Originally Posted by
John E
A Vent Noir is definitely a great way to break into C&V! (OK, some of us are biased in favor of Austrian frames.
) I don't know about the Shimano Dura-Ace line, but SunTour's long-cage derailleurs always had the jockey pulley centered on the cage pivot, which provided ample clearance for a 34T low gear cog. If you currently have 52-42 / 14-16-18-21-24, which was a very popular 1.5-step gearing system in the 1970s, you can either use the long cage rear derailleur and a larger set of freewheel cogs, as you are proposing, or you may want to consider keeping your short-cage derailleur and switching to a compact crankset. I was able to run 48-45-34 / 13-15-17-19-21-24 with a short cage SunTour Cyclone II rear derailleur, for a bottom gear of about 38 gear-inches, which is a very noticeable 20 percent lower than your current 47-incher.
I have a funny feeling that a lot of people here are also on Classic Rendevous. Consequently, people know Harvey and will get a quick intro from me in a bit. I have been interested in classic bikes for a while and Harvey made jumping into the water very easy. I really can't thank him enough. I've eye'd his Vent Noir for years. I think it is a great looking bike that rides remarkably smooth; although I should write that to my knowledge, this is the only 531 bike I have ever ridden.
At the time of purchase, I knew that IRD still makes freewheels with 32-tooth cogs. So I asked Harvey whether a 32 would fit the long cage derailer and he answered yes. But someone on the iBOB list was selling a NOS 14-34 SunTour touring freewheel that would give it a more authentic feel, IMO. I ended up buying it -- $50 with shipping -- and figured that it would be worth a shot. I'd like to keep the rest of the group together.