Putting a touring bike together, will this work?

[loz]

Hi all, was hoping you could help me with my touring bike build.

I already have a few components and am looking for a bit of confidence before I go out and buy the rest

What I have:

Condor cadet frame (seat tube = 32.5mm diameter, rear spacing = 130mm)

STRONGLIGHT Impact Triple chainset 28-38-48

Shimano Tiagra ST4500 triple STI 9sp


Planning to buy:

Shimano Saint/SLX Cassette 9 Speed HG80 11-32 £35

SHIMANO LX Rear Mech £46

Shimano LX Front Derailleur T661 £28 (Top swing??)

STRONGLIGHT JP400 110mm bottom bracket £16


Can you see any glaring errors there? Will the tiagra shifters work with the LX mechs? Is a "top swing" front mech ok? I measured the Condor's frame and the seat tube is 32.5mm (give or take a little), will the front mech fit ok? Is 110mm the right size bottom bracket?

So many variables! so many questions!

thanks

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Your hunch is right, the Tiagra sti will not drive the LX front mech for a triple chainset. You need to get a road triple front mech that a) has the right clamp size for the seat tube and b) has top or bottom pull that suits the cable run of the frame - I know nothing about your frame, so can't be sure which it needs although most road frames are bottom pull (and some front mechs can do both).

Regarding the LX rear mech make sure you get the SGS (long cage) version. The GS variant wouldn't have enough capacity for your 41T configuration.

Spa says the 110mm JP400 works with the Impact, so presumably that is ok.

Hope it helps.

 

[Andy_R]

maybe look at the shimano hg61 11-34 cassette for £35 - just gives you a bit wider gear range, especially with your choice of chainset

 

[loz]

hi both, thanks for the feedback

so i'll use this up front Shimano Tiagra Front Derailleur Triple 9sp 4503

...and i'll have a better measure of my seat tube tomorrow, maybe i measured it at the wrong point (32.5mm does seem odd for a seat tube)

Andy, I've never ridden a fully loaded bike before, so am open to suggestions on the gearing i need. Would the cassette i linked to work ok with a regular road hub? I like the weight of it compared to the others. The frame is 130mm spaced so I imagine I'll end up with something like a Ambrosio Zenith Hub (36h)

 

[andrew_s]

Current Shimano triple front mechs have such a deep inner plate that you have to position the mech on the seat tube so that the inner plate clears the middle chainring, rather than doing what the instructions say and setting it with the outer plate 2mm above the outer ring.
Shimano say you have to have a 12T difference between middle and outer, but that bit of the specs is rarely mentioned.

For touring gearing, you generally want the lowest bottom gear possible, as pushing a loaded bike up a steep hill is a slow job.
Rather than swap the 32 cassette for a 34 or 36, you could swap the 28T chainring for a 24. You might as well get a steel one as they aren't big enough to be heavy, and they last for ever. There's no real need to worry about derailleur capacity so long as you only use the 24T ring with the bigger sprockets.

 

[TheDoctor]

I have used a Sora front triple with 48/38/24 (!!) so I would expect a Tiagra to be fine with 48/38/28.
I would second the idea of getting a mad small inner chainring.
When you need it, you really, really don't want to be without it.

 

[TheDoctor]

Oh, and your seat tube will be 31.8 mm, I suspect.

 

[MacB]

I've just recently set up Stronglight Impact triple, 26/36/46 with Tiagra 9 speed STIs, a Tiagra triple 4503 front mech and and SLX rapid rise rear mech, it all works fine.

Andrew S mentions the FD height compared to the chainrings and that gave me some concern as well. I was worried about only a 10t difference between middle and large so I thought that I'd have to position the FD higher up to make it think there was the correct difference, 2mm per tooth I believe. However I tried it close to large chainring as usual and it worked just fine.

If you're thinking about lower gearing then TheDocs suggestion would be the option I'd take. I'd be amazed if you couldn't at least put a 26t inner on and probably a 24t. Prior to this I had a 24/40 double up front and it shifted up and down fine, but that was using a barend friction shifter. I prefer the idea of having a closer ratio cassette and a smaller inner ring than going with a wide range cassette....but that's just personal preference.

Oh, just to add, on your current setup a 28x32 would give you the same gear as a 24x27

 

[TheDoctor]

I can vouch that 24x26 will get a fat bastard up Ventoux provided he's on the form of his life and he's on his carbon uberbike with no luggage.
Allegedly.
According to my friend, that is.

 

[loz]

thanks again for the replies

I've just measured my seat tube again, as you thought doc it is 31.8

I think i'll keep the 11-32 cassette and will get a 24t chain ring as suggested

 

[loz]

ok , these are the last things I need help with (except for racks i think!)

As the frame is 130mm OLN I was thinking Tiagra hubs. LX17 rims so I can run thin-ish tyres if I want.

SPA CYCLES Handbuilt Wheelset - Shimano Tiagra Exal LX17 700c 36h silver £156

Caught in two minds between 28mm vs 32mm , err-ing towards 32mm

PANARACER Pasela TG 32mm

 

[MacB]

The LX17 rims get some good reviews, Tiagra are fine as far as I'm aware but I might be tempted to spend the extra £50 for 105s. Tyres, I like bigger but the limit is generally the frame and the brake caliper rather than what the rims take. If you run mudguards and dual pivot calipers then you may find 28 is your limit.