Originally Posted by higgit

Hi,

This is my first post. I am a retiree who has become addicted to cycling. My wife calls me obsessive; she's right.

I have a 2006 Specialized Sequoia Elite. My age is 68 and I do 50-100 mile club rides in a hilly area with hopes of doing a trip like Mountains-to-Sea in NC or the Blue Ridge Parkway before I have to use a walker.

I have had difficulty with long, over 10% climbs so I replaced the 11-25 (9 speed) that came with the bike with a 11-32 Mtn bike cassette (Deore) to go with the 52-42-30 Sugino triple crankset.

This has made climbing significantly easier and I am very happy with the extreme 30/32 ratio. However, what I gained in climbing, I have lost in ability to keep up with the better riders in my club because the gap between (cassette) gears has gone way up. I realize that I need the close ratios of a 12-23 cassette.

So, I thought: why not install a 44-32-22 mtn bike crankset (Deore XT) with a 12-23 cassette. That way I would have both the hill climbing capabilty (22/23 extreme overall ratio) and the close ratios for level paceline riding. What I would give up is the higher speeds from the 52 wheel, which I am happy to do because I seldom, if ever, achieve (level, wind-free) speeds of over 22-24 mph. And, going downhill for me is more about applying brakes than cranking.

First, technically and mechanically, can one use a mtn bike crank (Deore XT) on a Sequoia frame (9 speed)? Any issues with bottom brackets, etc.?

Second, will it work? Will I meet my twin objectives of: climbing capability and close ratios? Has anyone done this?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Ted