can I use front derailleur for standard and compact chainset

elderone

hi,will my front derailleur work with a standard chainset and a compact one without having to reposition it every time I swap chain sets over.
Reason I ask is I want to use a compact for hills normal road and the standard for TTing.
thanks.

47p2

No, the FD will need to be moved up the seat tube when on a standard chainring and down the seat tube when on a compact set

simon_e

Stay with the compact, I'm sure you won't need anything bigger than 50 teeth on the front.

overlord2

Simon E wrote:

Stay with the compact, I'm sure you won't need anything bigger than 50 teeth on the front.

34/50 is a poor crank for TTing. 39/53 is going to give the best gearing options.

simon_e

Overlord2 wrote:

Simon E wrote:

Stay with the compact, I'm sure you won't need anything bigger than 50 teeth on the front.

34/50 is a poor crank for TTing. 39/53 is going to give the best gearing options.

A "poor" crank? Poor advice, more like. How on earth do people with compacts manage to pedal at all? :roll:

Karl is looking to do his first club TT in the spring, he's not chasing course records just yet. In the unlikely event that he finds it is inadequate there's nothing to stop him fitting a larger chainring later.

cycleclinic

Once you develop the fitness for 53/39 you will not go back. 34/50 has me changing rings all the time whereas with 39/53T I can stay in the small ring and spin for a club run. You can climb steep stuff on a standard double I do.

Compacts are cheaper alterntive to triples so they suit more riders than they don't that is why they are popular, nothing wrong with them but for faster riders you be flipping between rings alot or cross chain too much.