Compact Crankset with Campy 10sp

It's my understanding that you would need a different bottom bracket, either
the Isys (sp?) drive or the Dura Ace to fit the FSA crank, but that
otherwise this setup would work. However . . . I've thought of this too, in
connection with a planned trip later this year to the Maritime Alps, on a
Chorus 10-speed bike I use, and I've concluded that it's not so hot. Sure,
you get the 34/29 as a low gear, but you're stuck with a 50/13 as your
longest one, which will spin out pretty easily on a slight downgrade or with
a tailwind. With Campy Chorus, I think a better setup is to convert to the
Campy Chorus triple, new this year. (The Campag. front der setup is much
better than Shimano's because it is so easy to trim. I have the Record
triple on a bike I use for traveling and I find it trouble-free.) You won't
get the 200g or so weight advantage from the FSA compact crankset, but you
get a potentally lower climbing gear without sacrificing at the top end. In
fact, with a 12-26 on the back, you can even improve the top end over the
13-29 cassette. You might fit a 52 or 53-tooth big ring onto the FSA crank,
but I would be leery of the 18- or 19-tooth drop/rise for changes at the
front. Small to big changes will be slow, and big to small could,
literally, suck.
"plp_74" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de France

(crazy! 🙂). I'll be running Campy Chorus 10sp with a 13-29 and I want to use a compact crankset
(such as the FSA Carbon Pro Elite Compact) with
50/34. Will this crankset work with a Chorus medium-cage rear derailleur and a Chorus double front
derailleur? Thanks for any help you can provide, and if you can recommend a good place to
get a deal on the cranks, that would be awesome! 🙂

Quoted message said:

--

plp_74 said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes

during the Tour de France (crazy! 🙂). I'll be running Campy Chorus 10sp with a 13-29 and I want to
use a compact crankset (such as the FSA Carbon Pro Elite Compact) with 50/34. Will this crankset
work with a Chorus medium-cage rear derailleur and a Chorus double front derailleur? Thanks for any
help you can provide, and if you can recommend a good place to get a deal on the cranks, that would
be awesome! 🙂

Yes. I just built that: yellowjersey.orgRADER041.JPGOpen ↗

I couldn't email the address you used so write if you want to pursue this.

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

plp-<< This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de France (crazy! 🙂). I'll
be running Campy Chorus 10sp with a 13-29 and I want to use a compact crankset (such as the FSA
Carbon Pro Elite Compact) with
50/34. Will this crankset work with a Chorus medium-cage rear derailleur and a Chorus double front
derailleur? Thanks for any help you can provide, and if you can recommend a good place to
get a deal on the cranks, that would be awesome! 🙂

Sure, w/o problem. Just put in the BB, the crank on, lower the front der...go ride.

--

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

raleedy-<< It's my understanding that you would need a different bottom bracket, either the Isys
(sp?) drive or the Dura Ace to fit the FSA crank, >><BR><BR>

ISIS or any shimano Octalink in 109mm length, from DA thru 105 level-

<< However . . . I've thought of this too, in connection with a planned trip later this year to the
Maritime Alps, on a Chorus 10-speed bike I use, and I've concluded that it's not so hot. Sure, you
get the 34/29 as a low gear, but you're stuck with a 50/13 as your longest one, >><BR><BR>

I have used a 50/13 tallest gear here in Colorado, on ups and downs w/o problem. It takes more than
a ''slight' downhill to make me 'spin out, be in excess of 110 rpm, where I would probably go fatser
if I stopped pedaling and thought aero thoughts.

BUT get the 'Tyler' crank with a 52/34 then, that'll work fine also...

raleedy<< With Campy Chorus, I think a better setup is to convert to the Campy Chorus triple, new
this year. >><BR><BR>

Or the Centaur....

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

On Sat, 7 Feb 2004 20:24:51 -0800, "Allan Leedy" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Chorus 10-speed bike I use, and I've concluded that it's not so hot. Sure, you get the 34/29 as a
low gear, but you're stuck with a 50/13 as your longest one, which will spin out pretty easily on a
slight downgrade or with a tailwind. With Campy Chorus,

It's easy to make a 13/29 into a 12/29. Downhill, it's not difficult to spin out most normal
combinations. Spinning out a 50/13 in the flat or even slighlty downgrade is exercise. In 9sp days,
a popular Campy combination was 53/39 and 13/26.

