Questions tagged [chainring]
The cogs (gears) at the front of your drive chain, connected to the cranks.
508 questions
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What is a narrow wide chainring and what are its benefits and drawbacks?
What is a narrow wide chainring and what are it's benefits and drawbacks?
Also, is a specific chain or cassette required?
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Triple vs Double chainring?
I'm bike shopping for my first road bike, and I've asked for a lot of advice from my father who was a serious cyclist once upon a time. After showing him one prospective bike, he dismissed it with a ...
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Does this chainring need to be replaced?
Here is a closeup of my triple:
All three rings are Shimano Ultegra and have never been changed. They probably have at least 12000+ km on them. I've been pretty good about changing the chain ...
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What would happen if I don’t replace worn drivetrain components?
What would happen if I took a entirely new drivetrain and just never replaced anything? Of course, I’d keep it clean and lubricated.
With 11 and 12 speed chains being as expensive as they are, the old ...
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Do cassettes and chains need to be replaced at the same time?
Someone recently told me that if I replace my cassette I need to replace my chain (and vice versa) so that they wear evenly.
Is this true? And, can anyone elaborate on the reasoning for this a bit ...
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Is there a practical gain from elliptical/oval chainrings?
I have seen competitive (amateur) cyclists with oval chainrings (front). What is the deal? Are they just for showing off, or is there a practical gain from it (different force transfer).
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Why do people use bigger cassettes for lower gearing when they could instead use smaller chainrings?
I want lower (sub 1:1) gearing on my next drivetrain but also a decent range, reasonable spacing between gears and still be reasonably light.
While looking at different combinations of components, I ...
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Why use multiple materials on chainrings?
Why is it that on a typical mid-level road triple crankset, the outer rings (larger rings) will be aluminum, while the inner ring (small ring) is chro-mo?
It seems to me that if aluminium was good ...
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What explains 9 speed cassettes price differences?
I have a pretty heavy bike I use to travel long distances with a lot of luggage. It has a mix of XT, deore and other Shimano equipment. I bought it second hand so I don't really know the details. I ...
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Mysterious case: chain falling off large chainring, how to fix?
On my commuter bike I decided to rid myself of the small inner chain ring (which is almost never used) and front dérailleur (now redundant). However, I have come across an unusual problem. Whilst ...
user1092
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Whatever happened to the 4 x n derailleur drivetrains?
Around the mid-1990s I am positive I remember seeing bikes with 4 x n drive trains e.g. 28-speed (4 x 7 gears).
There is nowadays a trend towards just 2 or even 1 front sprocket e.g. 1 x 12. More than ...
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Differences between Biopace and Rotor cranks
On mountain bikes of a certain age, "Biopace" chainrings are ubiquitous. These chainrings are (purposely) not circular. It seems that most people today agree that Biopace rings didn't live up to the ...
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What physically makes chainrings have a specific speed compatibility?
Chainrings are sold as having a specific compatibility for only certain speed setups, some overlapping across many. What physically makes this the case?
From what I understand, 5/6/7/8/9 speed chains ...
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1x, 2x, 3x chainring - does it matter?
I need to replace one chainring in my 3x9 setup. One possible option I'm looking at says it was made for 2x setups. Another option says it was made for 1x. They have the correct tooth count, BCD, and ...
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How do I calculate the diameter of a chainring from the number of teeth?
Simply knowing the number of teeth on a chainring can we determine an accurate diameter?
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Why is cross chaining 'bad', but 1x is OK?
When you run 1x, aren't you basically force to cross chain?
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How to fix front gear taking 2 shifts just to move onto next cog
I was out on a ride yesterday and several times when I was changing up and down between big chain ring and little chain ring (I only have the 2 rings up front) it required 2 gear changes. The gears ...
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What is the impact of changing to a smaller chainring?
My road bike has a Campagnolo Veloce gearset. It's running 53 and 39 tooth chainrings. I have a 13-25 10sp cassette.
I find that a lot of the time when I'm cruising, I'm on the big chainring and in ...
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What causes chain suck?
Specifically when changing gears from middle chain ring to smallest, the chain will sometimes get 'sucked' up between the inner chainring and chain stay. It seems to happen more often in muddy ...
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if I replace chainset and chain should I replace back cassette as well?
I am replacing my chainset and chain, as its totaly worn and causing the chain to jump off when I pedal. The cassette is fairly worn too, but is not causing any problems. If I buy a new chain and ...
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How do I tell if my cog needs replacing?
Two answers to this question gather that after 14335 km (8907 mi) of cycling with a single chain, the cog is at risk of being damaged.
I haven't noticed anything unusual apart from the chain being ...
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Chain slipping on middle chainring
I have recently replaced the chain and the cassette. Previous chain never slipped. I never had any problems with it at all. But I have made about 10 000 km on it and the wear was beyound any limits, ...
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How much distance can I put on drivetrain components?
I figure the jockey wheels on my derailer will last nearly forever, but what about the rest: cassette, chainrings, and chain? How many miles, kilometers, or furlongs do they normally last?
I know ...
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Can double chainrings be used with a clutch-type rear derailleur?
I've been reading up on Sram's CX1 1x11 cyclocross-specific group. It hinges on two technologies to minimize the potential for dropped-chains/chainslap. The CX1 clutch rear-derailleur keeps the chain ...
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Do I need to get a replacement bike for this broken chainring?
I wanted a cheap commuter bike, and just received this bike from Amazon. I have little knowledge about bikes, but looks like the middle chain-ring is broken to me.
Is this indeed broken, or is it ...
