Originally Posted by Shilun
1: How much weight can I load on the seat tube? (the Giant Halfway RS has a very long seat tube) I have a beam rack which has a capacity of 10kg. Could I add another to the same tube, or perhaps a Carradice bag at the top of the tube? Would this put too much strain on the tube?
2: I have a Shimano rear derailleur (RD2200) which I want to attach to another folder. The Shimano website says that it is rated at MAX/MIN 26/11. However, it came on a KHS folder (F20) with a 34/11 cassette. Unfortunately, I never put that bike through its paces, so I don't know if the RD could actually reach the 34 cog. Can there really be such a large difference between the recommended max capacity and the actual max capacity?
First, some personal experience with a 105 short cage derailer--I put a 13-30 cassette on my Nova with a 105 short cage derailer. Works fine with a little adjustment to the b-screw. I just followed the advice from Sheldon Brown's webpage.
Second, I thought that part of the maximum and minimum limits are related to using a triple crank in the front and the derailer arm having enough leverage to accomodate a cyclist shifting to small-small and big-big chainring and cog combinations. So if your KHS folder has a single or a double up front, the min/max limits may not be applicable. In the case of the aforementioned Nova, if I try to get into a big-big or small-small chainring-cog combination, the derailer arm swings to an extreme forward or rear position respectively. But in the middle chainring, I can use any cog without any issues.
Third, Sheldon Brown states that the Shimano specifications are very conservative.