I wouldn't invest $4-500 on a drivetrain for a particular trip. I'd borrow or buy an inexpensive
Shiman hubbed wheel and put on a 11/32 cassette.

On 08 Feb 2004 14:30:16 GMT, [email hidden] (Qui si parla

Campagnolo) said:

BUT get the 'Tyler' crank with a 52/34 then, that'll work fine also...

And I thought it was 52/36. I wonder what front derailleur he used and how great the shifts were?

I think that it will work no problem. Try it. When you set it up, adjust it so you'll have enough
chain to go into the 50-29 w/o problems. You don't want to run a chain that is too short and
accidentally shift into the 29 and destroy your rear deraullier at the top of a mountain pass. You
may be running a chain that is too loose when you shift into the 34-13 through 15. right now I am
building a TT bike using an old 110 crankset and puttung 52-34 chainrings.

Andres

plp_74 <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de

France (crazy! 🙂). I'll be running Campy Chorus 10sp with a 13-29 and I want to use a compact
crankset (such as the FSA Carbon Pro Elite Compact) with 50/34. Will this crankset work with a
Chorus medium-cage rear derailleur and a Chorus double front derailleur? Thanks for any help you
can provide, and if you can recommend a good place to get a deal on the cranks, that would be
awesome! 🙂

Quoted message said:

--

plp_74 said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de France (crazy! 🙂).

I don't know what sort of shape you're in but, if it were me, I'd do it right and go triple. Having
that granny sure makes hill climbing easier!

Kenny Lee

plp_74 said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de France (crazy! 🙂). I'll be
running Campy Chorus 10sp with a 13-29 and I want to use a compact crankset (such as the FSA Carbon
Pro Elite Compact) with 50/34. Will this crankset work with a Chorus medium-cage rear derailleur
and a Chorus double front derailleur?

I just came back from a week of riding in the Australian Alps - climbs and descents up to 30km long.
I was using the exact same Chorus medium cage derailleur and 10s 13-29 cassette with a Sugino PX
crankset and 42-28 chainrings. I think there should be enough take-up on the derailleur to cope with
the two extra tooth difference of the 50-34.

If the descents had been straight and not very steep I would have found the 42-13 top gear too low,
but there was very little of that. Most of the sections of descent that weren't constantly winding
were so steep (mostly around 10% or 11% and up to 16% in places) that getting into a tuck made more
sense than pedalling. And on the winding sections, a few pedal strokes out of each corner at 140-150
RPM in the 42x13 to get up to ~60kph and then back into a tuck for a few seconds until braking for
the next bend. IAK, going down mountain passes fast is mostly about being able to corner and less
about having a huge gear to pedal the straights. And I certainly appreciated the 28x29 low when
climbing the 16% gradients.

Nick Payne

I'm doing the same thing and the same setup. We're with ExperiencePlus Tours. Who are you using?

Lanny "plp_74" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de France

(crazy! 🙂). I'll be running Campy Chorus 10sp with a 13-29 and I want to use a compact crankset
(such as the FSA Carbon Pro Elite Compact) with
50/34. Will this crankset work with a Chorus medium-cage rear derailleur and a Chorus double front
derailleur? Thanks for any help you can provide, and if you can recommend a good place to
get a deal on the cranks, that would be awesome! 🙂

Quoted message said:

--

Paul Kopit <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Allan Leedy said:

Chorus 10-speed bike I use, and I've concluded that it's not so hot. Sure, you get the 34/29 as a
low gear, but you're stuck with a 50/13 as your longest one, which will spin out pretty easily on
a slight downgrade or with a tailwind. With Campy Chorus,

It's easy to make a 13/29 into a 12/29. Downhill, it's not difficult to spin out most normal
combinations. Spinning out a 50/13 in the flat or even slighlty downgrade is exercise. In 9sp
days, a popular Campy combination was 53/39 and 13/26.

I wouldn't invest $4-500 on a drivetrain for a particular trip. I'd borrow or buy an inexpensive
Shiman hubbed wheel and put on a 11/32 cassette.

How? The original poster said he had Campagnolo 10 speed. Do you think Ergo 10 speed shifters will
shift a 9 speed Shimano cassette? I doubt it.

