My Specialized Allez roadie came with a Sora triple and Sora triple STI shifters. I neither want nor use the little ring. I'm going to upgrade to Ultegra double just as soon as I get the cash, but in the meantime I'm having a devil of a time keeping the front derailleur in line. It likes to leap frog from the big to little ring and it's terribly annoying, I have to be constantly adjusting.

If I were to simply remove the inner chainring making it a double:
-Is these even a plausible solution?
-Would my current shifters and derailleur still work, with adjustment of course?
-Would doing this perhaps temporarily (until I can upgrade) solve some of my derailleur issues, as in making it shift more reliably? Someone else has suggested this to me and I just wanted to double check it here. Would it be worth my while to do so, would it solve my problem?

You simply have an adjustment issue, and www.parktool.com has the drill in the repair section.Could be nothing more than too much cable tension.Could be something else. If you don't wan to deal with it. It's a simple matter to just readjust the low limit screw so the derailer only shifts to the middle ring. Not the ideal situation, but it works and you don't even have to mess with removing the granny ring.

I went from a triple CR to a double. Did not change out the shifters and only adjusted the limits a bit. Works great with Tiagr shifters. Can't really speak to the Sora.

I have found that a large rider and Sora front deraillers are not compatible due to the lack of strength of the Sora to hold position when power is on or you are hammering out of the saddle. There is just a lot of flex in that piece. My brother had that problem. Went to a 105 and problem went away and so did most of the noticable flex.

So Trekke, you're saying that I can just drop the granny ring (which couldn't hurt with weight) and it should (presuming Tiagra and Sora work the same) be ok with some limit adjustment? I'll fiddle with the limit adjusters and see if I can get it down to the top two CRs.

I know, the Sora is total crap. That cranks and CRs are heavy, but apparently pretty durable. I'm switching it all over to Ultegra as soon as I get the cash, which shouldn't be too much longer.

I wouldn't take my advise over a good LBS. I actually changed my crank to a double but before that adjusted the limits to only work on the big and middle chain rings because I never used the granny and just wanted to see if it would work. Your best bet is advise from a LBS unless someone here can confirm my experience. :)

Well, isn't that what I said.....AFWIW., sora may be the bottom end,but works fine if adjusted properly. Ultegra will work like @rap too if maladjusted. Also, mindless fiddling is not likely to work very well either. There is a methodology to adjusting derailers if you expect them to work properly.

I know how to adjust derailleurs, when I said fiddle I meant that I would work with it to try and tune it in, not that I would just arbitrarily turn the barrels and limit screws. Thanks for the advice.

One thing that I did want to know; however, was would I be able to say take of my current crankset and install a new one if I wanted to, on my own or would special tools be needed that would probably require me taking the bike to my LBS?

If your cranks don't have self extractors(soras don't), you need a crank removal tool.You'll need a different BB when upgrading form sora to shimano octalink,and BB removal requires another tool.

OK, I had a feeling that would be the case. Someone else had told me about the BB thing. Thanks a lot Sydney.

If it jumps from big to little it is WWWAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY out of adjustment. If you can't make it stay where you want it, I would NOT take that little ring off. If you do, then you will be dropping your chain. You could then get yourself a trip over the handlebars.

It's really not WAY out of adjustment, in reading others' experiences with Sora, it seems to be a more prevalent issue. I have to be really easy with the shifter going from big to middle. It's hard to explain, but it just takes a lot of constant adjustment and I've been told that the higher level components, once properly adjusted- a crucial point, are more reliable and noticeably smoother. I can usually get the Sora tuned in on the rack and once out on the road, sometimes I can go for a couple rides and be pretty much OK or sometimes I'll be five miles down the road and the damn thing will be freaking out.

It's not about Sora. Any misadjusted system will shift exactly the same way. The best way to fine tune it is by riding and adjusting.On the rack is never the same.....

Double and triple front mechs have different spacings, so your triple Sora will work with the Ultegra double but will not shift perfectly. A double front der is better. Try Tiagra, it's better than the Sora. Tools needed are a crank removal tool, an Allen key for the crank, and an Allen key for the der, since if you don't replace it yuo may have to adjust it's height.

I hate this.

He's right.

Even if that were correct,he's gonna ditch the sora front anyway.