[AJS]

OR...you could go to Sheldon Brown's (Harris Cyclery) website and buy one of their pre-made cassettes that have lower gears for $60.-$80., (11-28, 13-30, 13-34, 14-34, etc.), or buy some loose single cogs from them and make your own lower-geared cassette using the one you already have.

With your handicap, I doubt you would ever really use an 11T, 12T, or even a 13T gear. I'd get in the range of a 14-32 or 34. That would give you many more usable gears that were placed closer together, AND save you way bucks over getting a whole new crankset or changing to a triple set-up.

For example: you could take your 12-27 cassette and remove the 12T, 13T, & 14T cogs. Buy a 14T top-gear (a 14T cog with the built-in spacer attached) and then buy a 30T & 34T and put those after the 27T. Voila! You now have a decent 14-34 cogset that only cost about $35. to customize. You'll then have at least 4 very useable lower gears (24, 27, 30, 34), and will have tossed out a couple that you'll never need (12, 13).

Here's the link: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#9cassettes

 

[AJS]

Solution: go with a 9-speed set-up, not the 10-sp. Does he really need that extra 1 gear for all the hassle and expense it brings, when he can solve his problem much easier by modding a 9?

But it might be a hassle/expense if he tried to change to a 9-sp from what he has now, as much as changing cranksets would be.