I spent about $180 for a Centaur 9 speed triple setup (crank, BB, both derailleurs) for a week long
Rocky Mountain bike ride. Well worth it. I also think it would be crazy to spend $400-500 for
marginally lower gears for one trip. That's why I advocate spending $200 for a triple setup to get
really low gears.

For the original poster, he is spending thousands of dollars to go on this Alp Tour de France ride.
Seems kind of logical to spend $225 for the Centaur 9 speed triple combination from Excel Sports to
get adequately low gears. Just put on the crank, BB, and front derailleur and keep using his
existing Chorus 10 speed medium cage rear derailleur. For an extra $5 or so from Nashbar he can get
a 28 tooth inner ring to get even a bit lower gears. Or if buying the crank, BB, and front
derailleur separately is cheaper, do that.

I would not want to climb the Alps in a 34x29 low gear. I've ridden enough in the Alps to know this
is not low enough. But a 30x29 or 28x29 should comfortably get you up almost everything.

I can't understand this odd concept to spend $300+ on a carbon fiber made in Taiwan 110 mm bcd
crankset to get only marginally lower gears. A 39x29 is 36 gear inches. A 34x29 is 31 gear inches.
Anyone strong and fit enough to climb mountains in a 34x29 can also climb them with a 39x29. If you
can't climb mountains with a 39x29, then you can't with a 34x29 either. You need a much lower gear
and its a waste to spend money on a 110 mm bcd crank to get a 34 tooth inner ring.

I'm going with Bicycle Outfitters based out of Los Altos, CA. The whole gearing issue is a little tricky because I really don't want to use a triple drivetrain. With 31 gear-inches in the 34-29 combination I'm guessing I should be okay, especially since I'm going to be training pretty seriously over the next several months.

All this advice is really helpful, thanks very much to all those who've replied.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Lanny R. Levens
[B]I'm doing the same thing and the same setup. We're with ExperiencePlus Tours. Who are you using?

Lanny "plp_74" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This summer I'm taking a bike tour of the Alpes during the Tour de France

Quoted message said:

-- [/B]

An anonymous poster said:

I'm going with Bicycle Outfitters based out of Los Altos, CA. The whole gearing issue is a little
tricky because I really don't want to use a triple drivetrain. With 31 gear-inches in the 34-29
combination I'm guessing I should be okay, especially since I'm going to be training pretty
seriously over the next several months.

Not many realize that the 110 BCD pattern actually permits chainrings down to 33 teeth. Only TA
makes them, however.

See: sheldonbrown.comchainrings.htmlOpen ↗

I too rather like wide-range doubles. The venerable TA Cyclotouriste crankset is excellent for this.
I'm running a 50-28 double on my Hetchins, and like the setup very much. Using Veloce brifters and
rear derailer, Shimano 105 front derailer.

sheldonbrown.orghetchinsOpen ↗

The Cyclotouriste crankset is quite light, has unusualy narrow tread
(a.k.a. "Q factor"😉 comes in every imaginable crank length and any chainring size from 26 up.

I'm running mine on a Shimano 115 bb, gives a good chainline for all 9 rear sprockets with the big
ring. The 28 is the bail-out hill climing gear, most rides it isn't used. I've got a 12-28 Shimano
cassette in back, so I only need to shift the front for the toughest hills, or when I'm seriously
tuckered out.

Sheldon "Two By Nine" Brown +-------------------------------------+
| Only those who attempt the absurd | will achieve the impossible. | --Albert Einstein |
+-------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-
9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

On 10 Feb 2004 10:56:35 -0800, [email hidden] (Russell

Seaton) said:

How? The original poster said he had Campagnolo 10 speed. Do you think Ergo 10 speed shifters will
shift a 9 speed Shimano cassette? I doubt it.

Works fine. I've done it frequently.

Triples are usually set up with 52/42/30 and 12/25. A 110 BCD double is an alternative to that.
There are lower cost alternatives to the FSA compact crankset. One could spend <$150 and get
what's needed.

Sheldon Brown said:

Not many realize that the 110 BCD pattern actually permits chainrings down to 33 teeth. Only TA
makes them, however.

See: sheldonbrown.comchainrings.htmlOpen ↗

I find it interesting that Sheldon Brown, A. Muzi, and Peter Chisholm are using compact cranksets. I
would guess that they have choices to use triples as well.

