Originally Posted by
almico8
While I'm wrestling with this funky freewheel, I had a crazy thought. I have a set of Shimano 600 Arabesque derailleurs not otherwise occupied and they would be great for this build. Since I don't like the reverse V-Comp anyway, and the Suntour rear is nothing special, why shouldn't I use them? Enter the crazy thought... The front derailleur is only a 2-speed, but since the crankset is 52/47/28, and I need a 52t chainring like another appendix, why don't I set up the Shimano to run the 47/28 as a wide double and grind the teeth off the 52 for a chain guard? Sacrilege? Heresy?
Perfectly fine to use the Shimano derailleurs. And I think you'll find that the front derailleur has plenty of throw for a triple. For friction shifting, especially with a half step, you don't need a special triple front derailleur; a "double" works just fine. I prefer to use the old Nuovo Record fronts on my bike, just as an example. And as for using a compact double, you'll find that with a five speed freewheel the gaps between the gears are pretty wide. The benefit of the half step is that with a wide range freewheel, you can set the steps so that those gaps are much easier on the legs. On my own bikes with that Spécialités TA crank I prefer a 46-42-26 triple.
With respect to your freewheel, yeah, you get to buy another tool!