[CR]Cyclotourist

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing:Columbus)

From: "jerrymoos" <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
To: <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <20030831173456.NRRQ10125.pop016.verizon.net@localhost>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 18:00:36 -0500
Subject: [CR]Cyclotourist

I've just gotten my new Bates frame built up sufficiently to road test (still need to install racks, mudguards, etc.). This is the first bike I've actually built up with a triple (finally conceding to age). I've used a TA Cyclotourist triple 52-38-28, Campy Rally RD, Simplex SLJ Triple FR, and Sachs Aris 13-28 6-speed FW. Even with the long-cage Rally, when I shorten the chain enough to just keep it from going slack on the 28x13, it is very difficult to shift onto the 28T rear cog when on the 52T chainring. More annoying, although shifting down to a smaller chainring works smoothly, and shifting between the 52 and 38 in either direction is no problem, it seems completely impossible to upshift from the 28T chainring to the 38T middle ring. I always wind up having to shift from the 28 all the way up to the 52, then down to the 38. Normally, I'd try to toe out the back end of the FR to try to lift the chain a little better off the small ring, but one cannot do this except to a tiny extent, due the the Cyclotourist crankarm's infamous lack of FR clearance, i.e. if you toe out the back of the FR, it will hit the crankarm when on the large ring. It was exactly this feature of the Cyclotourist that caused TA to lose their early dominance in mountain bikes to the Japanese.

Am I doing something wrong, or is this just an inherent limitation of the Cyclotourist/ Simplex SLJ combo? Anyone have a guess how large a small chain ring I'd have to go to to shift smoothly (or at least shift) up to the 38T middle?

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Houston, TX