On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:06:11 -0500, John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:

On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:43:53 -0500, Doug Taylor
wrote:

Oh, and probably no point in recommending installing a chain stopper
to avoid dropping the chain into the bottom bracket when shifting down
from 50 to 34: I'm sure you'll have a smug comeback to that as well.

I ride with 51 or 50 x 38 or 39 quite a bit, and a chain stopper is
useful. Even on a well adjusted bike, frantic shifting on bumpy roads
can result in the chain falling.

Are things different with a 34?

The 16 tooth drop down from a 50 to a 34 can be forceful, and the
chain frequently falls off if you are not totally vigilant. Therefore,
most people I know with compacts have them. A simple $4 investment:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...item_id=CD-04B

The point of my comment was anticipating that Peter would say
something like: "If you know how to shift properly, you don't need a
chain stopper."

I do.