Originally Posted by
The Human Car
Joe pointed out a nice Trek X01, I like the idea of a cyclo-cross bike in general and this bike in particular but they have such low gears.
If you get a bike with a Shimano drivetrain that uses an external bottom bracket, the crank can be changed on a whim in about 15 minutes; chainrings can be changed in about an hour.
Depending on the rear derailluer cage (short vs. long) you can put cogs of 12x27 on the rear wheel, or in the case of a long cage, get into the 30 tooth range.
Precisely, what gearing are you looking for? 30 gear inches can be attained in different ways, but the solution should fit you physiologically.
What are you looking for on the high end?