Changing to a Compact Crankset



Jan 18, 2006
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I live in a pretty hilly area, and I think it's high time to stop killing myself and invest in a compact crank to replace my Ultegra 9spd regular crankset. The local shops are telling me 3 weeks to order parts and do the replacement. I can get the parts in a couple of days.

Is this something an average do-it-yourself person can do, or is it better left to a bike mechanic?
 
lance_armstrong said:
I live in a pretty hilly area, and I think it's high time to stop killing myself and invest in a compact crank to replace my Ultegra 9spd regular crankset. The local shops are telling me 3 weeks to order parts and do the replacement. I can get the parts in a couple of days.

Is this something an average do-it-yourself person can do, or is it better left to a bike mechanic?
IMO, this is a DIY project ...

BUT, you'll need the correct BB tools.

AND, some say (I tend to disagree) that if you are switching to an External BB that you should have your BB shell faced ...
THAT may be true if you had a 70s vintage-or-before Italian frame -- heck, I suppose some contemporary Italian frames may need prepping!?!

But, most of the other frame marques appear to have been pretty well prepped in the past 20+ years.
Step-by-step "instructions" are available at www.parktool.com and some other sites.

Park Tool would, of course, like you to buy-and-use their tools ... some Park Tools are superior, some are inferior.

BTW. If you don't want to fret over the possibility of needing to have your frame's BB shell faced, then buy a square taper Campagnolo compact crankset & BB ...

I have both Campagnolo 102mm & Token 102mm BBs, and (so far) I'm very pleased with the latter.

If you get a Campagnolo Centaur/Veloce/Mirage square taper crankset, then you would use a different Campagnolo BB which has an asymmetrical 111mm spindle.
 
I totally agree with alfeng. But hey.....if you are Lance Armstrong, why are we telling you this???? You should be telling us:rolleyes:.