Originally Posted by
Dheorl
Heres my nubbishness showing through - whats the difference between a compact and normal crank?
Also what do you do about levers? Do you have the intergrated ones on both sides and just have one being used purely as a brake lever?
If I put a bash guard either side (partly because I just think it would look nicer) would buying a triple and removing the inner and outer ring be the easiest way to do it?
Sorry, but I don't want to waste any money on this if possible so would like to get it right first time, and seeing as I don't have the knowledge to do that I'm asking lots of questions. Hope I don't become too much of a nuisance.
1. Compact crank has 110mm bolt center diameter, normal has 130mm. The smallest chainring you can get on normal crank is 39t (or 38t?), compact double is a more versatile choice.
2. I actually use a lever shifter with a Paul thumbie mount, but my wife uses STI on the right and a Tektro brake lever on the left. There's a slight mismatch in the shape, but it's apparently not an issue for her. Georgia Gould, among others, does the same thing. You can find single levers on eBay, significantly cheaper than buying the pair.
3.
AFAIK they don't make bashguards to fit on the granny mounts of a triple. People who run double guards use a double crank with the inner guard on the inner position, the chainring on the outer, then spacers between the chainring and the outer guard. cyclocrossworld.com sells the correct bolts and spacers in a kit. Personally, I think it's better to have the chainring further in, so you have a straighter chainline while in the largest sprockets.