xroadcharlie

Just got back from a short 20 km trek and figured I would test the Shimano Altus front derailleur for the 48/38/28 chainrings on my 2018 Giant Sedona comfort bike while we are on the subject. Much of my ride on a trail has many inclines and turns into a moderate wind. I wasn't expecting much from my past experience, But was pleasantly surprised at how well it behaved. Only malfunctioned once where I had to go back to 1st trying to upshift. It seems if I overshoot the upshift to 2'nd it works better. I'm still learning as I very seldom use the 28 ring. The shift from 38 - 48 works better.

I must say I do like having the option to climb a moderate incline and seconds later take the downside fast with just one or two steps. Sometimes going from the 28 to the 48 ring climbing and descending, That's like 5 - 7 gears on a cassette. When it works.

After giving some thought to the usefulness of a very wide gear jump, It just dawned on me that the 14 - 34 cassette on my bike, and many others 1'st to 2'nd gear is also a big jump from 24 - 34T. At first I couldn't understand why they weren't evenly spaced. But perhaps "they" are right. Even with the 42T single chainring on the Giant Cypress I also looked at I would still have that ability at the very speed we need it most. So be careful what you wish for.

With so many variables with derailleur type drivetrains it seems to come down to just learning what is most effective for each situation. Certainly having a single chainring not only makes it easier, But looks much cleaner and is easier to maintain. While the 2 and 3 chainring setups take a bit more thinking to get the best results, But may offer more options.