I'm currently riding a Fisher Wahoo. I've had it now for about five years, and it’s been a good, reliable bike. But the lower spec parts on it are starting to wear out, and I don't know whether to upgrade or ditch it and get something newer (and better). The other thing is that I really like the bike -- it fits me very well, handles great and just feels "right."

I mainly use it for commuting, but I'd also like to ride it on charity rides, recreational races, and do some day touring. With all this in mind, does it make any sense to upgrade the crankset to a 48T-36T-26T triple? Considering the upright position and weight of the bike, am I likely to ever need to the extra teeth? (The other problem is that my bike has an E-type front derailleur, and to go to a 48T capable derailleur means the band would get in the way of my seat tube bottle rack mounts.) I currently ride at 25-35 km/h on 26 x 1.5 tires.

Before I drive myself crazy haunting eBay looking for components (I also want to upgrade it to nine speed), I’d like some unbiased advice. Thanks!

Jason

I faced a similar question about three years ago. I converted a 2001 Wahoo to a commuter (1.25in slicks, fenders, rack) and found it was great for the mostly flat terrain (some low hills) on my ride. As I built up strength, though, I found the low gearing was a big limitation. After I moved to an area that was more vertical than horizontal I decided to try a cyclocross with a 52/39 crank and a nine speed 11/32 cassette. It's been great and has made the commute faster and more fun.

I can't offer advice on the expense or technicalities of the crank change, but it sounds like a lot of fiddling to arrive at a sorta/kinda road bike. Have you test ridden any road bikes to get the feel of a larger chainring and nine speed drive train?

I too went through this with my 99 Hardrock, I opted for a 11-23 9 speed road cassette and to start dropping weight off the bike. I bought a new LX level bike and as I upgraded parts from the LX to XT I swapped the old parts onto the commuter Hardrock which was a big bump up from it's stock 8 speed Alivio. I also got a great deal on a carbon handlebar saving me even more weight off the bike. These changes netted me about the same performance gain as going from a 44 to a 48 tooth big ring. 2 to 2.5 MPH. I would not have upgraded the Hardrock if I hadn't bought the Rockhopper and started to upgrade it. As it stands now if I even change jobs to one that forces me to lock up outside I'm going to wabt to get a beater bike at the pawn shop or the thrift store, as I've made my commuter "too nice".

what happens when you use 54 42 30 chainring and 11-23 cassette on your road bike that had 52 42 30 chainring and 12-25 cassette.

what do you mean what happens? The bike doesn't explode or anything if that's what your wondering. Smaller cogs in the back just means more speed on the flats and downhills and more effort uphill. Also, more tightly spaced gearing means you may find a gear that more closely fits a given situation. I changed to a 12-26 road cassette on my MTB that I commute on and absolutely love it. I can still climb just fine and now my gears are spaced more closely together so I can spin a cadence in my comfort zone more often. I've gone from averaging 11mph on my 15mi commute to 13-14mph on my commute. I kept the same 22-32-44 crankset on it, too.