Originally Posted by
cxwrench
If your drivetrain is within the spec (total capacity AND large cog) using small/small gets you the longest (safest) chain w/o having slack in small/small. If you swap wheels and/or cassettes out for different types of rides this definitely comes in handy. If you don it guarantees the smoothest possible running drivetrain when you go big/big.
I'm actually out of spec according to Campy but it works beautifully. The 50/29 combo even works and is quiet. After I installed the cassette and chain I started hearing a noise I hadn't heard before because the drivetrain got so quiet. I knew what it was immediately though, the ping, ping, ping of a loose spoke, so I put my bike on the stand and retensioned the wheel. I also pulled the dish a bit over to the non-drive side as the fatter tire would rub the drive side slightly if I didn't have the QR just right. I figured that must mean the dish was off. I built this wheel ages ago myself and I didn't have a dishing tool, and I still don't. It didn't matter until I put fatter tires on.