Best way to achieve lighter gearing.

[onlyhuman]

I have really enjoyed riding my new (oldish) Fondriest racer around for the last few days, I have done 150 miles or so around my usual local rides, and I have been up a few of the steeper nearby hills. I haven't needed to get off, but I have been pedalling pretty slow at the top, and the nearby hills aren't all that fearsome. I anticipate that I will want to put some easier gearing on the bike if I go somewhere hillier, and anyway I like to be able to spin up hills sometimes.

The bike currently has 16 speeds, 53/42 and 13/23. What should I change to get an easier gearing, (smaller cogs on the front, bigger sprockets on the back?) Will there be any problems with shifting etc, with Campagnolo Athena (I think) components, Ergo shifters?

The gears that are fitted seem very close to me, I suppose that is for racing. So I suppose I would like to widen the range of the rear sprockets. Is that likely to be problematical?

 

[ColinJ]

You could change the 42 chainring for a 39 and the 13-23 cassette for a 13-26. Together, that would amount to about an 18% lower bottom gear.

I don't see why that would cause any shifting problems but you might need a slightly longer chain.

 

[Will1985]

Campag 8 speed cassettes are pretty rare now, and mostly the close ratios of 12-23 or 13-23 as you have.

My immediate thought if you're going to stick with 8sp was to switch to compact - lose about 1 gear at the top but have 2 more at the bottom....maybe a 34/48?

 

[MartinC]

You can still get Campag 8 speed cassettes. Only 3 flavours 12-23, 13-23 and 13-26. Ribble and others still sell them. You can put a 13-26 on the back easily and it will make a noticeable difference.

The chainset you have (old Athena) has campag standard 135mm BCD chainrings so you can easily change the inner ring for a 39 tooth one instead or as well as changing the cassette. Losing 3 teeth at the front won't have as much effect as gaining 3 at the back.

These 2 options will work fine for sure with all the other Athena components you have. If you change to a compact chainset you may run into problems with the capacity of the front and rear mechs. If you know what you're doing it might be worth a try but will cost more and may not work satisfactorily.

From what you say my first choice would be to change the cassette. Athena was good stuff and I rode it for years. Enjoy.

 

[Jonathan M]

Campag shifters can run a triple without too many problems can't they?

So could go to a triple front and upt to a 25 or 26 on the rear.

 

[Will1985]

I don't see the point in changing cassette - moving to 13-26 will gain just 1 bottom gear and take out the pretty handy 16t sprocket leaving a big jump in the middle of the cassette.

On the other hand, changing the chainset at a similar cost gives better gears as I pointed out above (see Sheldon Brown) - 34/48 is a gap of 14t just like a standard double 39/53. The front mech certainly has the capacity to work, but even a compact specific one will only cost a tenner.

Alternatively, Jonathan M's triple suggestion will give even more gears nicely spaced but the front mech would definitely have to be changed as well as the bottom bracket.

 

[adscrim]

You could change the 42 chainring for a 39

+1

£10 + P&P job done.

 

[MartinC]

The ergos will shift a triple mech of any make without any problem. Unfortunately the Athena rear mech came only as short cage mech so it won't be able to cope with a triple - it's rated total capacity is 27 teeth.

The front mech had a capacity of 15 teeth with a 54 maximum chainring so the profile won't suit a 48-34 compact but will work - how well I don't know. If it's a braze on front mech then you may not be able to drop the mech close enough to the big ring. You can still get 9/10 speed Compact Campag front mechs (as opposed to the unified Standard/Compact current ones) which might work better.

At the moment the OP's got a well working classic 8 speed transmission with a low of 3.8 meters. He can tweak this fairly easily (rings and cassette) to drop the bottom gear to 3.2 meters and still have a reasonably even spread of gears. A 13-23 with 48-24 makes little difference to the lowest gear and gives you a high that's under 8 meters. It's a slightly closer ratio setup but you'll end up spending more money, possibly compromising the front change and losing a good looking chainset.

 

[gf1959]

I have a compact 50/34 and i think 13/25 cassette,there are some steep hills round here but i never need lower than second gear,which is 23.
I'd guess a 39 front and 25 rear would solve your problems and be a good compromise.

 

[Jonathan M]

The ergos will shift a triple mech of any make without any problem. Unfortunately the Athena rear mech came only as short cage mech so it won't be able to cope with a triple - it's rated total capacity is 27 teeth.

