[OrRando] cranksets: compact double vs. triple chainring

[joel metz]

ok - more opinionated, and simultaneously vague rambling! :)

*personally*, im quite fond of wide-range double 
chainwheels and 6-speed freewheels. of course, 
this really only works well with old parts - new 
front derailleurs cant handle the big jumps in 
chainwheels (my rando bike is 51/36 currently, 
and my touring bike is 48/44/26), and well, 
6-speed freewheels (which make it possible to 
crossover gears without too much chainline 
lameness) are just old :) but it does mean i can 
mix and match components at will. right now i 
have a huret front derailler, ta cranks, suntour 
rear derailleur and freewheel, and simplex 
shifters. oh, and some chain.

i have downtube shifters on my rando bike, but 
ive no preference between them and barends. i 
havent used sti/ergo for any length of time, but 
my general attitude towards it is that while it 
works great, its more of a racing component than 
a rando one... but you should use whatever 
shifting setup youre most comfortable with, and 
is most auto-pilot for you.

with modern components, id probably run the 
widest-range double i could run with a wide-range 
cassette, unless i was planning lots of really 
hilly stuff, and then i might try the triple with 
reasonably closely paired middle and big 
chainwheels, and a low granny, and less of a 
wide-range freewheel.

i think *any* of the 105/ultegra/dura-ace gruppos 
would be fine - some might say dura ace would be 
overkill, and i might be inclined to agree, but 
hey, no harm in buying the best components you 
can comfortably afford. you certainly dont *need* 
top-end parts - you simply need reliable, proven 
parts, ones that work, and work consistantly - 
which would make a lot of peope point at the 
mid-range gruppos like ultegra and 105 (and 
whatever campy calls their midrange stuff these 
days)

but again, im perfectly happy using used parts - 
heck, a good bit of the stuff on my bike is as 
old as, or older than, i am...

generally most of the pros and cons of most of 
these parts are on a personal level, not 
universal... think about how you might set up a 
touring rig, then think about youd set up a road 
racing rig - and then plop yourself down 
somewhere in the middle, and youve probably got a 
range of decent rando setups to choose from...

-joel


>Thank you for the recent replys regarding frame materials.
>I have a few more questions.
>Shimano compact double vs. triple chainring with STI shifters:
>What are the pros and cons of each?
>All of the bikes that I have tried have Shimano 
>STI shifting 105/Ultegra and some Duraace.
>What level of componentry would you recommend for randonneuring?
>Or are downtube shifters more common?
>
>Thank you,
>
>Rachel
>Portland, OR
>
>
>
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-- 
joel metz  : magpie at blackbirdsf.org :  http://www.blackbirdsf.org/
bike messengers worldwide : ifbma : http://www.messengers.org/
		       portland, oregon
==
           i know what innocence looks like - and it wasn't there,
                                 after she got that bicycle...