DIMcyclist

Hello Everyone,

I'm spec'ing the parts for my upcoming 650b Toei restoration, and was hoping to garner some opinions about some potential cranksets (all triples). I was originally planning to transfer a Sugino XD600 to the Toei from my trusty old Trek; while it is a tad scuffed (and aesthetically maybe not the best for this project), it's still in nice shape and re-using it appeals to my more frugal & practical side. That said, the experimenter in me would really dig using a triplized Sugino GP-130, and the aesthete is keen on using an Ultegra 6503 (or a similar 105/ 5505). Another part of me is kinda keen on using a Shimano 105/ 1055 SC gruppo... Or maybe even RX100.

Nothing's going to happen anytime soon, but if it were you, which route would you take? Any suggestions?

eschlwc

i would polish the scuffed one. deanodize first if necessary.

Pawlus

Really depends on your budget and how much love for this project you have. If you were going nuts with other parts choices and are going for aesthetic go with Ultegra. If it's supposed to be practical bike that gets a lot of riding and touring go with cranks you already have as you'll certainly be happy with them. If you decide to polish them, they will look good too.

Road Fan

I would start by just using watcha got first and see how much you like to ride it. Then decide where to go.

steelbikeguy

I don't think there is a perfect answer, but since you are considering triples, I would suggest considering the Sugino AT crank. It uses 110mm BCD for the big rings and 74mm BCD for the small ring.

I've got these on two bikes. On one, I have it set up as a half-step-plus-granny, and on the other, it is set up as a compact double.




Steve in Peoria

The Golden Boy 

I've been going through a lot of this crankset internal discussion...

I think the big thing is that it's a 110/74. That gives you all the choices in rings.

The next thing is the crank length... all my "road" bikes have been 170- that's what I know- but there are some great triples with 175s... I'm actually considering swapping a 175 crankset onto a bike- just to see if it'll work for me- it's just 5mm...but it's 5mm.

Then there's the "pretty." I don’t like the modern look of the XD600. It's probably the least offensive modern crankset, but I guess I'd want a vintage looking one. I've always thought of the Sugino AT as "ubiquitous" but the more I look at it- that was the best triple. It's a beautiful piece that'll shine up nice- and he logo is engraved, not screened on to wipe off- and it's so gracefully designed. But for as nice as it looks, it's ALL business.

jeirvine 

Toei restoration without pics? That's a major ethics violation right there.

TenGrainBread 

IRD's Defiant triple looks awesome (110/74).

The Golden Boy 

But the 74 is mounted off the middle ring, not the crank arms- it’s effectively a 110 double with a triplizer mounted to it.

3speedslow

Outside choice on your suggestions, the RX100. Nice looking and functional.

What is the drivetrain going to be?

ThermionicScott 

I'm with @Road Fan, use whatever you've got.

At the risk of tweaking a few noses, I think that 130/74 triples are perfectly fine and underrated. You can use a middle ring as small as 38T, which is great for all-around riding, and shifts nicely to a 48T big ring and 28T granny. Many classic 110/74 triples never even made use of the smaller BCD.

DIMcyclist

Thanks for your input, everyone; it's helped me narrow down my choices.

It'll be a two-year project (I'm meticulous in my work) and it's still in the planning-stage. So far, I've written a letter for Toei-sha that my friend is still in the process of translating... That- and a pile of paint swatches- is about as far as things have progressed.

You know, I actually considered the RX100... I've always been fond of the A550 group. As for the drivetrain, that's still up in the air; likely 7-speed, though. Possibly 8. Chainrings will likely be 48/38/28, but I may go with slightly larger set with a 50t top ring.

Beyond that, with the exception of a (miraculously mint) Ideal TB75 saddle, I plan to keep it JIS & as Japanese as possible.

Interestingly, I had exactly that setup on my 650b-converted Univega Rover (there should still be some pictures of it somewhere on the Forum): a triplized Sugino GP130 with 48/38/28 rings; it was an terrific crankset and I liked that gearing.

