Originally Posted by
carleton
Yes. Totally...and I think you should, too.
The guy is a customer and he obviously has invested a good deal of money in his equipment (BT Edge, custom chainrings, etc...) so he takes himself seriously at least. Why shouldn't I? It was trivial amount of work on my part that made him happy.
You highlight an important distinction. It was a trivial addition for you and costs other customers nothing. But on a production frame, it could require more deformation of a chainstay, which compromises the frame to some greater extent than necessary for the vast majority of the potential population. If it was common, accepted training practice, I'd find a way to make it work well. Weaken every frame to accommodate a few super edge cases using a chainring size that's not even in regular production? No. And I'm happy for people who can afford to buy expensive gear, but that doesn't on its face make their judgment carry any more weight with me.