Moving from 27 speed to 18?
 

Current bike has 28/38/48 with 9 speed 11-32
Looking at Verve 3 with 46/30 and 11-36 9 speed.2
I am never in 28 ring (flat Florida)
Also not currently using top 3 or 3 gears
On pace for 250 miles this month

Is the 18 speed a step down ? I
8/38/

I hate 3x and converted mine to 1x7. The main thing that matters is your highest gear is high enough and lowest gear is low enough. Probably the 38 ring would be plenty with a 11-32 on the back, but if you are able to go very fast then the 48 might be useful to you. You are not really downgrading much because of cross chaining anyway.

Your 28 teeth chainring and 30 teeth chainring are pretty close in gear size.

Cheers

Neither a step up, nor a step down. I have been using a triple for years now. Mine is 26 - 36- 48 with a 12 - 27 9 speed cassette. I do use my small chainring for hills. Since you don't have hills, I would suggest maybe switching out from an 11 - 36 to something like an 11 - 28 just so you can have more useable gears where you actually need them.

I have moved into 1x11 gearsets and it's beautiful. Not sure I'll ever go back. Maybe forward to a 1x12.

Check out https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_ratios to find out what you'd actually be missing. From what it looks like, you won't miss much, especially if you're living in the middle anyway.

Test rode Verve 2 and FX 3
Went home with FX3
Felt it was bike that would not limit me

I ride a 1x10 and love it. However my area is flat and I have an 11-34 cassette married to a 28 tooth front. This tops out at 15 or 16mph. I have not missed the higher gearing with this bike. It is an all rounder bike and used heavily on dirt roads. I have a road bike with a 3x10 with a 24 bottom and a 46 top. This bike is much faster at all times but I mostly use the middle cog at 34 teeth. However downwind days and long descents and I'm in the 46. Large hills and I'm in the 24. I don't worry about gear overlaps because I use the bike as a 10 speed in whatever front gear I'm in. This keeps it simple and I don't really have gear overlap mental games to play. I also run a 2x10 with a 31-34 up front and shift the front a lot because it gets in between gear ratios. This is definitely more cumbersome than the other two strategies I employ. I really don't think I have a problem just because I have three bicycles set up three ways in their gearing. It is a practical test that benefits humanity somehow.

yea, Florida, just take off the biggest and smallest chainring.. leaving the middle one you have a 1X, simple & cheap.

Another vote to go with a 1X drivetrain. I'm running a 1x10 with a 42-tooth chainring and the bike simply hauls ass.
(and at 330# I have plenty of it to haul)

Not if you already calculated your ratios and determined it not to be.

I have:

Bike 1. 700x32 road bike. Was 22-32-44x11-32. Now 26-38x11-40.

Bike 2. 26x2.0 mountain bike. Was 22-32-44x11-32. Now 28x11-42.

Bike 3. 20x1.95 cargo bike. 36x11-40.

Less shifting with the new set up. I don't miss the high gears.

I would absolutely love to have that gearing. Think you will find that is an improvement.

Finding not a steep down
Doing 20 mile ride 3-4 times a week
Spending most time in upper 3 gears even in wind
Great move up

I have a double on my three bikes at home (2 roadies and a cross bike). I have a triple on my bike at my winter condo and my 29er. I find the doubles are just easier to find the right gear. It is preference, but not a move down...IMO.