Compact double with the older Campy derailers

My buddy wanted some lower gears on his Super Record equipped bike, so
we put on a compact double crank, with 34 and 52 chainrings (he wanted
to keep the high gear), and 14-28 cogs. Needless to say, it doesn't
quite work. Best option seems to be long cage rear derailler. Will
current rears wrap that much chain? I also told him a smaller big ring
(like 48) or smaller rear cog (like 24) would work, though the latter
would wipe out the lower-gear benefit.
Any advice appreciated.
Brian Plaugher
Guerneville, CA

snippage of Q: compatibility of der cage lengths with 52/34 crank

Long cage will definitely work (works with 30/42/53 and large rear
cogs) and medium might.

D'ohBoy

wrote:
My buddy wanted some lower gears on his Super Record equipped bike, so
we put on a compact double crank, with 34 and 52 chainrings (he wanted
to keep the high gear), and 14-28 cogs. Needless to say, it doesn't
quite work. Best option seems to be long cage rear derailler. Will
current rears wrap that much chain? I also told him a smaller big ring
(like 48) or smaller rear cog (like 24) would work, though the latter
would wipe out the lower-gear benefit.
Any advice appreciated.
Brian Plaugher
Guerneville, CA

I ride a Super Record bike with 30-42-50 and a 13-23 freewheel. With
the right chain length the combinations you [ropose should be no
problem. Getting to shift the 34-52 might be but that's another story.
How's life in Guerneville these days? Dry out yet. I spent a lot of
time on the Russian River in Guerneville as a kid.
Phil Brown

wrote:
My buddy wanted some lower gears on his Super Record equipped bike, so
we put on a compact double crank, with 34 and 52 chainrings (he wanted
to keep the high gear), and 14-28 cogs. Needless to say, it doesn't
quite work. Best option seems to be long cage rear derailler. Will
current rears wrap that much chain? I also told him a smaller big ring
(like 48) or smaller rear cog (like 24) would work, though the latter
would wipe out the lower-gear benefit.
Any advice appreciated.
Brian Plaugher
Guerneville, CA

Problem is having enough chain for the big-big w/o it breaking and
small-small w/o lots of droop, whcih will also result in the pulley
hitting the cog in small ring and biggest cog. I would size the chainb
so that the small-small isn't too droopy, no pulley-cog interference in
small ring-biggest cog(ensure the wheel is all the way back in the
frame.

If no soap, just use a modern Campag long cage rear der..any of them,
like Mirage. It will work fine and you will have anough chain. Only
'issue' is that the modern rear ders needs a lot of cable pull so the
friction shifter will be way aft when you are in a bigger cog...

wrote:

My buddy wanted some lower gears on his Super Record equipped bike, so
we put on a compact double crank, with 34 and 52 chainrings (he wanted
to keep the high gear), and 14-28 cogs. Needless to say, it doesn't
quite work. Best option seems to be long cage rear derailler. Will
current rears wrap that much chain?

Yes, there are lots of derailers that will handle this with no problem.
They are generally marketed as "mountain bike" derailers, because
that's the current prefered marketing term for wide range derailers
(used to be called "touring" derailers.)

I also told him a smaller big ring
(like 48) or smaller rear cog (like 24) would work, though the latter
would wipe out the lower-gear benefit.

Problem is having enough chain for the big-big w/o it breaking and
small-small w/o lots of droop, whcih will also result in the pulley
hitting the cog in small ring and biggest cog. I would size the chainb
so that the small-small isn't too droopy, no pulley-cog interference in
small ring-biggest cog(ensure the wheel is all the way back in the
frame.

Chain droop in small/small is a non-problem, since you should never ride
in that gear anyway. However droop won't be an issue with a correct
derailer.

If no soap, just use a modern Campag long cage rear der..any of them,
like Mirage. It will work fine and you will have anough chain. Only
'issue' is that the modern rear ders needs a lot of cable pull so the
friction shifter will be way aft when you are in a bigger cog...

Shimano derailers are much less expensive and also use slightly less
cable pull than modern Campagnolo units.

Sheldon "For _This_ Application, Shimano Is Best" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------+
| The difference between truth and fiction: |
| Fiction has to make sense. |
| --Mark Twain. |
+-----------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Dans le message de ,
Sheldon Brown a réfléchi, et puis a déclaré :

Shimano derailers are much less expensive and also use slightly less
cable pull than modern Campagnolo units.

