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Trying to find a replacement for my FC-C201 crankset: enter image description here

I found (what I think is) the spec sheet here. The relevant section is here: enter image description here

However, my chainring has 48 teeth while the spec sheet says it should have 42. I would think that someone else had changed the chainring, except that in this model the chainring is non-removable.

Am I misreading the spec sheet? Is there a reason why it may be different? In what situations can I trust the spec sheet to describe my item?

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    Hi, welcome to bicycles! That sure doesn't look like what I would expect a factory C201 to look like. Perhaps someone's bodged something together? A non-removable chainring is... odd.
    – DavidW
    Commented Jul 3 at 20:34
  • Mmm that's possible, I got it used and rebuilt. However, I was under the impression that cranksets where the crank arm and chainring could not be separated were relatively common -- perhaps I'm not using these words correctly. If it is somehow cobbled together, how would I go about getting advice on replacing it without knowing what's on there right now?
    – Lucas Myers
    Commented Jul 3 at 20:48
  • Those teeth are clearly worn, you're doing the right thing to replace it.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jul 3 at 22:02
  • @LucasMyers riveted chainrings are indeed fairly common
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 4 at 15:03
  • @DavidW the whole crankset has to be replaced. Mostly used on bikes that aren't expected to be used enough to wear out chainrings, but then some of us prove them wrong
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 4 at 15:32

1 Answer 1

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Some cheap cranksets do not have removable chain rings, I believe (looking at photos on a Ebay listing) that the FC-C201 42/34/24 is one of these.

It is very common in the industry for manufacturers to specify the bicycle components they want for a particular bike. IN this case, I suspect the bicycle manufacturer commissioned a run of cranksets with 48/34?/24 chain rings based on the FC-C201.

On bikes at this price point, spec sheets are often not entirely accurate. They often just republish the manufacturer details, without paying attention to what is on the bikes. Entirely possible the spec sheet is for the same bike sold with a 42 tooth chain ring.

In practice it makes little real difference. Bicycle components are fair standardized (although they change the standards a lot). It would be uncommon (and unwise) for a bike mechanic to purchase replacement parts off a spec sheet without confirming by inspection they were correct. Bicycles are not the same as automobiles or airplanes in this regard.

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    Strangely, it seems like there are both riveted and bolted versions of the FC-C201 (from a google image serach of 2nd hand sales), as well as several different tooth counts (48, 44, and 42 tooth big rings, which doesn't surprise me as Shimano take a similar labelling approach with cassettes)
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 4 at 15:06

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