Any question answered...

I'm off to Ventoux in a couple of months, so want to gear down a bit to give myself a fighting chance. At the moment I have a non-compact chainset and a Veloce cassette. What would be easier - buying a compact chainset/rings or going for a really wide cassette? Ideally I'd be looking for an option that doesn't require messing with the mechs, so that I can switch easily.

It's all Campagnolo...

What are you running now?

Up front: 53 & 39. At back, I can't remember without looking at the bike - I'm at work at the moment - but nothing particularly big at low-end.

8, 9, 10?

This is a good gear calculator, allows you to compare two different set-ups and the interface makes the differences/overlaps more obvious, than just talking numbers.

That's very good, it would appear that I go from 38 to 35 gear inches by changing my cassette from an 11-25 to a 12-27.

That's not a huge difference- will I notice that on a 20 percent climb?

That's about a tenth, I think you might.

What's the sweet spot with Campag? I've got Veloce at the moment, which are around £30 - next jump up is Centaur at £75ish. Worth it? There's a 12-30T for £73 on Wiggle, would my standard Centaur rear mech be able to handle that? That'd give me 39:30 as a bottom gear - even I could spin up Ventoux on that, given enough time (all day).

Fair point, on it goes.

Basically because I thought it would be fun we are putting a race number holder braze on under the top tube, where older bikes used to have them.

How far back from the headtube should this be?

The one on my hinault is 10.5cm from the center of the headtube, and 8.5cm from the back of the headtube

and it's 58.5ctc seat tube, 58ctc tt.

How do I use this expander bung? Screw in the silver piece with an allen key and then get a regular topcap and bolt to screw into it?ALbum of photos

What's the sweet spot with Campag? I've got Veloce at the moment, which are around £30 - next jump up is Centaur at £75ish. Worth it? There's a 12-30T for £73 on Wiggle, would my standard Centaur rear mech be able to handle that? That'd give me 39:30 as a bottom gear - even I could spin up Ventoux on that, given enough time (all day).

There are lots of Q&As on Wiggle asking about mech compatability, and lots of contradictory answers. Some say you need a long cage mech, others say it'll be fine. I'll check my cassette - if I have 25 then maybe I'll just opt for a 27. It should be fine with short mech and will still give me a little more. Will also remember to HTFU.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-centaur-10-speed-12-30-cassette/

Just hit it with a big hammer, carbon is great like that.

Only carbon on my road bike is stem top cap and brake levers....

What's the sweet spot with Campag?...
8v Chorus.

Plastic stem top caps......Why?

Track training or road ride tomorrow morning?

I've been ill for over a week, today was the first day back on the bike but it wasn't too bad. Head says a nice flat-ish road ride would be a more gentle introduction back, heart wants to get back on the track again, ride my carbon rims again and get ready for racing on Wednesday. Which also works out better for the work I need to do on my track bike later.

Over the course of writing that, I think I have realised I know the answer. Sorry Graham (and JB).

Thanks Boredom, and yes I believe so.

The one on my hinault is 10.5cm from the center of the headtube, and 8.5cm from the back of the headtube

Like this?

if i have a bit of pedal clip on a fixed, should i downsize my crank arms to 165? it's nothing major, but slightly annoying.

What pedals are you using?

Plastic stem top caps......Why?

To fail by cracking before you apply too much compression to the bearings and damage them.

...paging Tester or any Campag afficionados......

I'm a broke ass doley trying to get my geared bike back on road after 6 months of chugging round on my singlespeed.

My 10 speed Campag Chorus Compact Chainset needs a new outer ring, a 50 tooth with a 110 BCD, preferably in black but cheaps trumps aesthetics on this one. Campag rings are eye wateringly expensive, like about 100 squid, which when told left me weak knee'd even when sat down, many a bacon sandwich must have been dropped in response to such scary numbers.

Apparently a TA Terius chainring is Campag compatible and I can get a black one, best deal I could find was 60 quid, here:

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/9312/TA-110pcd-Nerius-CT-Campag-10sp-Chainring.html

A quick browse thro interwebs also brought up this

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/chainrings-stronglight-zicral-7075-110mm-camp-9-10-chainring/strochri520

....for a more bargainous price of £31.95 (or £25.56 if i spend more than 35 quid), alas only in silver, ad says its Campag Chorus Carbon compatible but does'nt mention if it will work with a Compact, will it?

Are there any better alternatives? if not, which would last longer for a high mileage summer I've got ahead of me? Or of course, major longshot, but if anyone has a ring that will fit with plenty of life left in it they want to sell, please PM me.

My inner tart is leaning towards the TA as its black.....and I therefore win the shallow Hal award. Thanks in advance.

...paging Tester or a Campag aficionado.

ftfy
I know nothing about Campag, except that carbon cranks use different sized chainring bolts, so the matching chainrings have different sized holes compared with rings for alloy cranks.