Chain ring question

[north woods gal]

There are lots of aftermarket options for chainrings and cassettes designed to work on either Shimano or SRAM. Don't assume you have to go with only what SRAM markets. Changing out chain rings is quite common. Check with a real deal bike mechanic, directly, who has done gear changes. Don't rely on what someone on the sales floor tells you.

No, you do not have to maintain the exact ratio between small and large chainring that you have, now, but if you do go smaller on one or the other, you may have to shorten the chain a bit. No big deal, though. Your bike mechanic will know how to handle it. Also, by reducing the spread between the small and large chainring, you may find that you do not need another rear derailleur to accommodate an 11/32 cassette. In fact, I recently went from an 11-30 to a 11-32 cassette on one of my Shimano equipped bikes and didn't have to change a thing.

Another option is to go whole hog and go with an SRAM MTB cassette and MTB derailleurs. They will work with your Rival shifters, but the chain ring route is going to be simpler and less expensive.

Finally, as a chronic "upgrader" let me say that you reach a point where it really just makes more sense to get a different bike, one better equipped for what you want to do. If you're not using that big chainring at all, might want to look at a bike with more touring type gearing or even mountain bike gearing and, yes, there are drop bar bikes like my Salsa Fargo that have MTB gearing and derailleurs (Force with X7 and X9).

With you all the way on the gearing issue, by the way. As I get older, I find that having enough low end on the gearing is ever more critical. Best of luck.