Nashbar Compact Double

Price Paid:  $50.00 at nashbar

Favorite Ride:
rollins savannah to DPRT and Casey Rd

Bike Setup:
flyte cx
shimano 105 cranks and der.
tiagra shifters
egg beater pedals

Summary:
bought these for a cx frame i was building up to use to haul my kid in a trailer. didnt know if i would like the compact gearing, so i went with uber cheap nashbar.

i actually liked them better than the 105 standard gearing i had on a full-on road bike. they shifted fine, werent tank-heavy, and i found the matte finish to be better than teh 105 gloss.

i couldnt find the perfect gearing to pull my kid, so i found a deal on a true cx crankset.

i am building up another road bike and will probably put this crank on to start. other than it being black with the "n" on it, i wouldnt have any reservations.

also used the nashbar BB. install was easy, but it felt a bit heavy. it is still on the bike, now with a truvatic crankset, and working fine. it developed a creak after the bike was dumped and then dropped a week later. i pulled the BB, cleaned the shell, then reinstalled. smoothe and silent.

Strengths:
price. shifting is good. easy install.

Weaknesses:
looks you get for having an "n" crank. had trouble finding a comfortable gear, but was probably due to a mtb cassette. if i were to tour i would use this setup.

Similar Products Used:
shimano 105, truvativ elita cx (isis) truvativ elita extrnal BB (had issue with left crank arm grrrrrr. but was warranteed)