conveting from triple to double

I am a 19 year old avid cyclist. I got a 2005 Specialized Allez elite triple for my birthday a couple years ago. I haven't outgrown the bike. But, i do find myself never using the lower gears and they just seem to get in the way. What would i need to convert to a double? Thanks

New BB, crank and derailleur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deraill...ars#Cage_types

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A person without an opinion is fairly safe, but seldom heard

Do you think it's something worth doing?

If you find the small ring getting in the say, then,

1) Set the lower stop screw so that the chain can never reach the lower ring. This way you effectively lock out the third.

2) Find some real hills and see if you can live with just two rings. Maybe you'll learn to appreciate the value of the third ring.

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Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

But, if i am correct, the lower chainring on a double is smaller (or easier) than the middle chainring on a triple.

-a typical triple crankset: 52x42x30t
-a typical double: 53x39t

But you've already stated that you never use the small ring. And if that's the case, then what's the point of having a 39? You might as well as to go for a 53/42 double.

If your original reasons were for bling, for other performance reasons, then you would have received an alternative set of suggestions.

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Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

You can always replace the 42 with a 39 if you think you need it.

what do you mean by "get in the way" I think you probably mean that it is just something on the bike that you don't use. But if you need it once, then it will provide real value. Unless you need to save a few grams, just pretend the small ring isn't there... The first time you hit a real long steep climb, or a moderate climb at the end of a tough ride, you may be glad it is still there.

Most people on triples spend about 80% of their time in the middle ring, and a small portion of their time split between the large and small ring. The benefit of a 42 on a triple is that it provides all the gears needed except for the extreme highs and lows.

I personally like Sheldon Brown's attitude on this topic that I read somewhere, probably on his site: http://www.sheldonbrown.com "An odd number of chainrings is best." Either use a triple for flexibility, or a single for simplicity, the double is only a compromise between the two. He also has a gear calculator on his site, so you can see whether there is any real reason for you to switch from 52/42 to 52/39 or 53/39.

If/when you decide to change, and want to make sure you can climb big hills, you may also want to consider a compact double (50/34 or 50/36) as another option as well. With this configuration you give up a little on the top end, and gain some low end gearing. My bike is a 50/34 double with an 11-28 cassette. This gives me the gearing I need. Choose gearing based on what you need, not on what is "typical" since your bike needs to fit your needs, not the mold of typical.