A common theme in this thread is that most of us don't need a 52 or 53T outer ring. With most derailleurs, even a slightly smaller outer ring will enable you to go to a lower bottom gear, as well, because of a combination of front derailleur cage shape and rear derailleur chain wrap capacity. I run 48-40-24 on my mountain bike, which is currently my only triple; the road bikes have 50-42 and 49-45 with 14T high gear cogs, and 46-38 and 45-42 with 13T high gear cogs, giving me perfectly adequate top gears in the low-to-mid 90 gear-inch range. I was also able to obtain an "impossibly" low bottom gear with a short-cage SunTour Cyclone II rear derailleur and 1980 Simplex road double front by putting a 48-45-34 triple up front, coupled with a 13-24 6-speed in back. I could probably have dropped to something like 46-42-30 and still had an adequately tall top gear.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
Last edited by John E; 05-25-19 at 06:49 AM.