Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived
Quote | Reply
..I must say it's very nice. The finish is every bit as good as the Ultegra w/53/39 that it's replacing and it's a little lighter. I was unfamiliar with Stronglight but I understand that they are a French company that is quite well known in Europe. It's not Shimano compatible so I also had to order a BB. Chose the second from the top. Their top of the line BB is the same but is made out of titanium and is double the cost. For the few grams difference in weight I bought the next one down. I thought about FSA but decided I liked the Stronglight price better. Well, heck, X-mas is coming and I've gotta start saving my pennies. Also Ritchie is supposedly also coming out with a compact crankset(Shimano BB compatible) in the New Year.

I'm making a few changes to my bikes this winter. The Stronglights are going on my TCR road bike. I live in a hilly area and had been on a 53/39 with 12/25. The compacts will be great for our Thursday night "killer" group hill ride. Can hardly wait to try them out.

I'm making a few other changes so will have some direct options to compare with. On the P2K I'm going with 50/38 instead of 53/39. I'll be honest - I've never been able to spin on 53/12. Also my old lugged steel classic is getting an upgrade by replacingthe old 12 sp with new Shimano 105 triple. It should be interesting to compare the triple against the compact cranks on the two road bikes.

Of course these are all winter projects. Won't be able to give my impressions until next spring.

http://www.xxcycle.com/...amp;FROM=bestwebbuys
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
pardon my ignorance....but what are 'compact cranks'? are you referring to the length of the crank only. are the stronglights 53/39?
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [goldmund] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
"what are 'compact cranks'"

Search back in the posts. This was discussed in great detail on this forum a week or so ago. Compact cranks have chain rings of 50/48 and 36/34 instead of the standard 53/39. The normal Campy or Shimano cranks can't accomodate these smaller chainrings.

The claimed advantages are that the 50/34 mated to an 11/23 gives more even gear spacing than does 53/39 and 12/27 even though many of the ratos are similiar. Also if you run a 50/34 with the 12/27 you have the hill climbing advantages of a triple but on two rings.

Do google as this was discussed/debated in considerable detail last week.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Stronglight is indeed French and owned by Zefal.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
"I was unfamiliar with Stronglight but I understand that they are a French company that is quite well known in Europe."

i've been riding stronglight cranks almost exclusively since the mid 90s. they made a model called "speedlight" and when i left my old company i did not do so without a lifetime supply of them. only now are there cranks for sale today that i'd rate equivalent or superior.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
it was my understanding that the stronglite compact rings @ 130mm
will fit my DA crank, $35 boom done???

i think there, 4 am
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Glad to hear you got them so quickly. I ordered the 50/38 chainrings, and was told there is a 10 day delay in shipping due to unexpected demand. But hey for 23 bucks and shipping, it's not a bad way to try the idea out. As a side note, I check with Performance about the possiblity of getting the same size rings from them......just under 70 bucks to order them as 105 rings.



- Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
P. J. O'Rourke
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Stronglight has a very good reputation amongst dyed-in-the-wool roadies. The Corima bikes shipped here to the U.S. have a Stronglight headset, rebranded as "X Lab"; but as Airo Int'l doesn't distribute Corima bikes anymore, they will go back to being Stonglight. I think it's the Stonglight A-9 or something like that. It has a decent aero shape. I put a King on my Fox as the supplied Stronglight headset was missing parts.

Their cranksets are legendary, as well as anything with a bearing that they put out. They rely on pretty silky roller bearing on their headsets, which is what I prefer second only to a good cartrige bearing. I happen to prefer the JIS taper for a BB, but they're harder to make straight. The Shimano and ISIS splines are quite a bit easier to get straight. I think that Shimano missed the boat when they had decided to start phasing out the JIS taper, in my opinion.

Any roadie who's been around will comment on your smart purchase of the Stronglight crankset. And it's not a bad thing that you don't have the Ti spindle. I personally feel that White Industries put out the best Ti spindle BB, anyhow.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [Chris in Balto] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Could you tell me where I could order some 50/38 chain rings for my current Shimano 9 speed crankset?

Also, does anyone know if having 650c wheels changes the ratio much for crank sizes? I bought a used bike with a 55 on it and I'd like to replace it. I'm just wondering how much smaller of a chain ring I should go.

Thanks.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [damn] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
For your second question it also depends what cassette you're running. If you're running a 11/23 and can spin at 55/11 you should be in the TDF. I'm dropping from a 53/39 to a 50/38 on my tri bike.

For your first question Stronglight makes Shimano compatible 50/38 chainrings. You can get them from the same place where I ordered my compact cranks.

http://www.xxcycle.com/...=detail&REF=1905
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I made the switch to 50/38 rings on my tri-bike a couple months back, the only thing I'm regretting is not getting a ramped and pinned big ring. Having a smaller big ring is golden, my cruise speed isn't on one of the extreme cross over gears now. After a couple month on the 50, I'm thinking that I might even be better off on a compact crank w/ a 48/34. I picked them up from my LBS, a bit pricier.

Man I can't say it enough, that 50 ring is awesome.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [Fluffyjoes] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
To bad you can't buy the Stronglight compact cranks in 175, if so I would buy them in a heartbeat.

Dave from VA
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Thanks for the info and the reply. I'm just having a little trouble figuring out the site to order them from. The big ring is 130mm, what size should the inner ring be?
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [damn] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
In Reply To:
Thanks for the info and the reply. I'm just having a little trouble figuring out the site to order them from. The big ring is 130mm, what size should the inner ring be?
They are both 130mm. That dimension is the BCD or bolt circle diameter. The outer ring would be a '1er position' or '1°', and the inner would be '2eme position' or '2°'.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [spaceman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
In Reply To:
it was my understanding that the stronglite compact rings @ 130mm
will fit my DA crank, $35 boom done???
Nope. The "compact" stuff is 110mm BCD and allows chainring as small as 34T. The 130mm BCD only goes down to 38T.
Quote Reply
[cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
What was your thought process on only dropping to the 38 for the small ring as opposed to the 34?
Quote Reply
Re: [mr. mike] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
"What was your thought process on only dropping to the 38 for the small ring as opposed to the 34?"

I'm actually putting the compact cranks on one of my road bikes. I ride this bike a lot more than any other of my bikes by regularly participating in a lot of group rides, centuries, etc. We tend to ride in hilly areas.

I'm keeping the original Ultegra crank on the tri bike but going to 50/38. I don't ride this bike in bigger hills the way I do with the other bike. Some of the courses I've raced have hills but a 39 or 38 is quite adequate. It's spinning the small cassette gears with the 53 that I can't do. Also it's a bit cheaper this way than purchasing another compact crank set and the 38 small ring is a small as regular Shimano cranks will fit.

My third bike is my classic lugged steel that is getting new triple 105. It will be interesting because I can now compare this to the other two set ups.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [gonzobob] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
you can actually go as small as 33t with a 110 BCD Ritchey's "compact" crank will be shipping in late December and is Shimano Octalink Compatible, 600ish grams, and about $200

-SD

https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [Fluffyjoes] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have never had ramped and pined chainrings . Does it make a big difference ? I hope so. I just ordered a Salsa 48 big pined and ramped for my 700c road bike.
Quote Reply
Re: My Stronglight compact crankset just arrived [dirtball!] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
It does make a difference. It makes shifting up easier, and the pin lets you just pedal to get the chain back on if you drop it off the outside.
Quote Reply