While not as easily available like the 74 BCD, I wonder if an 86 BCD ring could be made to work. They are still made.

I had no idea Shimano used a TA copy of a crank. Leave it to them, however, to screw up the BCD of everything else. It is tempting to just use it anyway because of the availability of Cyclotouriste rings.

Is that FD half-step specific or is it simply more road oriented? Later models actually came in two flavors: ATB and half-step. The former with a deeper inner plate that would rub the middle ring in a half-step system, the latter looking more road-ish.

I super cool group set representing Shinano’s accidental success, not in touring, but in the new ATB world with their beefy RD and quality canti’s.