dynne

I'm rebuilding an old touring frame, and I've got most everything good to go - except for the front derailleur. I'll need one that will attach onto the 28.6 tube and isn't clamp-on. I assumed that since the front derailleur will be running friction, whatever road triple I had sitting around would work. But, as we all know, nothing with bikes is ever this simple.

Relevant info:
Running Ultegra road triple (52-42-38?) with 11-32 9 speed cassette.
Using Dura-Ace 3x9 barcons.
Rear derailleur is Shimano LX (was advised would be better than 105)

The problem: Need RD that doesn't take clamp-on, 28.6 seems an odd size. The Tiagra road triple I hoped to use looks to be too wide.

What would be the best choice for a front derailleur? Shim the Tiagra? Use a mountain triple?

Additionally, once I've got that one up, how long should I trim the chain for? I don't foresee running 52-32, so is the typical rule of chain length measurement out the window?

I apologize if this has been covered in other threads, but since I had two problems simultaneously, I figured I would consult the experts directly. Thanks so much for your time.

Can't wait to get this baby on the road.

operator

For the FD.

Don't bother finding the right clamp size if it's a pain in the ass. Get the braze on version and a braze-on adapter. FD-6503 is what you want.

Chain length should be sized using the big/big + next closest link method. It doesn't matter if you don't use the 52 + 32 combo. If you cut the chain for something smaller, your derailleur blows up.

Purp

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...-length-sizing