Originally Posted by
saddlesores
why would the 22 & 32 be too small? doesn't hurt to have a low gear for when it's needed someday.
instead of buying individual rings, check ebay to see what's on the slab.
should be able to find a 3x crankset for about the same cost as a couple rings.
something like a 22-32-40 maybe? or 22-32-42?
plug into the gear calculator linked above....
The thing I like about the 36 tooth middle ring is that I can spend the majority of my ride in that ring. I also don't have to worry about cross-chaining as much when I'm using the middle ring. Is there even any need to worry about cross-chaining in the middle ring? With a 32t middle ring and a 42 tooth large ring I think I would be doing more shifting between the big and middle rings, which I would prefer not to do. Also, having a low gear of 26/34 is sufficient, even when I'm biking up a hill on a fully loaded touring bike (I like to climb!).