With the choice of a Dura Ace 7800 GS rear derailleur, it was simple to choose the Dura Ace FD 7803 front triple derailleur. Like the rear unit, it is a beautiful piece of work:
As is typical with Dura Ace gear, the finishing and attention to detail is exquisite:
The rear cage is highly sculpted:
This sculpting is designed specifically for the chainring jumps of a Dura Ace FC 7803 crankset with 53/39/30 rings. This is all part and parcel of the increasing specialization and consequent compatibility issues with cycling components.
It worked fine for the one or two test rides with the Sugino OX801D compact double. However, when I swapped that out for the final choice of a TA Carmina 48/38/28 triple, it took quite a while to find a satisfactory setup.
During the hour or so of futzing around with this, I found myself longing for the old days of more or less universally compatible front derailleurs with smooth inner and outer plates. When it came to ride time, I did find the shifts much quicker and more quiet than with an old style cage. However, I still have vague fears about incompatibility, as I am considering going to a 48-36-24 configuration on the front triple.
I'm going to skip the ratings, as they are identical to those of the Dura Ace RD 7800 rear derailleur.
Running Tally
$3839 USD
We bring forward $3730 USD. This unit was $109 USD with free shipping from Chain Reaction Cycles.
The Sausage Factory
3 comments:
Iam cofused by the running tally...
@Jon
Sorry, fixed, cut and paste error, thanks for bringing this to my attention.
If the D/A doesn't work out, try the Campy triple mech, works well with smaller big rings. I use it with 48/36/24, shifts well with bar-cons or Ergo. On close out at Rivendell.
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