Originally Posted by
Chrome Molly
Before I get too far down the TA path.... Is the idea of these that the big ring is mounted inward enough so that you use all of the gears on the cassette/FW without apparent cross chaining?
Yes.
Originally Posted by
Chrome Molly
If so, then it seems that I pick the large ring and rear cassette that gives me 98% of what I'd want in normal flat/rolling/small hill situations, then choose a bailout gear (on the front) to deal with huge hills. What sort of FD can deal with the big jump (I assume a triple FD wouldn't work at all)?
16-18t is nothing a Nuovo Record or Suntour Cyclone or any similar FD cannot handle. You don't want to use a triple.
And you don't have to a TA or even a 50.4 BCD crank. With a 110 BCD crank you can fit a 33/34t small ring and with an 86 BCD crank you can fit a 28t small ring.