My tandem has just become a 48/34 double.

Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

An anonymous poster said:

I'm going with Bicycle Outfitters based out of Los Altos, CA. The whole gearing issue is a
little tricky because I really don't want to use a triple drivetrain. With 31 gear-inches in the
34-29 combination I'm guessing I should be okay, especially since I'm going to be training
pretty seriously over the next several months.

Not many realize that the 110 BCD pattern actually permits chainrings down to 33 teeth. Only TA
makes them, however.

See: sheldonbrown.comchainrings.htmlOpen ↗

I too rather like wide-range doubles. The venerable TA Cyclotouriste crankset is excellent for
this. I'm running a 50-28 double on my Hetchins, and like the setup very much. Using Veloce
brifters and rear derailer, Shimano 105 front derailer.

But Mr. Brown, there is a big, big, big difference in low gears between a wide-range double that
takes an inner chainring of 26, as your Hetchins does, compared to the normal 110mm bcd double which
takes a 34 or 33 with the rare $35 TA ring.

You are running a 1:1 gear ratio with your 28x28. 26.5 gear inches. Compared to a 34x29 which gives
31 gear inches. Or a 33x29 which gives 30 gear inches. And I'm guessing you did not spend anywhere
near the $330 for a FSA carbon 110mm bed crank, plus $70? for a new bottom bracket, plus $35 for a
new 33 tooth chainring. Spending about $450 to go from a 39x29 36 gear inch low to a 33x29 30 gear
inch low probably does not qualify as the most cost effective purchase. $75 per gear inch. Sort of
like the $1 per gram benchmark.

Nashbar sells a Veloce triple crankset for $90. A Centaur triple for $110. A 111 or 115mm bottom
bracket for $23. A Centaur triple front derailleur for $35. A 28 tooth 74mm bcd inner ring for $3.
For $160 or $180 delivered, you can have a 26 inch low gear. Low enough to climb just about anything
on an unloaded bike. And you will have the extra $300 in your pocket to buy some of those fancy
factory built boutique wheels, which will undoubtedly allow you to climb any mountain twice as fast
and with more style.

An anonymous poster said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm going with Bicycle Outfitters based out of Los Altos, CA. The whole gearing issue is a little
tricky because I really don't want to use a triple drivetrain. With 31 gear-inches in the 34-29
combination I'm guessing I should be okay, especially since I'm going to be training pretty
seriously over the next several months.

I commented:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Not many realize that the 110 BCD pattern actually permits chainrings down to 33 teeth. Only TA
makes them, however.

See: sheldonbrown.comchainrings.htmlOpen ↗

I too rather like wide-range doubles. The venerable TA Cyclotouriste crankset is excellent for
this. I'm running a 50-28 double on my Hetchins, and like the setup very much. Using Veloce
brifters and rear derailer, Shimano 105 front derailer.

Russell Seaton said:

But Mr. Brown, there is a big, big, big difference in low gears between a wide-range double that
takes an inner chainring of 26, as your Hetchins does, compared to the normal 110mm bcd double
which takes a 34 or 33 with the rare $35 TA ring.

My point in that post was that, if he was going to go with a 110 BCD double, he might as well get a
33 instead of the 34.

Quoted message said:

You are running a 1:1 gear ratio with your 28x28. 26.5 gear inches. Compared to a 34x29 which
gives 31 gear inches. Or a 33x29 which gives 30 gear inches. And I'm guessing you did not spend
anywhere near the $330 for a FSA carbon 110mm bed crank, plus $70?

The TA Cyclotouriste arm set is $199.95, with chainrings and hardware the set comes to about $300,
see: sheldonbrown.comfrench cranks.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

for a new bottom bracket,

I used a $20 Shimano UN71 BB on mine.

Quoted message said:

plus $35 for a new 33 tooth chainring. Spending about $450 to go from a 39x29 36 gear inch low to
a 33x29 30 gear inch low probably does not qualify as the most cost effective purchase. $75 per
gear inch. Sort of like the $1 per gram benchmark.

I never said it was the best way to go, that's what Mr. or Ms. Anonymous was planning to do.

I haven't used anything like a 50/34 (or 50/33) but I imagine it would be used rather differently
from the way I use my 50/28.

