gear questions

[Becky]

That's a really nice component mix ya got there! But, with all of the loaded riding (e.g., panniers and such) that you're doing, I think that a triple is the way to go. My commuter has a triple on it, and yes, I bail out to the 30-tooth granny gear on the ride home!

By my way of thinking, you have 2 choices- new crankset, left shifter, new bottom bracket, and maybe a new front derailleur, or new bike altogether. It's really going to depend on how much you're willing to spend, and what the shop is willing to do for you (not necessarily in that order).

There are less-expensive mountain triple cranksets out there than an XT crankset that would still have a 22-tooth small ring, so you could save some money there. You'd save a little by switching just the left shifter, although you wouldn't necessarily have a matched pair then.

ADD: Are these your shifters? http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...+Shifters.aspx If so, it looks like they are triple-compatible, according to Jenson. That would save some coin there, although you still may need a different front derailleur.

I'd go to the shop where you bought the bike, tell them just what you posted here about wanting lower gearing, and ask them to lay out your options. Good luck, and let us know how everything goes!