable - claims that this will give bad shifting, because the chain wouldn't be picked up properly by the 42. Your combination has a similar 12-tooth step from the small to the medium chainwheel, ours would be 14 teeth. But if it shifts properly, I think we can take a chance on the 28.