swapping from a double to a compact

mr_sj

im about to swap over my standard double chainset to a compact as im struggling a little with the hills ! i know how to remove the old chainset and install the new one but questiojn is once installed do i need to change anything else on teh bike ?

will gears need to be altered at all and will chain length need to be shortened ?

sorry if its a stupid question but never used a compact before :?

nochekmate

Need to shorten chain length and drop the front mech down accordingly.

mr_sj

thats great, thanks !

jejv

Check that the new and old chainsets use the same length of bottom bracket. If they don't, you probably need a new bottom bracket as well.

Secteur

I'm no expert, but I do all my own maintenance, but I reckon for such a big job it's not something you should do yourself unless you know exactly what you're doing... having said that some people have a natural aptitude for this sort of stuff!

Whatever you do, good luck!

I use a triple and I am not ashamed to say I often use the granny ring as it's very hilly where I live. I have to say that I use it much less than I did, but there's at least 5 20% hills within a mile or two of my house, and I wouldn't manage them without it!

mr_sj

thanks for the advice, im swapping from an ultegra standard double to another ultegra compact and i use an ultegra bb, so im hoping that all should swap over fine. if i have any probs i'll nip along to my lbs but i'll give it a go !

jejv

mr_sj wrote:

thanks for the advice, im swapping from an ultegra standard double to another ultegra compact and i use an ultegra bb, so im hoping that all should swap over fine. if i have any probs i'll nip along to my lbs but i'll give it a go !

I expect you'll be fine.

nmcgann

mr_sj wrote:

thanks for the advice, im swapping from an ultegra standard double to another ultegra compact and i use an ultegra bb, so im hoping that all should swap over fine. if i have any probs i'll nip along to my lbs but i'll give it a go !

You are probably not going to have an easier swap than that. Drop the front mech a fraction and maybe remove a chain link (but try it as-is first).

mr_sj

will do, should arrive in the post today so will let you all know how i get on and off out for a decent ride to test it out tomorrow