fyi, john is an asshole. so take everything he slams with a grain of salt? he may just be trying to evoke mild displeasure but it always comes out as a firebreathing rant.

i've got just the thing for you, btw, some older 180mm xtr cranks that i'm looking to offload on the cheaper side. square taper spindle, great condition!

he may just be trying to evoke mild displeasure but it always comes out as a firebreathing rant.

love to see those 180's as right now i'm trying to track down at leat 175's for my other two bikes.

and who makes stock 180mm cranks? I'm yet to see them readily available anywhere and seriously thought they were a thing of myth.[/url]

so the other night while drinking at the CIP with the R+E boys, I started talking about my next build, well mostly asking about the campy race triple crankset.

to my amazement big John just about totally dissed pretty much all campy cranks and told me to go with either the FSA gossamer or energy compact and fuck the whole triple idea. and then sometime when I had more cash to burn upgrade to the ceramic mega-exp BB.

anybody here pushing FSA cranks that can provide more feedback? this is going on a light tourer/commuter. most likely the 66cm soma smoothie es frameset.

It is funny that R+E would dis Campagnolo.

After all they are a Campy Pro Shop! It is in thier contract that they will promote Campagnolo over other brands!

www.campagnolo.com/proshop.php

Maybe they need their sticker removed!

anybody here pushing FSA cranks that can provide more feedback? this is going on a light tourer/commuter. most likely the 66cm soma smoothie es frameset.

If you are interested in a double then find a 86mm or 94mm BCD crank that can be run as a double. These will let you get gearing like 44/28. Combine that with a 12-32 cassette and you have a double with the same range as many triples. There aren't many new cranks that will let you go this way though. White Industries has one, and the new Surly cranks might allow it.

Is there any reason you couldn't use a 110/74 triple like the Sugino XD 500 and run it as two single rings? That would give you any range you particularly like (down to 24 teeth or so). Heck you could put a bash guard as your outer ring.

Is there any reason you couldn't use a 110/74 triple like the Sugino XD 500 and run it as two single rings? That would give you any range you particularly like (down to 24 teeth or so). Heck you could put a bash guard as your outer ring.

The primary reason that I see for running a double is to get a lower tread (Q-factor, crank width).

Chainline and Q factor would be an issue. Using the middle and granny position would have the rings too far inboard. If you used a wider BB you would also be moving the crank arms even further apart.

Actually, I'd argue the main reason is that doubles shift better. I seem to be insensitive to Q-factor.

I'm running that crank as a double currently, it just requires a 110mm instead of a 113mm BB. It's really not that huge a difference (to me).

I suppose it depends primarily on how cost sensitive one is. The XD 500 is dirt cheap.

Chainline and Q factor would be an issue. Using the middle and granny position would have the rings too far inboard. If you used a wider BB you would also be moving the crank arms even further apart. I am finding that I am noticing the 170mm Q-factor on my Sugino XD600 cranks on my Trucker.

You are lucky. Many of us aren't.

I disagree that doubles shift better, especially if they are setup with a very wide range. A triple 46/36/24 with no shift ramps shifts very well because the changes are fairly small. You also end up with no massive cadence shifts. A 46/28 double doesn't shift so well because that is a 18t change between rings. A 44/28 double shifts pretty well, but not as well as the triple. The reduced range is worth is to me to get the lower tread. With SR copies of Stronglight 99 cranks you get a tread of under 140mm. With Ritchey 94mm BCD double cranks you get a tread of just under 150mm (using a 103mm bottom bracket -- with a 98mm bottom bracket it would be in the lower 140mm range and give a better chainline).

I don't use STI, the world is different with indexed front shifting. My shifting comments are based on barend or downtube shifters with and without chainring ramps and pins.

You'll get a better chainline with a BB around 107mm.

When you can find them 86mm BCD cranks tend to be free or close to it. No one except for me likes them.

You can do it. My Surly is set up with a Shimano Deore DX group that I pulled just the small chainring off of and run as a double. You do have to run a shorter BB spindle, but otherwise it's no different and my chainline is great.

That limits you to a 34t small ring.

I'll be at WLC but can't make the ride due to a show at the triple door.

I don't think this is an issue, but that is because of cassettes offering 32 and 34 tooth options now. I don't tour, or like anyone who does, but it seems like 1:1 is pretty shallow to me. But then again, I don't carry a ton of extra stuff about with me and go for long pointless rides.

anybody here pushing FSA cranks that can provide more feedback? this is going on a light tourer/commuter. most likely the 66cm soma smoothie es frameset.

It is funny that R+E would dis Campagnolo.

After all they are a Campy Pro Shop! It is in thier contract that they will promote Campagnolo over other brands!

www.campagnolo.com/proshop.php

Maybe they need their sticker removed!