azesty

So sometime ago I got a Suly LHT all made up by Surly.

I went for a 450 km tour, mostly flat, and changed it to touring bars for more comfort.

I did a shorter tour, 150 km, but three days long because of all the climbing, and want to change the front crankset so I can use indexed Deore shifters.

Now the front crankset I was supplied with is:

Andel, Forged arms, Silver. Aluminum rings, 110mm BCD, 48-36-26t

with the front derailleur is a Shimano Tiagra, FD-4403 triple.

It has a Shimano, UN53. 68x118mm bottom bracket, I would like to keep this if I can

I like the gearing, but dont feel much need for 48 teeth, but am happy to stick with the same sort of thing.

So my questions:

1) What is a good quality crankset from Shimano that works with MTB indexed shifters giving the same 26t granny, and about the same gearing for the middle and big ring?

2) Do I need to change the front derailleur?

2a) If so, what should I get, of about the same quality?

z

cyccommute 

Unless you really want a new crank, you only need to change the front derailer. A Shimano Deore or a Sram X-7 mountain bike derailer would work marvelously with mountain bike shifters. Don't be fooled into thinking that a more expensive front, like an XT or XTR, will work better either. Shimano's low end front derailers are actually better units then the expensive ones.

If you want a lower high gear, you could get a new outer chainring. Google "46 t 110mm chainring" and about a billion of them will pop up.

fietsbob

you can seek out a MTB compact crank and gain a 20 or 22t low gear..
but the latest parts are external bearing BB's,
with the pipe spindle as part of the right crank arm.

if the issue is just the 48t chainring , keep the cranks you have
and just buy a few replacement chainrings..
24, 34, 46 perhaps ...

motobecane69

i agree, you don't want to change your low gear so just get a new front chainring in the size that you want

azesty

My problem is that MTB indexed shifters wont move the shifter across that cogset...

z

hybridbkrdr

What are you talking about? You mean the chainrings on the crankset? How would the shifters not shift the front derailleur?

Anyway, I was wondering what kind of cassette you have. If it goes from let's say 11T to 28T, you could always change for one that goes up to 32T to climb hills. Is that what you want, lower gearing?

azesty

Roadbike front chainrings are not the same distance apart as mtb chaingrings....

So the shifters have a different pull....

So to change from roadbike shifters to MTB indexed shifters, which I want to do, you need a different chainring set...........

I think I need a different front derailleur, butam not sure.

As for which chainring, if you had read all of my OP you would see that I gave model numbers for each of the components.

If you do read the first post, you will note that the front derailleur is a Tiagra, a roadbike component, not a MTB component, hence my problem.

z

motobecane69

you need the shimano r443 FD to shift road chain rings with MTB shifters. it's a cheap part. i've done it on numerous bikes.

hybridbkrdr

Wait a minute, can anyone else confirm if there's a different amount of space between chainrings on a mountain and road crankset? I thought there was simply a different amount of cable pull with mountain and road front derailleurs. I thought you only needed a mountain front derailleur because you have a max. chainring of 48T. Anyway, I know if you look at the Shimano Europe website, yes you can look at the flatbar group to look at the various options you can use. I think you could either use the front derailleur from the flatbar group if you want to use mountain shifters. Or, if you want to use the Tiagra road derailleur, you can use the flatbar group shifters.

As a matter of fact, I think I'll just link you right now while I'm thinking about it...
https://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/...andlebar0.html

rogerstg

I can't because there is no practical difference, especially in the OP's situation.

You are correct. FWIW, all my bikes have road shifters and FDs, and three of them have different Mtn cranksets. All shift very well.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

azesty

Thanks for your help folks. I think I was wrong, the spacing is the problem, it is the pull from the shifters.

I will try the R443 FD. I can get them pretty cheaply here in China.

z