I have a touring bike with a 48/36/26 crankset in the front and a 9 speed 11-34 cassette in the back. I don't like the size of the big chainring. I infrequently use it and almost never use the highest gear.
I am thinking about doing one of two things:
- Replacing the 48 tooth chainring with a smaller chainring, such as a 44 or 42 tooth chainring. Would either chainring work with a 36t middle ring and 26t granny ring? I don't want to get 32 and 22 tooth chainrings because I think that these would be too small for me.
- Taking off the big ring and making the bike a 2 x 9. I would either keep the 36 tooth ring or get a 38. I have a friction bar end shifter so I won't need a new shifter. If I do this, would I be able to keep the front derailleur and crankset?
The shifting on my bike is often finicky even when I adjust the cable tension and get the bike serviced by a mechanic. I was wondering if reducing the chain wrap and the length of the chain would require making fewer adjustments. Or is it just in my head?