crankset upgrade question - Ritchey / Campy

Oz said:

I have a Mondonico Futera Legero, an Italian steel road bike. My
current setup is full Campy Chorus, at least the drive train, gearing
portion. I am interested in converting from the current 30/42/52 &
11-23 (9) gearing to a compact, possibly the Ritchey Pro or WCS, 34-50,
and keep the same cassette.

My question is compatibility. Will such a change work. I'm assuming
that I will need to swap the BB with the cranset. What other
components will require replacement? Will the Campy 9 spd chain
(fairly new) still work? Will I have to swap the Campy triple front
derailleur, or be able to get by? If I had to change it, to what? A
Campy double?

Clearly the chain of upgades could become nearly endless, and I'll just
can the whole idea if this leads to a full gears to shifters changeout.

BTW, 2 linked-together motivations for contemplating this: I'm not a
great hill climber and here in NW Missouri (KC area) we have a few
hills. I've been wanting to simply the chainline from the triple to the
double for improved mechanics (I get occasional rubbing in non-extreme
combinations) but my thinking is that the compact would retain the hill
ratios while getting down to 2 rings.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated - anyone done this?

Thanks
Oz Woermann

Change crankset and bottombracket. That's all.
My Campy triple FD works fine with my Campy 48-34 Compact crankset.

Lou
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Posted by news://news.nb.nu

Oz said:

I have a Mondonico Futera Legero, an Italian steel road bike. My
current setup is full Campy Chorus, at least the drive train, gearing
portion. I am interested in converting from the current 30/42/52 &
11-23 (9) gearing to a compact, possibly the Ritchey Pro or WCS, 34-50,
and keep the same cassette.

My question is compatibility. Will such a change work. I'm assuming
that I will need to swap the BB with the cranset.

yes

What other

Quoted message said:

components will require replacement?

No other components, all else will work fine.

Will the Campy 9 spd chain

Quoted message said:

(fairly new) still work? Will I have to swap the Campy triple front
derailleur, or be able to get by? If I had to change it, to what? A
Campy double?

Nope, use the FD, it'll work fine and dandy-again, put on the crank/BB,
lower FD-go ride.

Quoted message said:

Clearly the chain of upgades could become nearly endless, and I'll just
can the whole idea if this leads to a full gears to shifters changeout.

BTW, 2 linked-together motivations for contemplating this: I'm not a
great hill climber and here in NW Missouri (KC area) we have a few
hills. I've been wanting to simply the chainline from the triple to the
double for improved mechanics (I get occasional rubbing in non-extreme
combinations) but my thinking is that the compact would retain the hill
ratios while getting down to 2 rings.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated - anyone done this?

Thanks
Oz Woermann

Oz said:

I have a Mondonico Futera Legero, an Italian steel road bike. My
current setup is full Campy Chorus, at least the drive train, gearing
portion. I am interested in converting from the current 30/42/52 &
11-23 (9) gearing to a compact, possibly the Ritchey Pro or WCS, 34-50,
and keep the same cassette.

My question is compatibility. Will such a change work. I'm assuming
that I will need to swap the BB with the cranset. What other
components will require replacement? Will the Campy 9 spd chain
(fairly new) still work? Will I have to swap the Campy triple front
derailleur, or be able to get by? If I had to change it, to what? A
Campy double?

Clearly the chain of upgades could become nearly endless, and I'll just
can the whole idea if this leads to a full gears to shifters changeout.

BTW, 2 linked-together motivations for contemplating this: I'm not a
great hill climber and here in NW Missouri (KC area) we have a few
hills. I've been wanting to simply the chainline from the triple to the
double for improved mechanics (I get occasional rubbing in non-extreme
combinations) but my thinking is that the compact would retain the hill
ratios while getting down to 2 rings.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated - anyone done this?

Thanks
Oz Woermann

It is very hilly in your area. Bob Burns runs the 200k brevet from the
Liberty Perkins to Platte City and back. Last Saturday. Two Saturdays
from now, 4/8, the 300k brevet goes from the Liberty Perkins to Albany
and back. Via Plattsburg and Stewartsville. Many fine hills on these
long rides.

Your current 30x21 is roughly equivalent to your proposed lowest gear
of 34x23. You will lose one low gear, 30x23, with this switch. So you
will have fewer hill climbing gears. To get more hill climbing gears
you can either put a 28 or 26 inner chainring on your Chorus triple, or
switch to the 110mm bcd crankset AND get a 13-28 cassette.

I have the triple Centaur crankset, 52-42-30, with 111mm bottom bracket
and only get chainring-chain rubbing in the inner ring and smallest
rear cog, 30x13. None at all in any combination with the 42 middle
ring.

Cool. Thanks for all the replies. So... into the details. If I get say,
the Ritchey Pro Compact 34/50, keep my chain, cassette, FD, RD, etc.
and just change out the BB - to what? The info for the crankset says
it needs "Shimano Dura-Ace / Ultegra Octalink spline compatible" - I
assume that means a standard length spindle? and that that BB will fit
ok on my Italian bicyclette? Is there a std thread type that makes
them interchangeable?

Thanks
Oz

Oz said:

Cool. Thanks for all the replies. So... into the details. If I get say,
the Ritchey Pro Compact 34/50, keep my chain, cassette, FD, RD, etc.
and just change out the BB - to what? The info for the crankset says
it needs "Shimano Dura-Ace / Ultegra Octalink spline compatible" - I
assume that means a standard length spindle? and that that BB will fit
ok on my Italian bicyclette? Is there a std thread type that makes
them interchangeable?

Thanks
Oz

Octalink only comes in a double length (109.5mm) and a triple length
(118.5mm). The Ritchey crank was almost certainly designed to use the
standard Octalink double bottom bracket length. Just like all of the
ISIS double cranks are designed to use the 108mm ISIS bottom bracket.
Just get one of the road bike models, Ultegra or 105. $20-$40 at
Nashbar.

This one at Nashbar even mentions Ritchey cranks.
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=73&subcategory=1096&brand=&sku=15666&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

As for whether your Mondonico frame takes English or Italian bottom
bracket threading, I don't know. I'd guess Italian. Guess. Not sure
if the Octalink bottom brackets were made in Italian threading or if
you can still get them in Italian since they have not been made for a
year or two now.

Quoted message said:

Oz said:

Cool. Thanks for all the replies. So... into the details. If I get say,
the Ritchey Pro Compact 34/50, keep my chain, cassette, FD, RD, etc.
and just change out the BB - to what? The info for the crankset says
it needs "Shimano Dura-Ace / Ultegra Octalink spline compatible" - I
assume that means a standard length spindle? and that that BB will fit
ok on my Italian bicyclette? Is there a std thread type that makes
them interchangeable?

Thanks
Oz

Octalink only comes in a double length (109.5mm) and a triple length
(118.5mm). The Ritchey crank was almost certainly designed to use the
standard Octalink double bottom bracket length. Just like all of the
ISIS double cranks are designed to use the 108mm ISIS bottom bracket.
Just get one of the road bike models, Ultegra or 105. $20-$40 at
Nashbar.

This one at Nashbar even mentions Ritchey cranks.
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=73&subcategory=1096&brand=&sku=15666&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

As for whether your Mondonico frame takes English or Italian bottom
bracket threading, I don't know. I'd guess Italian. Guess. Not sure
if the Octalink bottom brackets were made in Italian threading or if
you can still get them in Italian since they have not been made for a
year or two now.

All Mondonicos are the superior Italian threading. Italian threaded BBs
in ISIS, hollowtechll and octalink easy to find.