Cycling UK Forum

Usually this is part of the car insurance as it's a 3rd party liability. Certainly when towing a boat trailer it's the motor insurance that covers the road risks, not the boat's.

They come up on ebay (flat bar ones) all the time - going rate is around 30 quid.

Absolutely agree - most of the bits are fantastically repairable. The only fly in the ointment for us Campag retro users are rear mechs, where the shifting changed in 2001.

Apparently you can retrofit modern shift cams into the older levers, even though the Campag site says it's not possible. But I haven't tried it.

There again, my 1997 rear mech hasn't failed or been severely crashed yet...now there's a hostage to fortune.

edit: typo

I don't know what kind of handlebars you have, but what about Magura rim hydraulics? They are fantastically adjustable.

The only problem is that the drop bar levers are discontinued and hard to find.

Someone did a kids' MTB about 15 years ago with a quad on the front.

The Centaur chainrings are a lot better. Personally I'd mix and match. Veloce for things that don't matter (like front mechs), keep the Centaur for durability on hubs etc.

Have a look through the catalogue and understand what the differences are - the carbon chainsets for example are actually heavier if I remember rightly!

I run a Record-Chorus-Centaur mix on my bike - Record for shifters and hubs, Chorus rear mech and brakes, Centaur chainset and front mech.

The stuff is now 12+ years old and good as ever.

Have you thought of the 12-32 cassette from SRAM? It saves the huge jump onto the 34T cog.

Spa and Chain Reaction stock it.

Mick F wrote:My point was that a 30/40/50 c/s COULD be replaced by a 30/36/42/50 or similar. It would give the same range, but smoother front changes.

Yes, I know that there will be ratio duplications, but there are always duplications with triple derailleurs. Shifting rings just gives a new set of gears, whether some of those ratios are available with another ring is of no importance. A quadruple just gives more choice.

It can, and is, done.
http://www.mountaintamer.com/quads.html

Mick, I think we agree - I have a 30/39/48 on my bike, as I hate big jumps on the front (the idea of a compact appals me with its 16T jump.) SO that's my money where my mouth is.

All I was trying to point out was that going to 4 chainrings on the front creates as many problems as it solves.

It'll be hideous because the chainset will now be a further 10mm or so wider. Assuming that you are keeping a 9 speed back (or 10) then you have double problems - firstly that of cross-chaining to ever more extreme angles, and secondly that of ensuring that the chain does not rub on the next chainring up at anything other than a gear or so each side of a straight chainline.

Even if the rings are of vastly differing diameters (say 22/32/42/52) then you would still get an overlap of the gears on a 9 speed setup - so what's the point?

If you want really low, why not do something like 24/39/48 which gives you a crawler ring for long hills? With a 11-23 cassette it still gives a high top and around 28" bottom gear.

The reason why a modern 10 speed works so well is the narrower chain and flush rivets. Probably the chains also don't last so long these days after all this maltreatment?

As you can get away with a 24 tooth difference at the front surely a 24/38/48 mated to an 11-32 is enough range for anyone? Do you really need a quad front - especially as chainline issues would be hideous?

gaz wrote:I'm with hamster although I think it's a 104" gear allowing for the 26" wheel.

MTB 2.1 tyres are almost exactly the same diameter as 700x23C

I agree - had to change to a mountain bike chainset, then was fine.

Personally, I think that snazzy chainsets are overrated - they aren't even lighter anyway. But TA rings are my first choice: very well made and last ages.

So I go for old square taper Campagnolo with TA rings.

I put both mine in the bike trailer (Burley Bee, so not the big one) until the oldest was 5, when it became too much of a squash.

44x11 is around a 107" gear - which is one click from top on my road race bike. He's only be running out of gears if he cannot spin any faster in 44x11..which I doubt.