Quote Originally Posted by xeney View Post
...so if you have a triple chain ring up front and a 10-speed cassette in the rear, that means you have a total of 30 gear combinations available. If you have a double chain ring in the front and a 9-speed cassette in the rear, you have 18 gear combinations.
Except that, to complicate things even further, you really don't have 30 gear combinations available, unless you intend to cross-chain and wear your components out prematurely. With a triple up front and 10 in the rear, you really only have (you more knowledgeable folks correct me if I'm wrong here) 15-20 gear combinations you can (should) actually use. Doesn't that make this even more fun?

I'm the Queen of Cross-Chaining. Thank goodness I have a compact crank and only 8-speeds