The front mech had a capacity of 15 teeth with a 54 maximum chainring so the profile won't suit a 48-34 compact but will work - how well I don't know. If it's a braze on front mech then you may not be able to drop the mech close enough to the big ring. You can still get 9/10 speed Compact Campag front mechs (as opposed to the unified Standard/Compact current ones) which might work better.

At the moment the OP's got a well working classic 8 speed transmission with a low of 3.8 meters. He can tweak this fairly easily (rings and cassette) to drop the bottom gear to 3.2 meters and still have a reasonably even spread of gears. A 13-23 with 48-24 makes little difference to the lowest gear and gives you a high that's under 8 meters. It's a slightly closer ratio setup but you'll end up spending more money, possibly compromising the front change and losing a good looking chainset.

I've used bikes with a triple and a short cage mech in the past, and while it isn't the best thing to do, as a shortcut it can work.

Re BB & triple chainsets, I don't know what size the OP's BB will be currently, but some BB's have got shorter over the years, so they may find that the original BB could be used.

 

[MartinC]

I've used bikes with a triple and a short cage mech in the past, and while it isn't the best thing to do, as a shortcut it can work.

Re BB & triple chainsets, I don't know what size the OP's BB will be currently, but some BB's have got shorter over the years, so they may find that the original BB could be used.

There are many things that 'work' but I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to other people unless I was sure they understood all the aspects. If the rear mech doesn't have enough capacity then you either run it with too much chain length for it to work properly or too little for it to work reliably (or even both at the same time). If a combination of chainring and sprocket doesn't provide enough chain wrap for the mech cage to take up all the slack then it's not possible to get the B tension on the mech right and the gear change will be poor and the transmission will be noisy and wear quickly. If a chainring and sprocket combination need more chain than's available then trying to change into it can break the chain or mech.

If you're competent enough to set up and test the transmission like this and are happy with the results then it's a fun experiment. I'd be sorry if someone did this just because someone on the net said it was a good idea and then spent money to no good effect or wrecked kit.

The original Athena chainsets came with an old fashioned cup and cone BB. They'll work fine (and are intended to) with a 111mm ISO taper (i.e Campag, Miche, Ambrosio, NECO, etc.) cartridge BB. A Campag Triple will fit this axle if the seat tube is 28.6mm, if it's fatter then it'll need a 115mm BB. If it's a Fondriest steel frame it's probably Italian threading. Most other (maybe all) current chainsets will need a different BB. If it's an external BB then you'd be better getting the BB shell chased and faced before installing it too.

For all these reasons changing the chainset is a solution with many risks of not working economically. Changing to a 39 ring and a 13-26 cassette will cost around £60 (new), provide a much better gear range and everything will still be working as it was designed to.

 

[onlyhuman]

+1

£10 + P&P job done.

Hi adscrim,

Would that be for a Campagnolo part? Where does one go for Campagnolo spares? Having acquired the bike with Campy equipment I'd like to keep it that way.

 

[onlyhuman]

There are many things that 'work' but I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to other people unless I was sure they understood all the aspects.

SNIP

Changing to a 39 ring and a 13-26 cassette will cost around £60 (new), provide a much better gear range and everything will still be working as it was designed to.

Thanks very much for all the thoughtful responses. I definitely don't understand all the aspects which is why I asked the question. The gears are working so beautifully and quietly now that I would be loath to do anything that might make things worse.

 

[MartinC]

Onlyhuman,

a genuine 8 speed Athena Campag chainring will be expensive and difficult to get. I'd try Mercian (www.merciancycles.co.uk), J.D Whisker (684a Goffs Lane, Goffs Oak, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, EN7 5ET, 01707-875448) or www.campyoldy.co.uk to get one.

Most people use replacement rings from Stronglight or TA (www.spacycles.co.uk). A Dural Stronglight one will cost you £11, Zicral or Ceramic more thsn £20. The quality will be on a par with a Campag one and no-one can see the inner ring (not that there's much to see anyway).

 

[adscrim]

Hi adscrim,

Would that be for a Campagnolo part? Where does one go for Campagnolo spares? Having acquired the bike with Campy equipment I'd like to keep it that way.

No, campy compatible obviously but not campy. I've never seen single campy chainrings for sale.