Cranks, not drinks Since getting the cheapo Windsor dialed in I have been putting miles on both bikes and have had the opportunity to closely compare riding a triple to a double. I had always assumed that riding a triple would be easier than a double. Ah, not so Grasshopper! I live in a hilly area (edge of the Blackstone Valley), they can be short and steep, long and steep, or long and gradual. There are especially alot of those awful 'false flats'.

So here is my highly analytical findings based on my power capabilities, which are about equal to the battery in the cyclometer.

When riding the triple (52/42/30, 9-speed 12-25 cassette) I stay in the 42 most of the time just because I hate the feel of the granny gear, but do have to use it occassionally. The problem is that on those long gradual slopes the 42/23 or even 42/25 gets tiring and my cadence suffers. These are those hills that are a little too much for the 42 but not enough to justify the granny.

Conversly, when riding the double (53/39, 7-speed 12-28 cassette) the 39 works well for those same slopes, but, I run into the opposite problem where the 53 is just a little big and the 39 a little small for the flats.

So here is what I'm thinking. Realize that I am not a speed demon and never will be.

For the double: Change the outer ring to a 48T so it's more like a double trekking crank, or just convert it to a trekking crank (48/38/28).

For the triple: Change the middle ring to a 39T and the outer to a 50T, or again just install a 48/38/28.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done something like this. Geez, it would be nice to know this stuff when purchasing. I guess what I'm attempting is to come up with my own semi-compact crank.