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Gear Talk / changes for self-supported tour
« on: November 24, 2004, 05:54:55 pm »
Hi,
I'd like to do some self-supported touring next summer -- a week or two in duration. It's new for me. I've always done fast supported rides with no baggage.
My favorite ride is a Litespeed Classic -- no eyelets. I'm thinking of selling a second bike to finance purchase of a BOB, rather than adapting racks to the bike.
My questions: the crank now is a standard Ultegra (53-39) and I'm sure I need to go lower. Is it better to go to a triple or a compact crankset? With a triple, do I absolutely need a new bottom bracket and rear derailleur? I'm certain I need a new front shifter, but I'm kind of at a loss. Also, does anyone have any experience mounting a compact or triple using the braze-on fitting on the Classic?
I'm now riding on Open Pro 32 spoke rims laced 14-15-14. I'm big -- bike is 63 cm -- and I'm 6-4 and 200, but on the way to 190. Am I asking for trouble? Would I be better off swapping the back end for, say, a Phil 36 hub, laced with straight 14 gauge?
Thanks. Any help is much appreciated.
I'd like to do some self-supported touring next summer -- a week or two in duration. It's new for me. I've always done fast supported rides with no baggage.
My favorite ride is a Litespeed Classic -- no eyelets. I'm thinking of selling a second bike to finance purchase of a BOB, rather than adapting racks to the bike.
My questions: the crank now is a standard Ultegra (53-39) and I'm sure I need to go lower. Is it better to go to a triple or a compact crankset? With a triple, do I absolutely need a new bottom bracket and rear derailleur? I'm certain I need a new front shifter, but I'm kind of at a loss. Also, does anyone have any experience mounting a compact or triple using the braze-on fitting on the Classic?
I'm now riding on Open Pro 32 spoke rims laced 14-15-14. I'm big -- bike is 63 cm -- and I'm 6-4 and 200, but on the way to 190. Am I asking for trouble? Would I be better off swapping the back end for, say, a Phil 36 hub, laced with straight 14 gauge?
Thanks. Any help is much appreciated.