Originally Posted by
Bill Kapaun
I see absolutely no reason to change the crank.
A 34/36 is so close to a 34/34 for a bailout gear you might as well stay with the slightly lower (6%) ratio.
Are you really SPINNING OUT a 46/11? if you aren't for more than a few seconds at a time, a 48T is a step in the wrong direction.
Yes, I do spin out every once in a while, even on flats. Although I mostly ride on dirt and gravel, I also often ride with a local group of roadies. I'm even thinking about buying another wheelset just to equip it with a set of road tires so that I can switch quickly between road and gravel. It's definitely a learning experience, tho - the 50T on the original Tiagra was definitely too big for any kind of riding I do - that's why I tried the 46er which I rode for almost a year now and it's okay but a tat bit too slow on some occasions.
Edit: The 34/34 right now is definitely not a bailout gear but an absolute necessity when I ride the local mountainous woods - just last sunday a stony 16° climb gave me a real workout!
Also: I'd appreciate it if you could at least give *some* useful information in regards to my actual question.