Brazeon FD and Smaller Chainrings?

David White said:

I have recently purchased a 1990's Merckx bicycle and would like to
build it up with a 48x34 chainset. However, the frame includes a brazeon
front derailleur and I understand that these typically do not permit the
derailleur to slide down far enough to accomodate such small chainrings.
Short of cutting off the brazeon and employing a clamp on front
derailleur, does anyone have any suggestions or know of some adapter?

Just remove it.

No extreme measures, just file it carefully so as not to
remove any metal from the seat tube. Touch up the paint and
use a clamped changer.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

white

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have recently purchased a 1990's Merckx bicycle and would like to
build it up with a 48x34 chainset.
However, the frame includes a brazeon front derailleur
and I understand that these typically do not permit the derailleur to slide
down far enough to accomodate such small chainrings.

Peter Chisholms wisely asked:

Quoted message said:

Have ya tried it? I have installed a 50/34 and braze-on and it still had room
to lower it further.

Good point. If you do the math, you'll see that for every 2 teeth off
the big ring, the derailer only needs to move down 1/?" (8 mm.)

However, as I've said before, front derailer braze-ons are the work of
SATAN!

Sheldon "Try Before You Buy" Brown
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Sheldon Brown said:

Good point. If you do the math, you'll see that for every 2 teeth off
the big ring, the derailer only needs to move down 1/?" (8 mm.)

4mm, not 8mm.

Tom Ace

Sheldon Brown said:

However, as I've said before, front derailer braze-ons are the work of
SATAN!

I knew some guy who insisted on having a braze-on FD mount on his custom
Reynolds 753 frame. Sure enough, a couple months later the seat tube
failed at that point. (Yes, the builder was 753 certified).

--

-John ([email hidden])

Frequently a braze on will permit you to get the front derailleur low
enough. Sometimes a little filing at the bottom of the slot works.
OR, get a 50t chainring.

David White said:

I have recently purchased a 1990's Merckx bicycle and would like to build it up
with a 48x34 chainset. However, the frame includes a brazeon front derailleur
and I understand that these typically do not permit the derailleur to slide
down far enough to accomodate such small chainrings. Short of cutting off the
brazeon and employing a clamp on front derailleur, does anyone have any
suggestions or know of some adapter? Thanks in advance for your help.