Thanks, Peter. The 52-38 combo is one I've alway liked on doubles, probably because it is about alll a short cage RD will handle with a 26 or 28T large cog on the rear (a Simplex Crtierium or SLJ handles this better than a Campy NR). The ability to use a 52-38 is one reason I've always liked Stronglight and Zeus better than Campy NR/SR.Since I'm now in Houston, which is pretty flat, I'm relactant to go to a smaller outside ring. The 28T ring is intended as a granny, that will only be used on hills not encountered in the immediate Houston area. Would it do any good at all to go to a 32T inner, or is reducing the gap between middle and outer the only way to improve things?
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Houston, TX
> The FD is to high to shift from the 28 to the 38. Its height is determined
> by the 52 tooth outer ring and that forces it too far from the 38 to be
> effective. Either change the outer to a 48 or change the middle to a 42
and
> you should be fine.
>
> The inner plate of the FD just doesn't drop down far enough to control the
> chain from the 28 to the 38. It's not the fault of the TA crank. It's the
> choice of chainring sizes that's the problem.
>
> Peter Jon White
> Peter White Cycles
> 24 Hall Rd.
> Hillsborough, NH 03244
> 603 478 0900 Phone
> 603 478 0902 Phax
> http://www.PeterWhiteCycles.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "jerrymoos" <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
> To: <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2003 7:00 PM
> 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