Back when I was a kid who was desperate to learn about bicycles , and I was finally able to lay my hands on some written material about bicycles , in the early 1970's . . .
And then as I read everything written about bicycles , which happened to cross my path . . .
It was before anyone seemed to have heard of these "brand new" 6-speed freewheels .
Now , I know that there were a very-very few 6-speed freewheels out there , much earlier than I would have imagined . But at the time , it seemed to us as if we had a few years of learning about 5-speed freewheels , before the 6-speed freewheels were "invented" .
So , way back when , with nice bicycles each having 2 chainrings up front , and 5-speed freewheels out back , we all knew the rule .
Even with a touring bicycle , with longer chainstays , we all knew the rule .
Using the extreme combinations , of small-small , or of big-big , with the chain forced to endure maximum deflection , was . . .
FORBIDDEN !!!!
So said "The Authorities" .
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
> I know most of the literature says don't use the small-small or big-big
> combinations. Doesn't this generally refer to triples and/or modern bikes
> with wider spacing? I would think that on bikes in the CR timeframe, with
> double chainrings, cross-chaining would not be as big of an issue, unless
> the chainstays were really short.
>
> I only have 12 speeds, I'd like to use them all.
>
> Marcus Helman
> Huntington Woods, MI