wgscott

Well, I think with Di2, it is probably a recommendation that needs to be adhered to.

Right now I have an 11-32 in the back with a 50/34T. A 46/30T crank would give me one lower full-step.

I found with Ultegra, it is very easy to wear out a drivetrain.

DougG

I'm late to the party here, but I'm about to order a bike that comes with 46/30 chainrings: the new Felt VR series. In fact, that combo is available on three of their models, with three different cranks at different price points. The one I'm interested in uses a FSA SL-K Modular Adventure BB386EVO. They also use one in the Omega series branded Omega Adventure (BB30) that's on a Tiagra-level bike. The highest-end model uses a crank from Rotor with 46/30 rings. All come with 11-32 cassettes.

(I could have some details wrong here since bottom brackets are the mechanical area on a bike that I am least familiar with!)

wgscott

I think you are right.

These FSA options are appearing on Specialized and Felt bikes, but I have yet to see them offered as separate components. I'm holding off on my purchase until I can see these. If it plays nice with Shimano Di2, I think it would be a worthy option. (I have heard their BB are not the best, however.)

I took the 46/30T IRD off my Bianchi and replaced it with a Campy Athena triple whose smallest ring is 30. I don't know if it was the BB or the IRD crank or user error, but the amount of flex was excessive (and I decided to put a whole Athena-11 group on my Bianchi frame, to go neo-retro).

BluesDawg

White Industries revealed their external bearing cranks at Interbike.
http://theradavist.com/2016/09/inter...ga-gallery/#36

wgscott

Thanks. I have been waiting to see what that will look like, before I do anything drastic.

DougG

I just got a response to a query I sent to FSA about the new cranks with the 46/30 rings. They said that they will be available to the aftermarket in about January 2017, so any bike shop should be able to order one.

ShortLegCyclist

I have three bikes running 46/30 and another running 48/32.

The 48/32 is a Sugino
The 46/30's are White Industries, IRD and a Willow Tripleizer compact double 46/30 set on an Ultegra 130 bcd crankset.

The Sugino is supposed to have spacers available that allow you to run it as 9, 10 or 11 speed, but mine did not come with any and I'm running it 9 speed. Because I don't have the spacers and cannot find them on sale online, it means I can't access the last 4 cogs on my 11-36 9 speed cassette from the 30 ring as the chain catches on the 46 ring teeth.

The 46 ring however can access the entire cassette.

The White Industries (running 11 speed Ultegra) and the IRD (running 8 speed Microshift) have had no such problems and I just got the Willow off eBay and am going to set that up this weekend if I have time.

I am using CX70 front derailleurs for all these bikes, which are Ultegra level cyclocross specific and built for smaller chainrings.

cccorlew

AAAArrrgggg. When I wrote I was told late 2016. Oh well. I know they are out on bikes in now, but maybe not as aftermarket.

fietsbob 

in the 80's freewheels had 13t top cogs , then my 52-36 crank made sense, but After 45 I stopped being so skinny,

as the family genes took their effects ..

then I adopted 1st triples, [50-40-24t], recently R'off hub gears , trekking bars and sitting up more,
and moved ..
the drop bar bikes more display than used.

unterhausen

I use a 42/28 mtb crank on my gravel bike. It's a good option. Wish it had lower q, but I've gotten over that. I keep looking for a road crank, and I might switch soon. I used to ride a 54/44 crank, and that 44 chainring was great for cruising. I think 44 or 46 is perfect for the riding I do.

Mark Manner

I may try the FSA 46/30 when it comes out, but I am building now a new bike with 11 spd Ultegra Di2 parts I have, but with a Praxis 48/32 up front and IRD 11-40 in the rear, using a Wolftooth Roadlink on the rear derailleur hanger. The gap in front of 16 is outside the nominal spec, but I think that I can get the chain length barely ok to permit accidental big/big gear combos with no destruction and with minimal dragging in an accidental small/small combo. I have been using 11/36 in the rear and 50/34 up front with the di2 mechs with no problem at all, so the new system just adds 2 effective teeth to the big/big combo. I will report how it works (or doesn't!).

wgscott

So you can use something bigger than 32 in the rear with Ultegra Di2? A 34T x 36 would be more than low enough for me. (Did you have to use the Wolftooth Roadlink on that?)

