One option we will try when we install the new crank will be a 9 speed front der - with it's wider cage.

I personally don't feel that grinding off the tab will work - the plate it is attached to can't be ground off and no standard clamp will attach properly around the tube AND the plate. Unless it attaches above or below the plate itself, which I doubt but can easily check.

A little more history - Booger contacted me after having several shops take a look at it to no avail. My understanding is that he purchased the bike used from a private party who had originally purchased it from a local reputable LBS. (Bike Gallery) It apparently had been ridden very little. My guess is that the original owner had the same issues and just decided to sell it. Booger realized that exploratory work can get quite expensive in labor charges and I volunteered to help by switching parts and exploring at no cost. While I was able to adjust the der to work better, it's never worked properly. The rub at the outside position was corrected by changing the crank to one that wasn't bent and a simple der adjustment. The rub at the inside wasn't nearly as prevalent with the Truvativ setup as it is with the Shimano. I've got a call into Booger to check the spindle width on the ISIS BB - but I can't imagine it's anything but 108.

It's frustrating to say the least and impossible to imagine that Bike Gallery would have ever let this bike out the door if it had originally been this way. And how the original crank (not the chainrings) got bent is beyond me.

The only other thing I can add is that the original wheels have been replaced

Thanks for the help.

55/Rad