Originally Posted by rccardr

All good ideas. Here's another: replace the crankset with an 86 BCD one like an SR Apex (they were made in multiple BCD's, so check) and put on 50/28 rings. No need to change the BB. That FD will suprisingly shift that combination just fine and with a 28 big cog out back you can keep the current RD and wind up with a 1:1 ratio, same as a compact with a 34 and a different RD.

I used that exact combination on my Faema Merckx at the Coppi event inWisconsin last year, worked a charm. And there are LOTS or steeper hills than that in that part of WI!