Without question, this is a big negative for Campa. I didn't even know the
differences, until a friend told me he replaced his DA with a new one for
about 40% of the best price I know of for Chorus. Of course, pricing in the
EU may differ significantly from the USA, but I don't know that.

Peter Chisholm (yes, using your first name, per your permission) mentions
the panaché of Shimano and Campa. Can one use Ergo levers and Shimano
derailleurs without a lot of patchwork ?
--
Sandy

The above is guaranteed 100% free of sarcasm,
denigration, snotty remarks, indifference, platitudes, fuming demands that
"you do the math", conceited visions of a better world on wheels according
to [insert NAME here].

Sandy a ecrit:

Dans le message de ,
Sheldon Brown a réfléchi, et puis a déclaré :


Shimano derailers are much less expensive and also use slightly less
cable pull than modern Campagnolo units.


Without question, this is a big negative for Campa. I didn't even knowthe
differences, until a friend told me he replaced his DA with a new one for
about 40% of the best price I know of for Chorus. Of course, pricing in the
EU may differ significantly from the USA, but I don't know that.

Can one use Ergo levers and Shimano derailleurs without a lot of patchwork ?

Oui, bien sûr! Voir: http://harriscyclery.com/jtek

C'est un très bonne combinaison.

Je préfére les mannettes Ergo, mais les dérailleurs Shimano.

Sheldon "Works Well For Me" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Le beau est aussi utile que l'utile --Victor Hugo |
| (The beautiful is as useful as the useful) |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Dans le message de ,
Sheldon Brown a réfléchi, et puis a déclaré :
Can one use Ergo levers and Shimano derailleurs without a lot of
patchwork ?

Oui, bien sûr! Voir: http://harriscyclery.com/jtek

C'est un très bonne combinaison.

Je préfére les mannettes Ergo, mais les dérailleurs Shimano.

Sheldon "Works Well For Me" Brown

Is that the same Sheldon Brown who was props creator in "Young Frankenstein"
?
After a thorough reading, including the cross matches, I was somewhat
relieved to find no combination of Ergo shifters, Shimano derailleur, and
Campy wheels. Phew !!

+-------------------------------------------------------+
Le beau est aussi utile que l'utile --Victor Hugo |
(The beautiful is as useful as the useful) |

Also the same guy who advocated colonizing the (then not-yet-defined-as)
Third World in order to bring the values of European (primarily not Anglo)
culture and social order.

I'd be happy to get a copy of Max Gallo's "Lire pour le plaisir" to you,
when I can, if you really plan to bulldoze through it. Real hero worship
there. Somewhere after 300 pages, I accepted defeat.
--
Sandy
--
C'est le contraire du vélo, la bicyclette.
Une silhouette profilée mauve fluo dévale
à soixante-dix à l'heure : c'est du vélo.
Deux lycéennes côte à côte traversent
un pont à Bruges : c'est de la bicyclette.
-Delerm, P.

wrote:

My buddy wanted some lower gears on his Super Record equipped bike, so
we put on a compact double crank, with 34 and 52 chainrings (he wanted
to keep the high gear), and 14-28 cogs. Needless to say, it doesn't
quite work. Best option seems to be long cage rear derailler. Will
current rears wrap that much chain? I also told him a smaller big ring
(like 48) or smaller rear cog (like 24) would work, though the latter
would wipe out the lower-gear benefit.

When that equipment was new the two paths were 36-48 with
12~24 or a pair of Campagnolo Rally cage plates for the rear
changer with a wider freewheel range such as 14~32 with the
stock 42-52

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 17 Jan 2006 12:26:34 -0800, "
wrote:

My buddy wanted some lower gears on his Super Record equipped bike, so
we put on a compact double crank, with 34 and 52 chainrings (he wanted
to keep the high gear), and 14-28 cogs. Needless to say, it doesn't
quite work. Best option seems to be long cage rear derailler. Will
current rears wrap that much chain? I also told him a smaller big ring
(like 48) or smaller rear cog (like 24) would work, though the latter
would wipe out the lower-gear benefit.

It must be influenced by the length of the chainstays.

Using Campy standard cage rear derailleurs, I've used 52/36 x 13/29
and 50/34 x 13/30. Using an 8sp Campy rear I can wrap the same
combinations. The cage is shorter but the pulleys are smaller
diameter. Have you tried just adding a 1" link of chain?