[CR]more drivetrain questions, chains and such...

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli:Laser)

Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 08:02:59 -0500
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "ADP" <aphillips9@mindspring.com>
Subject: [CR]more drivetrain questions, chains and such...

I've been following the freewheel thread with interest, and I too find a Shimano freewheel works pretty darn well. The Trek is currently using a 7 speed on a Dura Ace freewheel hub, and before I got some actual matching shifters with an indexing feature, the friction downtube units worked really well. Everything is funky-wide enough, that some crosschaining is not a big deal.

A few questions relative to a bike that I'm building:

The system I'm using on the Trek is running an old Sachs chain. It appears that a SRAM PC48 is the replacement. Yes I know I could find some sort of era chain, but as an MTBer, its hard for me to not think of chains as a "consumable." Has anyone had any experience using this chain with a Shimano 7 speed freewheel, Campy derailleurs, and Campy chainrings up front?

I know I push the freewheel tooth capacity of Shimano stuff all the time. Apparently Dura Ace isn't supposed to like shifting to a 28 tooth (ok I'm not all that strong - I ride weenie gears) but it does just fine. How about my pat.83 NR derailleur, will it shift happily to a 42 x 28? Or at least with a minimum amount of complaining? I'm sure this topic has been covered before, but not entirely sure if all the circumstances are the same - Shimano 7 speed, SRAM chain...

It appears that campy rings to fit my NR set are VERY expensive. Again, as an MTBer, I tend to think "oh, these wear out," where I've really not had the same experience with a road bike at all. Still, I like to play with gear combinations, and for awhile when my knees were very unhappy, and I was riding a bit in the GA hills, I was riding a 39 instead of a 42 on the front. I'm not thinking that the bike I'm building will be used for such things, but, are there any 39 tooth campy rings in existence?

Ann Phillips, Atlanta GA late morning into work, gonna go meet my sweetie for 20 at Stone Mtn!