Hello all,

Since my LBS worked with my bowery I have had some issues with noise (chain) using a dura ace rear fixed cog and an ultegra 6600 crankset. The chainline is obviously (you can see it) off and the chain is very noisy. Is this an issue trying to use a hollowtech 2 crankset or is there another way to fix it?

i would start by getting cranks designed for a track
bike. the hollowtech 2 line is shimano's standard for
road, but the track line uses a octalink 109.5mm
bottom bracket. i have no idea what the chainline is
on the ultera 6600, but if everything else on the bowery
is spaced for a standard track setup (120mm spaced
rear and 42mm chainline hub) then its obviously the
crank/bb combo.

if you don't want to throw money into a new crank/bb
set, then measure from the center of the seatpost to
the center of your chainring. then respace/redish the
wheel so that the cog sits at the same distance from
the center of the rear fork ends.

since he's running mavic ellipses respacing/redishing isn't going to be the solution.

If you were using a regular crank instead of outboard bearing one, you'd just need a new BB.
Don't the outboard bearings push the chainline further out than a regular road double, with no way to adjust?

which direction is it off?
too far out on the chainring end?
if it's no there already, put the chainring on the inside of the spider, and use chainring spacers to move it in further if necessary. It'll be butt-ugly, but it should work.
or get a new crank.

(don't the mavic ellipses have a strange chainline too, 45mm I think?)

The mavic ecllipse wheels have a 44mm chainline. Currently the crank is pushed out about 5mm or so from the normal octalink line.

I have been thinking about just sending the road crank and the wheels back and going with either a TA or dura ace track crankset and building a set of 120mm dura ace (or simular wheelset) Deep V rims. Hopefully that combination (both utilizing 42?mm chainline will fix the serviere noise problems.

If I run the mavic wheels then I will have to still do something about the 2 mm difference in chainline.

Does this sound like a viable option?

if you set it up all dura ace that will definately solve your
chainline problem. but as far as the chain noise goes, some
chains are just noisy, that doesn't mean there is a problem.

5mm out should make the inner ring position sit around 44mm.

...but 42 to 44 is a 2mm difference. and if the
cranks sit 5mm outside of the norm, then that
is 3mm past a 44mm chainline.

ahh, but it's a road double.
and the inside position of a road double is ~40mm

ahh, i forgot about the ever so atrocious
'inside-the-spider' chainring position...

Thank You all,

Back from the LBS, and they were not happy about the chainline... it looks fine! Ya right! - If it is fine then why is the chain not perfectly lined up with the rear cog? Well they ordered me the crank, and I am going to have someone build me the wheels.

Thanks all.

Do not get the TA cranksets. they look nice, but I have always had problems with my ring being ovalized.

what about those plastic spacers on the outboard BB's???

i don't know if they are used on road mbikes but on my mtb BB there are two on the drivesdie and one on the non-drive. if i had to mess with chainline i'd start by re-spacing the spacers.