john. a 34 inner ring spun at 100 rpm with, say a 17 tooth cog ( nabout as far as you would want to go outboard...) would get you down the road at 16.2 mph, notably slower on 650's. the remaining non-crossed over gears would be slower. now, in what manner would having half your drivetrain dedicated to speeds under 16 mph be benefitting MOST triathletes on MOST courses?

as a specialty gear for mr empfield's example in calif, OK. maybe for LP, or your own hilly race. certainly as a POSSIBILTY it is a nice developement. the compact road BCD is a good idea, to be sure. but a possibilty and a good idea in a special application is not tha same as a new standard spec.

a standard spec should reflect the most benefit for the most people, it seems to me. sub 16 mph is not reflective of most people's efforts on most courses, i do not believe.