Andrew R Stewart 

I agree with the above points. I'll add more. If the next crankset has the wider ring to ring spacing of a 7/8 speed design the narrow 10 speed chain might tend to not drop down into the teeth of the small ring, it might ride up on the teeth tops. If this same crankset is used with a 10 speed indexed ft, the ft der movement might not be enough (as controlled by the 10 speed shifter) to end up without chain rub on the ft der cage. Of course if you use a friction ft shifter then this concern is moot.


I have a number of bikes with mixed systems but all either use Campy ergo or bar end levers. Many also have 1990s/1980s tapered square cranksets with 34/36 by 46 ring set ups. The 46T are of modern ramped/pined/shift gated designs. I've ran this range for years before the term "compact" was a dream of a marketing department searching a reason to sell more to those who already have. Andy.