Shimano Sora 3303 Chainset - Triple

M532 Chainset + external Bottom Bracket

Advantages: built in external BB, good quality
Disadvantages: None

I bought this to replace the SR Suntour cranks and stock Shimano Bottom Bracket on my Trek 4300. A fantastic upgrade, extremely sturdy, nice stiff cranks, excellent machine work. And to top it off, no internal Bottom Bracket is needed. Something I dont think a lot of the adverts for the item make enough of. You don't need to bother measuring your spindle as you just need to remove the entire bottom bracket and fit the M532 with the inbuilt external BB. You will need additional tools to fit this, but they can be picked up relatively cheaply and you never need to worry about wearing out any bearings in the bottom bracket again. It took me 15 minutes to fit, simply remove your old cranks, remove the BB and slot this in place. It comes with various spacers to adjust the width depending on your frame size and once fitted it ...

KitsuneAndy 19.04.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Shimano M532 Deore 2 Piece Design Chainset, 9-Speed - 44/32/22T

Shimano Dura Ace Rear Mech (RD-7700-SS)

Advantages: Top of the range "bling" rear mech
Disadvantages: 9 speed "only", superceeded by RD-7800 10-speed version

usual, the Shimano instructions are very simple to follow, although as with all jobs of this type a basic knowledge of bicycle maintenace is required. It's a beautifully made item, with lots of cold-forged, anodized aluminum giving the mech a "jewellery" look (in my opinion, better looking than the new 10-speed version) and has so far always shifted faultlessly with 105 STI levers. Mine is the "SS" version, with the short cage, although a longer cage version is (was?) also available to work with wider range rear cassette sprockets, or a triple/compact chainset - this "GS" version has a total capacity of 38 teeth. Clearly, this will be a little heavier than this version... Looking at ChainReactionCycles.com today (April 7, 2006), it's available at £49.99, saving 23% off the RRP of £64.95, so pick up a bargain... Overall, a top ...

matt_fantastic 07.04.2006 (10.04.2006) · Read full review
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Review of Shimano DuraAce

Shimano SPD M072 Cycle Shoe to infinity and beyond

Advantages: Strong, well made, functional
Disadvantages: Nothing yet.

SPD INTRO Shimano M072 shoes are SPD cycling shoes so here's a quick explanation of what SPD is. For those who may not know SPD stands for Shimano Pedaling Dynamic. All very nice I hear you say, so to explain they are Clipless pedals. Basically you get a pair of shoes, bolt on some clips to the shoes, get a pair of SPD pedals which are like a clamp, step on the pedals and your feet are locked to the pedals. Rotating your feet to the side then releases you from the pedal. (not as dangerous as it sounds). GENERAL Shimano mountain bike shoes have been around for a number of years now and in my opinion if you are a user of SPD pedals then you can't beat Shimano PSD shoes for reliability. I have used number if different types over the years, most of which I cant remember the name off and ones that usually found the bucket because they ...

skrg28 30.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Shimano MO72