Quote Originally Posted by 7rider View Post
I don't understand your concern.
You'd get nearly identical gearing in a lighter, less complicated package. What's not to like here?

Your concern over losing the granny gear is a crutch - as you've already shown yourself that you will still have the low gearing you desire.

There will be some adjustment as you learn to shift the new gearing, but it's all there.
The spacing in between the gears is going to be a little different - bigger gaps between the gears in a compact double. If she hangs out in her bottom two chain rings, she may not really even use the 50 on a compact double all that much - in the higher end of the gears -I do do it all the time - cross chain between the 50 and the 28 in the back on my compact double, but you really technically aren't supposed to do that.

So she may be limiting herself in the range of the gears she's typically going to be in- and I know a few people have commented on here that they can't find a comfortable gear or the one they really like on a compact double vs. the triple.

I had my surly built up as a 53, 42, 30 or whatever with an 11-32 8 speed in the back. And I hated it, the gaps were too wide between the gears and I couldn't find one I wanted to hang out in - always felt either too easy or too hard, so I switched it to a 11-23 in the back and I'm a lot happier withthe gears so close together.

I'm pretty happy with the gear range I've got in a compact double, but wasn't initially - which is why one of my bikes is a triple (but I don't ride it much anymore and really prefer my compact for hills). Psychologically having a grannie rings is a great security blanket.