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46-36 CX chainset on a road bike?

keef66keef66 Posts: 13,123
edited June 2014 in Road buying advice
Anyone have any experience of fitting a CX chainset to a road bike with a braze-on FD mount? I'm considering trying it since with each passing year I'm using the 50 and 53 chainrings on my bikes less and less. 46 / 36 chainrings sound like they'd give me more useful ratios.

Just wondering if the slot in the braze-on mount will allow the FD to sit low enough?

Posts

  • Monty DogMonty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I'm afraid you won't know until you try - you might get away with it or need to Dremel the bottom of the slot. Worst case scenario is fitting a 48 tooth chainring. I ride my CX race bike with 46x36 for training duties - you might appreciate the 48 ring on long downhills too unless you enjoy spinning like fury.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,025
    I am currently running my FD cage a couple of cm away from the big ring teeth, which is a capital sin, but it works flawlessly...
    left the forum March 2023
  • keef66keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Round here there's not very much in the way of long downhills, and should I encounter one I'd probably take a breather and freewheel.

    I'm now favouring my plan B; stick the triple on the carbon / summer bike with the braze-on mount (I know that works cos I've done it before) and put the CX chainset on the alu winter / wet weather bike which has a band-on adapter for the front mech, and a round, parallel seat tube so It will go as low as required.

    Actually that makes a lot more sense!
  • jezzpalmerjezzpalmer Posts: 389
    The FD would sit higher in the slot on a 36 tooth ring than on a 34, so can't see a problem.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,025
    jezzpalmer wrote:
    The FD would sit higher in the slot on a 36 tooth ring than on a 34, so can't see a problem.

    The problem is the 46...
    left the forum March 2023
  • jezzpalmerjezzpalmer Posts: 389
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    jezzpalmer wrote:
    The FD would sit higher in the slot on a 36 tooth ring than on a 34, so can't see a problem.

    The problem is the 46...

    Yeah I see that now.

    My missus has a CX bike with 36/46, I can measure the FD height tonight if that'll be any use?
  • keef66keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Don't worry; I think I'm just going to buy the thing and see which bike I'm going to be able to fit it to. Exciting stuff!
  • maddog 2maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    +1

    smallest I can run without the sin of a big cage2ring gap is 48t
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
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