After much consideration I decided to swap out the triple crank for a double on my titanium Motobecane. For years I've always liked the utility of a triple crank on my bikes but since moving to the farm I don't find myself with the time or the desire to head east to ride in the hill country. The roads around my area are very flat as can be seen in the photo so really a double is right at home. And let's face it the Motobecane is a performance bike and a double crank completes the look.
When I decided to make the change last fall I perused that online auction site and found a used Ultegra crankset with bottom bracket for fifty dollars. The new to me double is from the same line as the triple I was using so shares the same classic looks. I'm not a fan of the newer style big blocky looking cranks that are on the market today.
The crank is not a compact model but I did replace the 53 tooth big ring with my existing 50 tooth. I'm not a strong rider by any stretch and the 53 just feels like too much gear to me. I did leave the 34 on for low gears and it works fine on the very occasional rises I encounter on my rides.
Another positive outcome of the change was realized because the double runs on a slightly narrower bottom bracket than the triple. This moves the chain rings closer in towards the frame and the chain line now falls more in the middle of the cogset where I do most of my riding anyways. Now the drive line feels noticeable smoother while underway and I'm not missing the triple at all.
With the farm came an outstanding 40' X 60' pole barn which is quite a change from the single stall garage I had back in the city. I now have more than adequate room for my collection of bikes, motorcycles and tractors. I don't have to push everything to one side when it comes time for maintenance.
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