Originally Posted by rmikkelsen
Say Road Fan, how's that mega range working out for you? I'm thinking of putting the 14-34 one on my '87 Paramount, which runs a 53-19 C-Record crank in front. Sheldon Brown recommends a Shimano LX RD to go with the Mega range setup. I'd like to know your experiences. I'm looking to use the Paramount for riding in the Shenandoah Mountains and the foothills.
Rmikkel,
If you're going to index, you might need to be concerned about Sheldon's suggestion. If you're not, you just need a derailleur that can move the chain onto such a large cog (range), and that can wrap up 34-14+53-39 = 34 teeth (capacity). I assume if he calls for it the Shimano LX is capable. What I've used is a Huret Duopar, which easily has the capability.
I use a 9-speed chain, but 8-speeds have worked well for me, too. I think a 5-speed chain would be too wide.
I feel these freewheels and cogsets benefit from Shimano's excellent tooth designs, which are very efficient at picking up and releasing the chain during shifts. I think that even if you put on an ancient Campagnolo Gran Tour or a long-cage Huret Allvit (reaching back 45 years here!) you'd get good shifting because the sprocket teeth always grab the chain instantly.
When this quick chain/cog action is combined with a Duopar or Ecopar, that always maintains optimal free chain length due to its vertical parallelogram design, you get very quick shifting with no perceptible overshift or undershift: the shift always happens with only one lever pull, no fine jockeying to eliminate noise unless you pulled too far or not enough.
Who needs indexing? This is precise, silent, and consistent, and I can still shift across the entire cluster at once if I want to.
Road Fan