Smaller chainset on Moulton

The Sugino OX901D 40-30t chainset would seem an ideal replacement to my Ultegra compact double chainset 50-34t chainset, as I’m 78 with artificial knees and struggle when cycling on the Isle of Wight. My bike is a Moulton fx, which has a fixed hinge for the front mech, and as a consequence it cannot be lowered to accommodate smaller chainrings. Would it be possible to have a replacement re-engineered in order to allow the adjustment to be made?

Brian Wey

A If you have a ‘braze-on’ front derailleur mount, one option is to try a SRAM front derailleur mech; these have two threaded mounting holes and work with a wide range of chainring sizes. Alternatively, a frame builder should be able to extend the derailleur mount, although there may be some damage to paintwork.

Richard Hallett

​​Cycle’s Technical Editor

This Q&A was published in 'Cycle' the magazine for members of Cycling UK. To contact the experts, email your technical, health, legal or policy questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cycle Q&A, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