I would expect that the 34 would get a fair amount of use, albeit perhaps not as much as a
conventional 39 or 42 does.

With my "alpine" 50/28 setup the idea is that 99% of the time it's on the 50, used with all 9 rear
sprockets. That's part of the reason for the 28 in back, for coping with routine climbs without
needing to shift the front.

The 28 chainring is the "gear of last resort" for when I'm seriously tuckered out, and/or hit an
unusually hard climb.

Quoted message said:

Nashbar sells a Veloce triple crankset for $90. A Centaur triple for $110. A 111 or 115mm bottom
bracket for $23. A Centaur triple front derailleur for $35. A 28 tooth 74mm bcd inner ring for $3.
For $160 or $180 delivered, you can have a 26 inch low gear. Low enough to climb just about
anything on an unloaded bike. And you will have the extra $300 in your pocket to buy some of those
fancy factory built boutique wheels, which will undoubtedly allow you to climb any mountain twice
as fast and with more style.

Yes, this is a perfectly valid approach. What my setup offers is an unusually simple shift pattern,
with almost all shifting done at the rear.

(It also offers unusually narrow tread, by contemporary standards.)

Sheldon "TA TA" Brown +--------------------------------------------------------------+
| Weed - a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. | --R.W. Emerson |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Russell Seaton said:

You are running a 1:1 gear ratio with your 28x28. 26.5 gear inches. Compared to a 34x29 which
gives 31 gear inches. Or a 33x29 which gives 30 gear inches. And I'm guessing you did not spend
anywhere near the $330 for a FSA carbon 110mm bed crank, plus $70? for a new bottom bracket,
plus $35 for a new 33 tooth chainring. Spending about $450 to go from a 39x29 36 gear inch low
to a 33x29 30 gear inch low probably does not qualify as the most cost effective purchase. $75
per gear inch. Sort of like the $1 per gram benchmark.

But you don't have to spend for the carbon cranks. I have a $50 crankset that works dandy, and
gives me down to a 30 inner ring as a double. You can get 110mm cranks that work and look just
fine for about that. I went with 94 to get the smaller ring. It also has the capability to mount a
granny, for touring. Works for me, for less than 1/4 of your price computation.

Alternatively, if you really need a 110bcd double crank, one way is to look for an older Shimano RSX
crank. I recently bought a NOS one from a LBS with 46/36 rings for $30. I've seen them on ebay for
around the same price, maybe a bit more.

Then again, if you need something a little fancier, Andy Muzi sells a very nice Sugino 110bcd
double, or triple crank for like $120:

yellowjersey.orgcranx2.htmlOpen ↗

"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Russell Seaton said:

You are running a 1:1 gear ratio with your 28x28. 26.5 gear inches. Compared to a 34x29 which
gives 31 gear inches. Or a 33x29 which gives 30 gear inches. And I'm guessing you did not spend
anywhere near the $330 for a FSA carbon 110mm bed crank, plus $70? for a new bottom bracket,
plus $35 for a new 33 tooth chainring. Spending about $450 to go from a 39x29 36 gear inch low
to a 33x29 30 gear inch low probably does not qualify as the most cost effective purchase. $75
per gear inch. Sort of like the $1 per gram benchmark.

But you don't have to spend for the carbon cranks. I have a $50 crankset that works dandy, and
gives me down to a 30 inner ring as a double. You can get 110mm cranks that work and look just
fine for about that. I went with 94 to get the smaller ring. It also has the capability to mount a
granny, for touring. Works for me, for less than 1/4 of your price computation.

But the original question asker talked about getting an FSA carbon compact crank. $330 retail price.
Plus a new bottom bracket maybe.

I agree one can get low gears very cheaply. I bought a $20 42-32-22 crank from Nashbar and a $7
bottom bracket. I had planned to take off the inner ring and grind off the inner ring lugs and have
pretty low gears for cheap. It was going to be for a one week mountain ride.

I mentioned the Campagnolo triple and components because the person is riding Chorus 10 speed and
talked about a $330 FSSA carbon crank. If your sights are set for that, your budget is a bit higher
than a used crank or oddball 110mm bcd crank. For $160-180 he can have very low gears and Campagnolo
brand components to match the rest of his Chorus setup for his Tour vacation ride. He would be
paying extra for the brand name and style. Probably justifiable.