Cpn_Crank

Hello, Cycling enthusiasts.

I am gearing up to overhaul my 2016 Fuji Touring. I want to use road brifters.

I have some Sora 9x3 STI levers. Everything on this bike is compatible with the shifters accept... You guessed it: the front Derailleur.

I am running a shimano M591 MTB crank, and standard 11-34 in the rear. I happen to love this crank and will not compromise for anything else.

There are a couple of solutions (discovered through hours of confusing research), none of which seem to be definitive.

1. Use a Microshift R539 FD. Some have claimed to use this FD on 48/36/26 MTB cranks problem free. If this doesn’t quite swing with the crank’s chainline:
A.modify or purchase a braze-on adapter mount which will extend FD chainline by 5mm (product recommendations welcomed)
B. Modify derailleur by filing down the outer-limit-stops, allowing it to (Theoretically) swing to the large chainring

2. Use Stock derailleur with a Jtek Shiftmate 7 or comparable product (which I can’t seem to find in the US ANYWHERE!)

3. Use a different brand of road derailleur that is MTB crank compatible (which I have not yet discovered)

4. Chainring spacers

Anyone ever do this successfully with the Microshift FD or any other way, and if so, how? I know this is possible. Not easy, but possible.

Thanks!

Doug64

I think you have a chainline issue. Road bikes and many touring bikes' drivetains are setup to run a 45-46 mm chainline. Mountain bike use a 50 mm chainline. Road FDs are not made to handle that range. IMO the Tiagra 4503 9 spd , triple FD is the one of most flexible FDs. However, even if you could find one, I'm not sure it would work. I've solved the problem on several bikes using a shorter bottom bracket, but I don't believe you have that option.

robow

What Doug said, but if the Tiagra won't work for you, I have found this IRD Alpina front derailler to work for my smaller chain ring triples and STI, available for braze on or buy the available clamp if needed. Very well made and is nicely finished.

https://www.interlocracing.com/shop/...rch=derailleur

cyccommute 

The crank you are looking at is the less expensive brother of this crank

Untitled by Stuart Black, on Flickr

There are a couple of differences between my crank and yours. First, I’m using a 46 tooth outer. I’m also using a 20 tooth inner. You should be able to see that the front derailer is a Shimano road derailer. The 20 tooth chainwheel tests the limits of the derailer but it is up to the task. I’ve had several different road fronts with this kind of configuration and not had problems with them. The only exception is the IRD Alpine front derailer.

As to the chainline, it’s far easier to adjust the chainline on an external bottom bracket than an internal one. For internal bottom brackets, you can only change the chainline by changing the bottom bracket since they come in different lengths. For external, you just change the spacers or move them from one side to the other. The spindle length remains the same. It’s fairly simple.

Cpn_Crank

This is a great suggestion. As you’d suggested, finding one is the issue. I looked into it. I’ve had a revelation in doing so.

It turns out that the Gevenalle shifters piqued my interest. Same exact stuff I had on there before (MS Barends, plain Tektro LP levers), accept all on the hoods, which I prefer. My father is a machinist, and could likely mill this mount.

thanks for your suggestion. I’m going to keep my eye out for the tiagra shifters for the bin (or to just use)

djb

I love my Gevenalle setup, have ridden a lot with them. They are a neat setup.
but I do love my sti shifters too, they are great.

good luck trying to replicate the Gevenalle set up.