Hernia and smaller cranks

i got my compact crankset installed in the same shop where i bought it, they only needed to take a couple of chainlinks off (and adjust the front mech). Im very satisfied with this accessory, it makes life easier but you won't be spinning uphill with them, its not that big of a difference.

What do you have in the rear cassette ? a combination of the compact crank and a bigger cassette would be perfect,

Proper length of chain would be taut around the two largest gears, plus one full link (think of adding the smallest "v" you can form). For that change, you shouldn't need to mess with getting a longer cage rear derailleur.

It seems foolish to remove the links if you are not having problems.

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I use the same length of chain on both of my bikes and all of my cassettes - 53/39 and 50/34 cranks; 11-23 to 16-30 cassette.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by An old Guy [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

It seems foolish to remove the links if you are not having problems.

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I use the same length of chain on both of my bikes and all of my cassettes - 53/39 and 50/34 cranks; 11-23 to 16-30 cassette.

Conversely, it would seem wise to make simple adjustments that deliver optimum performance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary Hamer [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I've just had a hernia op and fancy having an easier time spinning up the hills to avoid strain, especially as I live in a hilly area.
I currently have 52/42 and have bought a pair of 48/34 cranks.
My question is once I swap it should I just take 4 links out of the chain for the drop from 52 to 48 or will I need to get a longer armed rear derailleur due to the 34 chainring?

Whether you need a short cage or long cage rear derailleur is dependent on what the smallest and largest cogs are on the rear wheel, as well as the number of teeth on each of the chain rings. A quick massaging of numbers shows that you may want to remove one link or maybe two; however, it is entirely possible that you can get by with the chain as it. Leaving it as is will give you more options for cassette gearing.

What kind of bike do you have, and what are the smallest and largest gears on your rear wheel?