I set it all up and spun the cranks, and, it works ok. I did have to leave the fixed cup 2.5mm out of the frame to get the 5 bolts for the granny ring to clear the frame, and the adjustable cup doesn't stick out enough for the lockring to fit on so I can't use a BB spacer with this spindle, but I do need a new spindle anyway as this one is notably pitted.
Next issue, my Suntour VX FD drops the chain effortlessly into the granny ring, but the chain has little desire to climb back onto the middle ring, %50 of the time I had to go to the big ring then back to the middle ring to get the chain to the middle ring. BUT, my tripilizer plate is actually a bit thinner than 1/8" by about .5mm (sorry for mixed units!), so with a tripilizer made from actual 1/8" plate the middle ring will be a bit less guarded by the big ring so the chain will be more willing to get from the granny to the middle ring. I can also move the granny ring closer to the middle ring by at least .5mm, probably a whole mm.
One time the chain did get caught up between the granny ring and the middle ring, but I couldn't get that to happen a second time, moving the granny ring closer to the middle ring will deal with that though.
Lastly, I can't use the smallest 2 cogs in the granny ring or the chain goes slack AND hits the bottom of the FD cage, but I'm fine with that, with the chain on the middle cog in back it was more willing to climb onto the middle ring from the granny ring than when the chain was on the largest cog in back.
And here is what it looks like with 28:28 gearing,
Originally Posted by
Slightspeed
As an aside, i did run a 52/34 compact double on my Peugeot with a 28t rear.
Going compact double has certainly crossed my mind as well, if I went to a 6 speed freewheel with a 34 I could still get close to 1:1 that way, well, I'm not sure what the smallest 116 BCD ring is, maybe a 36? so I'd have 36:34. There really are not any rings around in the 3 bolt 116 BCD pattern, I'm not opposed to making one out of steel plate, but I'd probably be back in the same boat of mediocre shifting up front with 52/36 where the front shifting is currently quite crisp and enjoyable between the 40 and 52.
I going to back burner this project for a few days and see if anything else comes to mind, well, I think that getting the ring spacing dialed in will help it out notably, and I can't deal with that till early/mid next week...