# Want to go 46/36/26 or 48/38/28 on my triple....



## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

My triple is a FSA Gossamer MegaExo 2 piece, 52/42/30, with integrated exterior bearing
bottom bracket. Came stock on my 06 Specialized Roubaix. We have seriously long, steep climbs around here, and what's stock ain't cuttin' it. Rear cassette is 9 spd Ultegra 
12-27. Derailleurs Shimano 105. Question: Is it better to just change out the chainrings (and if so, which would you recommend), or just start with a whole new crankset? Thanks in advance.


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## Mdeth1313 (Nov 1, 2001)

Chances are your spider is a 130mm bolt pattern. You need to see if you can get a 48 tooth chainring in 130mm- the 38 is doable, not sure about the 28. 46/36/26 is out- you'd need to look at a 110mm spider, which means, new cranks- and you'd have to make sure its a triple. then you could definitely do either.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*alternatives...*

The better choice in a stock setup is a 53/39/30. At least it provides one more low gear before you have to shift to the little ring. The smallest triple middle ring that FSA sells is a 39T.

If the 30/27 is really not low enough, then a 28T little ring will give you one lower ratio. You could also go down to a 26T, but the 39/26 shift is a pretty big jump that requires a 3-cog shift from the 39/24 to the 26/17 when transitioning to the little ring. 

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=details&sku=CR4028

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=5618&category=1534

http://qbp.smartbikeparts.com/page.cfm?PageID=53&action=details&sku=CR3666

IRD has just introduced a triplizer middle ring for ISIS compact cranks with 110mm bolt circle chainrings. This would allow a 50/36/24 chainring setup, but it would require a whole new crank and BB.

http://www.interlocracing.com/triplizer.html


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## Bob Ross (Apr 18, 2006)

I've often wondered why no one makes a "compact triple". Considering all the endorsements people seem to have for a compact 50/34 double over either a standard 53/39 double or a standard 53/39/30 triple, seems like in really mountainous areas there'd be a lot of use for, say, a 50/34/22.

I spent the previous 10 years doing all my road riding on a Trek 750 Hybrid which essentially had a mountain bike triple chainring: 42/32/22, with 11-28 cassette in back. Top gear was *way* too low to keep up with the roadies on a flat, but I could dust every one of those studs on a steep ascent with one leg tied behind my back. 

Now that I'm riding a road bike w/ compact crank I rarely if ever look back fondly on that decade of spinning dangerously, but I know a lot of weaker but no less enthusiastic riders who would kill for a setup that was unabashedly *easy* to spin uphill.


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## Spunout (Aug 12, 2002)

Compact Triple: Look at a MTB crankset. Isn't this exactly what you're looking for?

Once MTB drivetrains move to 10 speed, you'll have a great solution with a 12-34 out back and an XT RD.


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## Mdeth1313 (Nov 1, 2001)

Bob Ross said:


> I've often wondered why no one makes a "compact triple".


They do, or, did. I have a shimano RSX standard 110mm triple on my loaded touring bike w/ 46/36/26. there should still be some 110mm triples available out there.


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## roadandmountain (Jul 30, 2006)

Since you are 9 speed- you can change the rear cassette, derailluer and chain (will need to be longer) to mountain components- you then have the choice of a 32 or 34 large cog which will be significantly lower gearing than you now have.


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## Al1943 (Jun 23, 2003)

I suggest that you take a look at http://peterwhitecycles.com and http://sheldonbrown.com. Ramped and pinned chain rings are available from TA Alize, and I think IRD.
I replaced my wife's Ultegra rings with TA 49-39-28 (from Sheldon Brown). The big and middle are 130 BCD and the granny is 74 BCD and it is possible to to go below 28. The first problem is adjusting the derailleur low enough if it is a "braze-on" type. I had to deepen the hanger slot on my wife's Trek. This is one reason that I didn't go with smaller rings.
The TA Alize rings are beautifully machined Aluminum alloy but they are thicker than the Trek rings and required a bit of fine tuning to get them to shift just right.

Al


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## Mark McM (Jun 18, 2005)

*Sugino Mity Tour*



Bob Ross said:


> I've often wondered why no one makes a "compact triple".


They do, and have for the last 35 years. The 110mm/74mm bolt pattern was originally introduced by Sugino for their line of touring triple cranks in the early '70s, and were instantly popular. By the late '70s, they had also been adopted for MTBs. They have been in continuous production by Sugino since that time, and have been produced by a slew of other companies over the years, including Shimano, Suntour, Stronglight, Ritchey, Specialized, etc.

By the early part of this decade, touring bicycles were passe, and everyone wanted to be riding a racing bike. Therefore, no one would be caught dead with "touring" cranks on their bikes. So, in order to sell them, manufacturers had to rename them "compact racing cranks". Once the marketers were able to convince the public that they could put these cranks on their bikes and still be racers, they sold like hotcakes.


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*They do and I'm riding it*



Bob Ross said:


> I've often wondered why no one makes a "compact triple". Considering all the endorsements people seem to have for a compact 50/34 double over either a standard 53/39 double or a standard 53/39/30 triple, seems like in really mountainous areas there'd be a lot of use for, say, a 50/34/22.
> 
> I spent the previous 10 years doing all my road riding on a Trek 750 Hybrid which essentially had a mountain bike triple chainring: 42/32/22, with 11-28 cassette in back. Top gear was *way* too low to keep up with the roadies on a flat, but I could dust every one of those studs on a steep ascent with one leg tied behind my back.
> 
> Now that I'm riding a road bike w/ compact crank I rarely if ever look back fondly on that decade of spinning dangerously, but I know a lot of weaker but no less enthusiastic riders who would kill for a setup that was unabashedly *easy* to spin uphill.


