Originally Posted by
52telecaster
I use friction exclusively so its a different ballgame but i used to use a 130 74 crank for touring. I went with a 41 24 in front and a bash guard. Worked great because i could trim the front mech and used an rsx front derailleur meant for a 46 tooth ring. The hardest thing in those setups is the front mech.
cool you got it working.
You know, I thought about friction but wanted to try the better suited derailleur first (otherwise I'd be trimming all the time with only 2-3 gears workable per position!). I've got a set of downtube levers getting dusty in the bin. I also thought about bar ends, but same deal, wanted to give it a go first. It upshifts best if I throw it to about 3.5 clicks (1-2 is small ring, 3-4 big) if that makes any sense, kind of like I got used to doing in college with a friction lever (overshift a tad). Whether that's correct form is beyond me!
I also like the bash guard idea, but I didn't convince myself and I'm still on the fence (hence the tabs). When you buy a bash guard, and it says size "44" is that matched up for a 44t ring (i.e. slightly larger than the outer tooth diameter)? Like would I buy a 44 or a 46 or something else to match up with a 44? Does it even matter?