Hey all,

I am having trouble with figuring out what will work for the bicycle I'm building up from used parts...any help is appreciated!!

I have attached pictures of the crankset and the rear cassette.

The cassette is a Shimano Dura-Ace 9 speed Cassette 11-23 CS-7700

The crankset is what I believe is the original stock...I'm assuming it is Shimano exage trail 28 x 38 x 48 biospace 175mm (by the way, what does this all mean?? can someone break it down for me?)

My questions are:
1st, does this crankset and rear cassette combination work?
2nd, Will any old 9 speed chain work, or should I be selective on the specific chain...and if so, what would you suggest?
3rd, I still haven't found a decent derailleur in the used parts box...What kinds would you be looking out for? (any suggestions?)

thank you for helping this bike mechanic newbie!!

"The crankset is what I believe is the original stock...I'm assuming it is Shimano exage trail 28 x 38 x 48 biospace 175mm (by the way, what does this all mean?? can someone break it down for me?) "
It mean it a triple crank , 28 is the granny gear the easier gear for pedaling(great for climbing hill ) 38 is the middle gear ( the one you will be using the most ) ,and the 48 is the biggest gear good for riding on flat or level ground .( to go fast ).
biospace mean the chainrings (gears) are not round ,when you look at them they look sort of egg shape . Every so often a company try to sell them and tell people it make it easier to pedal thou the death spot ( at 11 and 5 on the clock ) as you ride the bike . And 175 mm is the length of the crank from the center of the hole ( where it mount onto th BB axle ) to the center of the hole where the pedal mount .
1 . yes it should work , the only way to know is to try it . by the way the crank set is for a mountain bike and your cassette is more for a road bike
2. for being a dura-age cassette you need a dura-age chain .
3. because the crank is a triple , you need a long cage derailleur so it can take up the chain stack when you riding in the small chainring .

The 9 speed cassette wil require 9 speed chain. 8 or less speed will be too wide to fit between the cogs.
Although the crank was probably designed for 7 speed, it shouldn't be a problem.
I once temporarily used an old cottered crank from a 2X5 (to see if 165mm length arms would work better for me) with my 9 speed cassette/chain without issue.
Bio Pace is a Shimano type of elliptical rings.
175MM is the length of the arms.

ANY 9 speed chain will work!
Likely a short cage RDER will work, since the OP's chain wrap is only 32T.
A long cage may be a better choice if the OP plans on possibly using a larger biggest cog on the cassette though. That would allow "future expansion" for a 30+ T cassette.

I agree , I wasn't sure because it is a dura-age cassette and if the spacing would be the same . Thank bill for the correction .
A mid size cage would work too if wanted .

1. It's Dura Ace.
2. IF a short cage RDER will work, it's rather obvious a longer cage will also work.
3. If you aren't sure, you shouldn't make recommendations.