Upgrading crankset

rengirl said:

I am very new to cycling and I want to upgrade the crankset on my 2006 Felt F80 to an FSA SL-K MegaExo Triple. My question is: Will the newer 2007 SL-K have any compatibility problems with my existing 9-speed 105 derailleurs, cassette and chain? I believe the teeth on the newer 10-speed cranks are narrower to accomodate 10-speed chains. Will they work with 9-speed chains? I want everything to work topnotch, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

This should work perfectly well.

Do you already have a triple crankset on the bike? If you don't, going from a double to a triple can be expensive, as you will also replace the bottom bracket, front derailleur, and front shifter (in the case of Shimano, you replace both shifters as they aren't sold individually).

If you do have a triple, then it should just be a bolt on operation.

Yes, it already has a triple, so everything will be fine in that respect. I was just concerned about differences in cranks designed for the Shimano 10-speed system vs. the older ones for the 9-speed system. I thought it might pose some problems, but from Artemidorus' reply and yours it sounds like it won't make a difference. Thank you very much!

JohnO, what do you mean by a "bolt on operation?" I will be going to the MegaExo bottom bracket, so "bolt on" sounds too simple. =)