>>1284811Unironically - Get a triple. I found the 16T gap on compacts to be cancerous AF. It works on the MTB - where you downshift to a granny before a climb, but on the road the sudden change of cadence is jarring. And then you need to compensate for it at the back.
Claris triple is 50/39/30, so you get just 11T difference on main gears, low granny and you can switch to a tightly spaced cassette.
I'm tall ( 6'5" ) and I find the minute differences in crank length to be, well, minor. But if anything - climbing on my 180mm set is easier then on 170.
If switching to a triple is not an option - consider, as other anons said, subcompact. You can adopt an MTB crank, if necessary. Although that requires some wrenching experience.
Lastly - depending of 'speedage' of your bike - you can get cassettes going as much as 52 these days. Even on 8 speed has a 11-40 option. Getting those monsters to work reliably is another issue, but they are there.
