I am thinking about getting Jon's 144bcd tripleizer for my Gitane's Stronglight 106 52/42. I would like to end up with a 26 or 28 tooth granny. What FD's will work for that spread? I would be using friction of course. At the rear I would probably be going with something like a SunTour Vx-GT and a Shimano 14-34 freewheel.

image by vonfilm, on Flickr

There are a couple of Simplex triple FD sitting on the Bay right now.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am not stuck on French components though.

Just about any road triple derailleur will handle a 52-42-28 setup. One thing to watch for is that some are designed with a minimum tooth difference between middle and big ring, often 11t and sometimes 13t so make sure that isn't the case with anything newer (current 105 is 11t and current ultegra is 13t, for example; I don't think Campy lists the min. difference in the spec for their current triple FD). I think older triple derailleurs are more basic and universal (my 5503 FD from 2002 handles a 52-42-30 like a champ). Doubles FD's will work, in fact they may even shift better (Shimano triple FD won't work without ramps/pins for example while a Shimano double will work).

Mavic's 862 was for triples 872 is their braze on version.

I use Campag's Leisure (a Triomphe and a Victory on my bike's 50-40-24s)

think I have a Euclid MTB one on the 52,42,26

If you're using a 1st gen Suntour Cyclone- I've got one of those working fine with a Stronglight 99bis triple- I think 50-40-28. No issues at all.

I have a Suntour Cyclone on it now. It is working fine as a double. I don't know if it is 1st generation. At one time I had it on my Tempo with a Sugino 46/36/26 and I was not pleased with it. It may be a different story with 52/42/28. I will certainly try it out if I make the change.
I have a Dura Ace FD perfectly shifting another 46/36/26 Sugino Triple on my Peloton. Go figure.

Careful....That beautiful Stronglight 106 crankset might asplode if you get it too close to non-French stuff.....
I don't see any problems with using (plastic free) Simplex triple FD's, as all my (plastic free) Simplex FDs through the years shifted and lasted just as well as any other good RD's from the "big" manufacturers that I've used.

I just checked out what I have running- it's a Stronglight 99bis 52-44-28- I'd known that the Cyclone has the range and was used on triples, and it originally came with a little cage extension that allowed for a smaller ring. However, I've heard that the cage extension caused problems.

What made you unhappy with it as a triple?

I think I use that "1st generation" thing pretty loosely- I consider the all of the styles like below as the 1st gen, and the MII ones I consider to be 2nd generation.

I've run that set-up as well. A Campagnolo Record FD also works. But the OP's 52-42-26 proposal might be pushing it a bit.

I'm using a [standard double] Cyclone MkII with a 52-44-28 setup.

On the Tempo with the Sugino Triple, I had difficulty getting the Cyclone FD to shift out to the big ring. When I replaced it with a SunTour XC 7000 FD it seems to be working much better. I understand the XC 7000 is for a maximum big ring of 48 teeth.

I would probably settle for 52/42/28 on the Gitane. I just want to retain the beautiful Stronglight crankset on the Gitane Super Corsa. I don't really need a 52 tooth big ring, but it can be nice on the downhills. I would also save the expense of replacing the big ring.

I think one of the great front derailleurs is the Suntour Mountech- despite any connection to the Mountech RD, it's a great FD AND it's super crazy light- it's the second lightest FD I've got- just behind the Cyclone. If you're looking for a little more understated, the Shimano Z206 was used on doubles and was also used on the 86 Voyageur that was specced with a 50-44-28, and mine came on a Trek 400 with a 52-42 double.

I put one of those on my Trek 720 (50-45-28); works like a champ.

John,

I'd LOVE to see 60 picture photo essay of your 720. Everything about that bike seems like the ultimate in bike/touring technology. From the custom green color to the Mathauser finned brake pads- that bike is Epic.

To be honest, it's not a bike I'm fond of looking at too closely. It was only the second complete frame I ever built, and it shows...

FWIW, I set up all my triple mods with the largest inner 74 BCD chainring available, 36T. In all cases, I'm able to use a non-triple specific FD. A bonus of using a largish inner chainring is that the upshift is not too much of a drama. Further bonus is, again, in all cases, I'm able to use a short or medium cage RD.
In full disclosure, when I was living in Switzerland last year, I resorted to a 30T inner on the bike I had over there, due to the steep grades, but that still worked fine, with the same FD and RD.
To complete the picture, that particular bike has a 13-26 rear cluster, and none of my triple bikes has a larger spread than that currently, though I have run 13-28 with no other mods, and with no issues.