Changing triple crankset to double

fury4 said:

I was looking at buying a new bike and it has a triple crankset on it. I fi purchase it what will I need to change out if I want to run a double cranket on it. It is 9 speed. Thanks

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

It's possible to just unbolt the granny ring and dial in your low limit screw. Of course, that's not going to make your shifting any crisper or improve your chainline so you will have given up your granny gear and gotten nothing in return.

If you want it to look like a factory double you need to replace the crankset, bottom bracket, and both derailleurs. Shimano 9-speed shifters, except maybe Dura Ace, will work as either a double or a triple. If you race, that might make the differrence between getting dropped, or not, on a hill.

I want to have a factory double setup. Do I have to change the bottom bracket to change the chainline? The bike has 9 speed Dura Ace shifters, can I use them with a double crank?

fury4 said:

I want to have a factory double setup. Do I have to change the bottom bracket to change the chainline? The bike has 9 speed Dura Ace shifters, can I use them with a double crank?

You'll definitely want to use the shorter double size bottom bracket. You'll get more use out of your big chainring and, if you keep the wider bottom bracket, it will look goofy.

9-speed Dura Ace shifters have different part numbers for doubles and triples. I'm not sure how exactly they are different.

I would suggest working with your LBS, as they may do the swap for you as part of the sale... or at least do it for a reasonable fee.

I was under the impression that you brifters set up for triples could shift doubles. As I understand it, you only need a new BB in addition to your new crankset.

I would suggest sticking with the triple.