tomtomtom123

The FSA tempo here only comes in 170 and 175 so perhaps your location just doesn't have them in stock. The specs say that the qfactor is around 148, while the spa cycle cranks are around 165 if you're using the triple as a double. The problem I have with the 30t on the FSA is that it's 80bcd and there are no other chainrings available. I was thinking about using a CNC machine to drill new holes on a 74bcd chainring which is limited to 26t with the 80bcd. But I ended up getting a 110/74 double.
46t middle can be found from ta zephyr, spa cycles, and sugino pe110. I have the 46t from spa cycle and it shifts really well with a 26t, but it came a little bent and bowed so I had to take a wrench and bend it back.
I might go down to 44/24
with My 20x2.10 tires and 30/11 cassette, and 46/26, I'm getting 83-17gi. With a 16 rim the equivalent inner chainring would be 30t.
i might drop the 30t cog to 32t but I'm not sure if there would be enough ground clearance for the rear derailleur for your Brompton. I have about 45mm ground clearance with the Shimano 4700gs. The sram mid cage is maybe 10-15mm shorter.

Fr0hickey

Marcus_Ti

Yea, in that scenario your only choice is FSA.

https://www.clevertraining.com/stage...fsa-sl-k-light

Fr0hickey

Stages power meter with FSA SL-K is left-side only.

tomtomtom123

I found a local shop with a couple of Sugino ox-601d for much cheaper than soma fab. I'm going tomorrow to pick one up. Is anyone interested in another?
It comes with large sized 110 bcd chainrings, so you'll most likely have to use your own. TA Zephyr and Zelito chainrings, or Spa Cycles, has the widest selection. I was also able to get up to 20T jump with a chain catcher and some of fiddling with the FD.

I had a look at the Sugino website, and they discontinued the ox-901d too. Instead they've now got the ox2-901d which has serrated splines like the Shimano hollowtech 2 splines, which I believe makes a tighter fit and is more stable, but costs $400. The large, tall OX splines creates gap. I have about 0.1mm all the way around. This caused the left arm to gradually slip out, but I fixed this by adding lightweight loctite 222 on the compression bolt. I was thinking of getting another one because, I had a 165mm but I feel like my cadence is too fast, so I'm going to go back to 170mm.

I was also able to adjust the ox-601d chainline by 0.5-1.0mm by using Shimano mountain BB (with shaved road sleeve) and a spacer on the drive side. Shimano mountain BB overall width on 68mm BSA is around 0.7mm narrower than the overall width of the Sugino BB that comes with the crankset. The Shimano road BB is around +2mm overwall wider than the Shimano mountain BB, so you shouldn't use the road BB on the Sugino crank, otherwise you'd shorten the spindle by around 1.3mm. Original chainline is closer to approx. 44mm. Gap between chainrings is around 7.3-7.5mm. Q-factor to the most outer surface (not the countersink for pedal washers) is around 148mm.

tomtomtom123

If anyone is interested I have one extra Sugino OX-601D, 170mm length, 52/36T, with Sugino BB, new in box and packaging. PM me if interested. I also have a new Sugino PE110S 46T chainring that came off my OX crank, which has countersinks on both sides of bolt hole so it can mount either middle or outer (of a triple, or the outer of the OX). And the new original 30T 74BCD that came together with that. And a minimally used 28T. I decided to go with 24/44T.

Planemaker

I had an FSA SL-K Adventure crank installed last year 46/30. The non drive side crank arm fell off after 100 miles and the crank was replaced under warranty. I was never really happy with the crank (it seem as though there was always a squeak from loose chainrings, bottom bracket or or crank arms).

Last week I had the crank removed and put the original Ultegra crank installed with a Wheels Mfg bottom bracket and absoluteBLACK oval chainrings 48/32. So far, the ride is amazing.

OldsCOOL

Marcus_Ti

Sucky luck. My SLK is still in service, although my big-dog ring is showing some wear and is about due for replacement with only 5k+ miles....which for semi-offroad may or may not be a good life.

Cyclist0108

My White Industries crank has been fine. I was worried about "regressing" to square-taper (the 30mm one didn't fit), but it has been robust and shifts as good as the Ultegra crank it replaced. (Di2)

Planemaker

It's all good. I actually like the Ultegra crankset better.

I will sell the the FSA crank

BuTbKa

I guess I would add my 2 cents.. Just built Lynskey gravel bike and went with full ultegra DI2 and Absolute Black 46/30 rings. Really like that combo! Smooth and quite, no issues with shifting. Like it even more after realizing on my frame rear derailleur (RX805) clears 11-42 cassette even with 46-42 combo without wolftooth link or longer B-screw.
Thought would like me some carbon cranks, but after first 150 miles of rough mountain trails deep scratched Ultegra cranks. Wouldn't want to take a chance to crack carbon. Really miss having power meter, would settle even for left side only, but don't have enough clearance between left crank arm and chainstay. Per AB customer service subcompact rings aren't compatible with Quar DFour or Pioneer/Stages. I guess only option I have is RaceFace/Easton cinch PM (if I want to keep SPD pedals), but reviews are not all that great.