Agreed that there isn't a perfect answer; we're none of us perfect. The AT really is a good suggestion; the RT as well, but for different reasons. The spaces in the AT crank & rings have the subliminal effect of a cherry blossom; I don't think you can get more Japanese than that.

Dfrost 

I have a Sugino AT (170mm arms) in nice shape that I'm not using. No photos ATM. Pretty sure I've got chain rings in the sizes mentioned (48/50-38-28), but no bottom bracket long enough for this beauty. PM me if that sounds interesting and I'll take some photos of the arms and possible rings. We can talk about price when we figure out what combination would help fill your need.

ThermionicScott 

"Before" pictures would be welcome, too, but if you're one of those guys who likes to wait until the end to unveil the progress, I can understand.

I dunno if you've heard this yet, but I've got a fondness for RX100 myself. My '91 Bianchi Eros, being an entry/mid-level sport-tourer, came to me with a mix of RX100 (brakes, shift levers, hubs, and pedals) and Deore LX (derailleurs and triple crank), and over time, I replaced all the Deore stuff with RX100 to get a complete group going. It's not a flashy or super-light group, but solid and dependable. The only RX100 parts that I did away with were the RX100/A550 pedals with the fragile resin toe cages -- those cages are tough to source now, and I'm a clipless guy anyway.

Dfrost 

Steve in Peoria,

Think I've got someone interested in buying my AT crankset. What length BB did you use for the triple, and what is the resulting chainline?

steelbikeguy

I use a Shimano UN71 (UN72?) that is 127mm. It's still a bit shy of getting the granny ring clear of the BB shell, so I add a spacer (3mm?) under the RH cup. The chainline is whatever it is, but seems to work fine with the 135mm rear wheel and the 7 and 8 speed cassettes that I use.

This bike was built up around the year 2000, and I haven't had to change BB's yet, hence my poor memory regarding the details. It only has 35,000 miles on it, so it's probably just getting broken in.

Steve in Peoria

The Golden Boy 

I looked at pix of my Suntour VX bottom bracket- I don't know the spindle length but the chainline is listed as 44.5 and if worked out to exactly that with my AT that I put on my Trek 720.

Dfrost 

Thanks, Steve in Peoria and Golden Boy for your BB recommendations. Unfortunately, my potential buyer actually needs a higher Q-Factor triple crank, and will probably end up with a Sugino XD.

So my AT crankset is available to the OP or anybody else, as mentioned back up in Post #13 .

old's'cool

With the notable exception of 49T/110BCD/5-arm, AFAIK. The 49T is the sweet spot for me on a half-step setup, i.e. with a 52T large ring. If you know of an affordable/available 49T/110BCD chainring, please enlighten me. Until then, I'm making do with 48T on my 110/74 triples.

D1andonlyDman

I've had good results using Willow Triplized chainrings on Campy 135mm bcd cranks, such as Record/Chorus/Veloce.

I've found that the Campy crank arms with spiders can be gotten for as little as $40 without rings, and the three Willow rings for $60. I've used this combo on my built-up Paramount with a Record crank. It uses a 113mm spindle, compared to a 107 or 108mm spindle when the Campy cranks are used as a double.

Triplizer Chainring Set 49 39 29 Triple Cranks Campy Campagnolo 135 BCD | eBay

spinachface

I feel like, if it's in your budget, just getting new chain rings often makes all the difference. Just add something new, and polish the rest off!!

gugie 

Nice! Love me some 1st gen cyclone rear derailleurs.

The Golden Boy 

Everything in that pic looks sweet!

steelbikeguy

thanks guys!

The Cyclone GT was such a nice derailleur... the genetics of a VGT plus light weight. The second generation suffered from the trend towards aerodynamics and had the awkward routing of the cable to the buried clamp bolt.

The bike was built in 2000, by a small builder in the Chicago area and intended to be a tourer, commuter, and travel bike. It got all of my trusty and reliable parts. When I brought it to a ride with friends, one buddy wisecracked "That looks like a brand new old bike". ...and he was right!

Steve in Peoria

bradtx

DIMcyclist, I actually like all of the crank sets in your OP. I trimmed my preferences to just two; polish the Sugino or the 6503.

Brad