Originally Posted by TheRCF
While I'm following all this with great interest (much more complicated than I thought), I'll report on my hills.
I want to come ride in your back yard!
Actually, it sounds to me like you'd do well to go with a triple. I "upgraded" to a triple on my roadie a few years ago and have no regrets. I only need that granny ring a couple of times a year, but when I need it, I'm glad it's there.
The performance upgrade kit looks like a decent deal if you can do the work yourself.
You might be able to offset the cost of the new parts by selling the old one. Dura Ace...even used DA...gets good money on eBay.
If you aren't racing, consider Ultegra. It performs well and costs less.