Bicycle Mechanics - New IF, Component Compatibility Question

My new IF Club Racer is (hopefully) being created - scheduled for a late August delivery.

This is going to be a Brevet / Light Touring rig, with potential for heavier touring with a trailer.

I've recently switched my current bike to a compact double. I'm planning on using this on the IF, but I was wondering about comaptibility of the following components: (I'm currently riding Ultegra, minus the compact double, I still have the long cage rear)

1. Thinking of going to Campy Chorus or Record brifters. (maybe SRAM?)
2. I'll have a Ritchey Pro compact crank 50-34
3. Long reach Shimano brakes (for larger tires / fender clearance)
4. Was thinking about using a SRAM or Shimano MT rear derailer - for the option of going to a larger cassette. My typical cassette will be a 9 spd 12 -26 - I'd like the option of going to a 11-34 or 13-30, and understand that a regular road derailer can't do this. (or maybe a Sheldon Brown Cyclotouriste 14...)

I'll assume the Campy will work fine with the cranks. I've seen plenty of compacts with a mix of components.

I'll assume that the brifters will work fine with the Shimano long reach brakes. (any other makers out there?)

I'm not sure about the rear...

... and if the rear doesn't work, I'll assume I can swap the front rings to get a better range for touring.

(off to the gear calculator I go...)


Any thoughts? Issues with this approach?

I'm not averse to a triple - but I just swapped it out for the compact, as I found I rarely used it - and that the compact gives me a greater range that I feel more comfortable in...

If you go with the Campy brifter, you will need a Shiftmate for the Shimano derailleur or, if you use a Campy derailleur, a Shiftmate for a Shimano drivetrain (model 3 for the first case, model 1 for the second, see http://www.jtekengineering.com/shiftmate.htm). I set up a road bike with a compact front (Truvativ) and Shimano cassette, Campy Chorus derailleur and brifter, all 10-speed, and it works fine.

My new IF Club Racer is (hopefully) being created - scheduled for a late August delivery.

3. Long reach Shimano brakes (for larger tires / fender clearance)

I'm wondering about the brakes. "Club Racer" doesn't sound to me like the description of a frame that needs long reach brakes. If you are having a frame built that has clearance for fenders and larger tires you may well need long reach brakes but you can't just plug long reach brakes onto a tight race frame to improve tire clearance.

I'm wondering about the brakes. "Club Racer" doesn't sound to me like the description of a frame that needs long reach brakes. If you are having a frame built that has clearance for fenders and larger tires you may well need long reach brakes but you can't just plug long reach brakes onto a tight race frame to improve tire clearance.

It's built around the long reach brakes... (http://ifbikes.com/frames2/steelclubracer.shtml)

Mine won't be steel, but Ti.

The Club Racer is an audax-randonneuring style bike built for fenders and other all-weather over-the-road gear. It uses long-reach brakes for that reason.

The Club Racer is an audax-randonneuring style bike built for fenders and other all-weather over-the-road gear. It uses long-reach brakes for that reason.

Yup. That's precisely why I'm having it built.

Sounds like a lovely bike.

Why are you changing the shifters? Campy is great, just don't know why you'd go to the trouble if you're not converting the derailers and cassette.

Brakes, long reach - good stuff. Fenders - good stuff. Sidepull brakes with fenders, not such good stuff. Too often modern sidepulls don't really have the lateral clearance for fenders.

There are a couple of good options, though. 1) NOS Mafac centerpulls (as light as Record or Dura-Ace w/ good stopping power) - but they're a ***** to adjust the brake shoes properly; 2) Paul copies of Mafac either centerpull or cantilever; 3) Tektro/Shimano/Cane Creek cantilevers. Numbers 2 and 3 offer several options for very attractive and up to date brakes that function well and easily fit fenders.

Don't worry about the cranks - they'll work. Don't worry about the front derailer - normal 2-speed front derailers work fine on compact cranks.

Chainring shifts are almost always double shifts (one direction on the front derailer followed by the opposite direction on the rear) because of the wide range between chainrings. For this reason, I like having a 10 speed cassette. The bottom 9 cogs work with the small chainring, and the top 9 cogs with the big chainring. Using a 13-27 cassette, I have enough overlap between the ranges that chainring changes can be limited - thus limiting the frequency of double shifts. A 9 speed cassette will do, but a 10 speed is that much better IMHO.

Have fun with it.

If you want to stay all Campy, there is a Veloce cantilever brakeset. As of this year, there is also a flat-bar shifter/brake set too.

Sounds like a lovely bike.

Why are you changing the shifters? Campy is great, just don't know why you'd go to the trouble if you're not converting the derailers and cassette.

Brakes, long reach - good stuff. Fenders - good stuff. Sidepull brakes with fenders, not such good stuff. Too often modern sidepulls don't really have the lateral clearance for fenders.

There are a couple of good options, though. 1) NOS Mafac centerpulls (as light as Record or Dura-Ace w/ good stopping power) - but they're a ***** to adjust the brake shoes properly; 2) Paul copies of Mafac either centerpull or cantilever; 3) Tektro/Shimano/Cane Creek cantilevers. Numbers 2 and 3 offer several options for very attractive and up to date brakes that function well and easily fit fenders.



Have fun with it.

I'm not changing shifters, I'm investigating switching to new ones. I'd go with a Campy rear derailer, but I don't know if they offer anything that would give me the capacity of a mountain derailer. I've test ridden Chorus, and like how they feel. I also like that there are no cables dangling out in front - it will make a handlebar bag easier to mount. The option of being able to rebuild them is interesting - not sure if it is practical, but interesting.

I'd change the cassettes too, but I have 3 wheelsets that live in Shimano land, and I'd like to swap between bikes. I've read the 9 spd Shimano and Campy spacing is the same, or very close, so it should all work. (going to field test this with my wheels on a bike from my LBS)

I'm wondering if there is anything within the rear der. that would not allow it to work with another brand of shifter. I've looked at the J-Tec shiftmate as an option as well.

These are the brakes I'm planning on...

http://www.awcycles.co.uk/smsimg/41/1338brr600.jpg


Anyway - I won't see the frame until August 22. (can't wait) Hopefully I'll have all the parts and me anf the LBS will have fun putting it all together.

Do the JTek. I set up a road bike with Campy derailleurs and a DA drivetrain for the same reasons. The JTek makes it work well.