TimothyH

Wait a minute. Really?

You have Absolute Black 30 ring with a 42 sprocket in the rear? GS RX805 works with that combo?

What cassette are you running? PG-1130, I suppose.

I'm running Ultegra Di2 with 11/36 cassette and am thinking of going with Absolute Black subcompact rings for bikepacking. If I could cram a 42 sprocket on the wheel as well, that would be in the sub 20 gear inches. Sweet!

Please let us know.


-Tim-

BuTbKa

Perhaps I shouldn't have said full ultegra. Cassette is XT M8000 11-42. I seen plenty of reports where people were successfully running XT 11-40 without wolftooth link with medium cage derailleur and since I wanted to match gears to my hardtail I purchased 11-42 cassette with wolftooth DM link which is specifically designed for ultegra R8000 and dura ace 9100. Turns out didn't need it. 46-30 Absolute Black chainrings and XT 11-42 cassette with RX805 RD work together as a champ. Please note DI2 doesn't let you shift below 15T sprocket when on small chainring, with mechanical setup chain slap would be an issue. I used full length of new ultegra chain (116 links)

TimothyH

This is great info and I really appreciate that you took the time to reply.

The limits of Di2 are understood.

It opens up some possibilities for me to think about.


-Tim-

TimothyH

I can confirm that Absolute Black 46-30 chainrings, an XT 11-42 mountain bike cassette and RX-805 derailleur is a usable system on a road or gravel bike. .

There is still some adjusting to do but it shifts up and down without a hiccup.

A 30 ring with 42 rear sprocket is somewhere around 19.6 gear inches. It feels rediculously low just riding around the subdivision.

Thank you @BuTbKa.


-Tim-

BuTbKa

You are very welcome glad it worked out for you . I actually swapped my ultegra cranks with absolute black 46/30 to Rotor power meter with direct mount chainrings (same 46/30) and that combo works just as good. So, if anyone likes rotor components their ALDHU cranks or inpower PM will fit the bill. Will probably sell AB 46/30 now, shame didn't think of it before . They have only 240 miles on them

Phil413

Put on an Absolute Black 46-30 setup along with a 11-34 cassette on a brand new Canyon Aeroad Durace DI2. Everything works perfectly. I live in an area with lots of hills and wanted the Canyon bike to be more rideable for mere 50+ mortal like myself. I just had to tweak the front derailleur a little bit and shifting is flawless.

deepakvrao

DO you think that I would be able to put on a 11-40 cassette with the Ultegra 8050 GS RD [with a 50/34 crankset]? Without a Wolftooth extender?

BuTbKa

Pretty sure you would. There are plenty of videos on YouTube where people do just that. There is also a nice article on road.cc. I don't have enough posts to add links, but if you search for 'how get ultra low gearing gravel bike' you'll find it.

deepakvrao

Well, I just did it, so can confirm that it works, at least on my frame, without the hanger extender. In fact, I had to back out the b screw a bit too. It might even take a 42.

Cyclist0108

We can now add Shimano to the list: FC-RX600-11

https://gravel.shimano.com/en/components/crankset/

The higher-tier one in their new gravel line is 48/31T. (WTF?)

They say that these new cranks change the chainline by 2.5mm, and that requires their new derailleur(s). (also, WTF?)

TimothyH

If you are buying GRX stuff then you probably will be buying a new front derailleur anyway. The extra 2.5 mm is to help with tire clearance.

48/31 actually makes lots of sense when compared to 46/30. 48/31 has more top end than 46/30 and is almost as low. One could say that it is the best of both worlds.


-Tim-

tomtomtom123

I use 46/26 with a Spa Cycle outer ring without problems when used with a chain catcher, but will change to 44/24 soon with a TA ring but I don't know if it shifts as good as the Spa Cycle. I will also experiment to test if 46/44 is possible. 24 is the minimum you can go on 74bcd. You can go to 26 on 80 BCD but nobody makes one so you'd have to drill your own holes on the ring. 46 is the maximum you can find for a middle on 110bcd when mounting on the inner side of the spider.

Barrettscv 

Another Absolute Black 46 & 30 chain-ring user.

The bike is a professional racing road frame, the same as used by Lotto-Soudal specifically for climbing and sprinting. It's Ridley Helium SLX with a 11-32 cassette and Sram eTap. Yes, I'm using an Ultegra crank arm set. It works very well so far, even if it might look a little out-of-place.