Sugino 300 or 600 or Shimano RSX triple 26/36/46 or possibly 26/36/48? At any rate i ordered from Harris cycle the RSX triple and swapped out the 46 ring for an FSA 50t I had laying around, used a 105 triple drivetrain. Square taper crank(both brands) cheap bb. Works great. Running mine on a 7speed drivetrain.


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## UPMICHAEL (Sep 1, 2003)

*MTB cassette*

I run a 53/39/30 DA and 11/32 mtb cassette and XTR rear deraillieur setup. You will have to use a mtb rear derailleur. I use STI shifters.This setup works great. The only thing I don't like is the spacing. But you get use to it. I can't see why this wouldn't work with your FSA up front.


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## Mr. Peabody (Dec 8, 2005)

Doggity said:


> My triple is a FSA Gossamer MegaExo 2 piece, 52/42/30, with integrated exterior bearing
> bottom bracket. Came stock on my 06 Specialized Roubaix. We have seriously long, steep climbs around here, and what's stock ain't cuttin' it. Rear cassette is 9 spd Ultegra
> 12-27. Derailleurs Shimano 105. Question: Is it better to just change out the chainrings (and if so, which would you recommend), or just start with a whole new crankset? Thanks in advance.


I had the same issue with my Shimano triple (130/74? BCD). I changed out the stock 52/42/30 rings for 52/39/26, and I swapped my 12-27 cassette to a mountain 11-32. I too run a long cage 105 RD, and my shifting has worked very well. The folks at my shop were uncertain about the 11-32 cassette with my RD, but it's just fine; you may have to fine tune it a bit for optimal performance though. Hope this helps.


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## snappythomas (Mar 3, 2004)

48/39/26 TA chainrings on my Campy Bianchi. 39 teeth was the smallest chainring that would fit on the 135 mm bolt-circle-diameter crankset.

The only problem is the chain drops between the two bigger chainrings. I am using the Sach chain that Peter White recommends.

I changed the cassette from 13-26 to 13-28. I learned that Marchisio and Cycle Dynamics can sell a larger cog, so I am thinking of using a 30 tooth cog. Marchisio has no ramps (according to another thread here). Cycle Dynamics is titanium--no prices on the website and they have not returned my email from yesterday.


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## Al1943 (Jun 23, 2003)

snappythomas said:


> The only problem is the chain drops between the two bigger chainrings. I am using the Sach chain that Peter White recommends.


That was the problem with my wife's 49-39-28 TA rings. If the chain was on the smallest or next to smallest cassette cog and if she shifted from the big chainring to the middle the chain would not drom over the teeth on the middle ring. I corrected this by adding a 1.5mm bottom bracket spacer between the BB and the frame to move the chainline out slightly. But it was also necessary to file a slight bevel on the inside of all of the teeth on the middle chainring. This let the chain drop over the teeth. (The Shimano teeth are beveled on both sides.) Now it shifts very well. The alluminum alloy is soft and it didn't take long to make the corrections.

Al


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## al0 (Jan 24, 2003)

Nothing maybe easier Shimano has so-called "trekking" versions of cranks (48-36-26) in Deora, Deora LX and (as far as I can remember) Deora XT groups.

Buy one of them, they are relatevely cheap and not at all bad (Deora costs in Germany around 35 EUR, LX around 75 EUR, hoppefully US prices are comparable).

BTW, LX and XT have external bearing, Deora exists in to versions - square taper and Octalink (cost 10 EUR more).

I use Deora for 2 years quit successfuly (with 11-21 cassete:aureola: ).



Doggity said:


> My triple is a FSA Gossamer MegaExo 2 piece, 52/42/30, with integrated exterior bearing
> bottom bracket. Came stock on my 06 Specialized Roubaix. We have seriously long, steep climbs around here, and what's stock ain't cuttin' it. Rear cassette is 9 spd Ultegra
> 12-27. Derailleurs Shimano 105. Question: Is it better to just change out the chainrings (and if so, which would you recommend), or just start with a whole new crankset? Thanks in advance.


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## Metaluna (Aug 26, 2005)

I'm running a Sugino XD600 48/36/26 on my Surly Cross-Check w/ an 11-32 cassette and a Deore XT long cage rapid rise in back. The FD is currently a Campy Mirage 9sp triple (previously using a Tiagra double FD, which I actually think I might put back on). Shifting with Dura-Ace bar-ends is like butta, though for some reason the triple FD seems to need more frequent trimming than the double. Probably needs some adjustment.


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## BarryG (Jul 5, 2004)

I'd just go with a 12-32 or 13-32 rear cluster. That's what I've got on one bike with a 52/42/30 up front and 105 RD. The 105 RD handles it with no problems.


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## snappythomas (Mar 3, 2004)

Thanks greatly, Al. I suppose I could look at a Shimano chainring and get an idea what the proportions of a bevel would be (but do it on the inside). Now I am off to find a BB spacer.

Funny is that I made my girlfriend's bike "about the same" with 47/39/24 TA rings and it doesn't have that chain problem. Her chain is Campagnolo, as was mine when my bike first got this problem.


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