Novara Randonee: Drive train and test ride

I got the rear derailleur cabled up and the chain run.  I did notice something unusual about the the RD though.

The Cyclone M-II has no cable tension bolt on the derailleur body the cable and housing just go directly into the RD.  I checked on bike forums and it was confirmed that they didn't have one, so I wasn't missing something obvious.  SunTour was trying for a very aero and light RD and apparently the tension bolt was surplus to requirements.  Not a huge deal with friction shifting anyway.

You will notice the chain is very slack, so I ended up re-reading the Sheldon Brown method of chain sizing   And removed a link.

Still some slack after I removed the link but this is the small small combo that I really shouldn't ever be in both because of better options and chain deflection (extreme angle -outer cog in back inner cog up front).

In the lowest gear (big cog in back inner rign up front) the chain tension is fine and this is the key gear on this bike for me and the whole reason for the mega range FW - slogging up hills.

And in the middle ring where I spend most of my time the chain tension is fine, I like a lower middle ring but I have noticed on the Cresta it sometimes seemed too low so it will be good to have this set up for comparison, if I love this ride I can always swap to a different middle ring.

Front derailleur is dialed in,

I haven't seen evidence of the self adjusting FD lever that the SunTour Symmetric shifters are famous for, but I am just happy it shifts correctly for now.

This now the third bike I have used the red cable housing from the Jagwire shift cable and housing kit I ordered for the Moto_GT and I expect it will handle a few more bikes too.  Friction shifting set ups use a fraction of the cable housing a brifter bike does.

I did get in a short test ride, literally just around the block, but enough to know the fit is in the ball park, and it shifts and  stops.  I also know that the saddle nose needs to come up and stem needs to come up and get tightened as do the brake levers.

I have been wanting a P-handled hex wrench specifically to tighten brake levers so I ordered one.  The long wrench will be helpful as my current 6 mm hex wrench is barely doing the job.

Wrench. Ride. Smile. Repeat.