I'm thinking about this again, since I mashed a tooth on my large Ultegra chain-ring with a rock the other day and had to Dremel it back into shape.

Mark Manner

[QUOTE=wgscott;19227692]So you can use something bigger than 32 in the rear with Ultegra Di2? A 34T x 36 would be more than low enough for me. (Did you have to use the Wolftooth Roadlink on that?)

Hi, I know you from some hifi sites too, by the way! Yes, you can definitely run a 36 cassette with an ultegra di2 mid-cage rear derailleur, by adjusting the b-screw out a good bit. You need to make sure your chain is just the right length to tolerate without an explosion an accidental 36 rear/50 front cross chain event, but not too much longer. This would be hard to get to work with a 53/39 front or an extremely long chainstay, but only because the chain would have to be made so long the small/small cross chain would droop some. However, on a compact front with proper chain sizing, it works fine. I have 2 bikes set up this exact way and have ridden them fairly hard (up Pikes Peak, for example). No wolftooth roadlink needed for this on my bikes.
I did get just today the Praxis 48/32 crankset, and your fear expressed earlier in this thread about the internal di2 wire maybe not fitting is probably correct, at least on a metal frame bike. The 30mm axle of the Praxis takes up all the room in the bottom bracket, unless the frame is oversized down there and has room for di2 cables. I think most Ti and steel bikes won't work with it and di2.
Best,
Mark

Mark Manner

As a follow up to the post about the Praxis 48/32 not working with di2 on some frames, I have now ordered a black Sugino 46/30 crankset, which uses the usual Shimano bottom bracket setup, with 24mm axle. This will allow room for di2 internal wiring. I am going to experiment with the 46/30 up front and 11-40 in the rear with wolftooth roadlink on an Ultegra di2 setup, and will report how it works with a pic or two in a couple weeks.
Best,
Mark
[I know, that is pretty easy gearing, but I am getting older and slower but still want to ride at altitude with really steep grades]

wgscott

Hopefully I haven't mortally offended you.

That's excellent.

Well, thanks for trying it. Hopefully they will be nice about taking it back. But you have saved me a headache -- I was considering the new version of the White Industries crank.

Mark Manner

[QUOTE=wgscott;19228452]Hopefully I haven't mortally offended you.


Not at all!

IK_biker

46/28 on a Ultegra crankset on my distance bike.
Crisply shifted with Shimano 105 10-speed brifters.

DougG

How did you get a 28-tooth gear on your crank? Isn't the bolt circle too large for a gear that small?

IK_biker

Took a triple, and a 46t "inner" chainring from TA Specialites installed the middle position, the 28t ring is in the granny position (74 mm BCD).
A decorative lightweight bashring in the large ring position takes care of the aesthetics aspect. The resulting chainline is precisely where I want it.

See this post for more details:

http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...l#post19168626

DougG

Interesting and clever approach!

Mark Manner

[QUOTE=Mark Manner;19228289]As a follow up to the post about the Praxis 48/32 not working with di2 on some frames, I have now ordered a black Sugino 46/30 crankset, which uses the usual Shimano bottom bracket setup, with 24mm axle. This will allow room for di2 internal wiring. I am going to experiment with the 46/30 up front and 11-40 in the rear with wolftooth roadlink on an Ultegra di2 setup, and will report how it works with a pic or two in a couple weeks.
QUOTE]

I can now report that 46/30 up front and 11-40 rear with wolftooth road link and ultegra di2 mid-cage rear derailleur and road di2 front derailleur work just fine. on big/big, there is still some bend in the derailleur cage, and when in small/small, the rear derailleur has the capacity to take up the slack in the chain. I am using a chain sized to 55" (length including the kmc quick link). My chain stays are about 417mm long. I'll take a better pic later, still not finished with bars/brake setup.
Mark

DougG

Thanks for the update. Now all I have to do is procure a 46/30 crankset that will work with a BB386 EVO BB.

cccorlew

I keep looking for that crank. I even wrote the company. Where oh where did you buy yours?

Mark Manner

I got it from:

https://alexscycle.com/

Also available at slightly higher price from alex's ebay listing

Mark Manner

Here is the final build, with 46/30 up front, 11-40 rear, mid-cage rear ultegra di2 derailleur with a Wolftooth Roadlink. Shifting is very good, not really noticeably different from the 11/32 or 11/36 setup I have used before (without a Roadlink).

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