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I failed to replace my chain at the proper interval. Will I have to replace my whole drivetrain?
My bicycle is a 2012 Specialized Secteur. It has 6000 miles (10000 km), and I have never replaced the chain.
I recently began noticing that the chain always seems out of alignment with the rear ...
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Do aluminium chainrings/cassettes contribute to chain wear?
In trying to achieve a long lasting, low maintenance drivetrain, I've read statements about aluminium oxide being the source of the black colour of chain dirt and also being highly abrasive:
...
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Can I replace chainrings without replacing the rest of the drive train?
I now ride a 60cm SurlyLHT with chain rings at 26/36/48t. Can I replace with a smaller set at 22/32/46t (or similar combination) without having to replace the entire drive train - cassette, rear ...
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Is a 7 speed chainring compatible with an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette and chain?
Currently I have a 7 speed cassette (13-23) running with a spacer on a new Tiagra hub. After I changed my chain, the wear has made two of the gears unusable.
I am considering changing the cassette to ...
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Inexperienced rider - double chainring?
I'm a fairly inexperienced (and out of shape) rider who has recently moved to Seattle, a very hilly area. I used to ride a Fuji Traverse (hybrid) in my original hometown, Tallahassee (which also has ...
user22506
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Why are there almost no bikes with a single chainring?
Bikes with two or three chainrings are the norm, and then there are singlespeeds, but except for kids' bikes, you see almost no stock bikes with a single chainring in front but a cassette and ...
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Why use 54T (or bigger) chainring?
In time trial races, I see people are using these big chainrings. Is 50/11 combination doesn't give enough top speed? What's the real advantage? I can only think of the negative, which is it makes the ...
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Yes/no replace chainrings+cassette after chain failure?
I had a pretty bad chain failure a couple of days ago. I bought the bike second hand about a year ago, and in all fairness I had not done much maintenance on it since. I discussed with a friend and ...
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Increasing a 32T chainring to a 36T - will it fit?
I'm considering changing up the chainring on this 2020 Specialized Turbo Levo Comp in order to slow down wear on the cassette as the rider tends to keep it in a few of the mid-high gears.
What ...
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How does lubricating your chain help protect your cassette and chainrings from wearing too?
I just got my mountain bike back from the shop after a frame warranty, and they replaced my chain as it was apparently worn (2x11). They recommended changing the cassette and chainrings while I was at ...
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Is there a difference between a Shimano 10-speed MTB small chainring between double and triple cranksets?
Shimano sells two types of 10-speed chainring, one for 2x and one for 3x systems. The smallest chainring have a 64mm BCD for both systems, and it looks the same to me. So what is the difference ...
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Front derailleur rubbing against chainring
I'm trying to fix up my old (1999) Trek 4500, and I've run into a snag while adjusting the front derailleur. It's a Shimano FD-CT92 (bottom bracket mounted E-type), and it's rubbing against the ...
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Is it safe to ride with one missing chainring bolt?
I have a double chainring on my road bike but one of my chainring bolts has broken so I'm left with only 4 out of the 5 I'm supposed to have. Is it safe to ride? (just until replacements arrive)
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Converting 3x7 to a 1x7. Is it possible with only existing parts?
I own a 2000 model Specialized Ground Control full suspension. The front derailleur is rusty and temperamental so my solution is to remove it as well as 2 chain rings (they are removable on mine) and ...
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How can I lower the gear ratio on my son's bike?
I got a SH Commencal 24" MTB for my son. He loves it - except on climbing steep slopes where he runs out of steam.
It comes with a 7-speed 14-28T freewheel (Shimano MF TZ21) + Acera derailleur, ...
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Is it possible to change chainrings to bigger on Shimano FC-MT500-B2 (2x10, 36T-26T)?
I'd like to change a chainring for Shimano FC-MT500-B2 crank on my Grand Canyon 5 bike, because current setting (36T-26T) is not enough for me. On my previous bike I had 44T and it was fine, and I'd ...
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Can I increase my highest gear ratio?
I have a modern bike (ridgeback meteor '13) and It currently has a 21 speed shimano chainset.
I find that going down hills (which I do a lot) and on flats I need a higher gear.
Can I do anything to ...
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Bent Chainring causing chain to attempt changing gears
I was riding my road bike last night when something strange happened. I stopped at a stop sign. (I didn't have time to slow down so I was in my highest (fastest) gear. When I started I had to press ...
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Can I run a dual crankset with a chain guide tensioner?
We recently got a new mountain bike for my son via craigslist, it is a couple year old Transition Bottle Rocket and came with a E-Thirteen SS+ chain guide/tensioner.
He would like a lower gear for ...
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Can I use a narrowide chainring on a double rings crankset?
I would like to go touring using my narrowide chainring, but I would like as well to put a smaller chainring (the infamous Grannie) so that I could have it as a last resort in case of really hard ...
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Why will some chainrings fit 7s-12s while others are meant for just 10s?
When looking for a chainring, I see that Shimano specifies whether it is for 2x or 3x. I'm guessing that the pins (protruding rivets) on the former will be on one side only, and on both sides on the ...
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Shimano SLX direct mount chainring spider bolts - are they available?
On my shimano SLX 12 speed 1x direct mount crankset, there are 8 tiny bolts that fasten the chainring to the direct mount spider. They are some weird allen head with a post in the middle, and very ...
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How can I keep my chain from falling off the inner chainring? (specifically, from getting stuck in the bottom bracket)
I've got a mountain bike which occasionally drops the chain off the lowest gear, and then the chain gets stuck in the bottom bracket. This happens while pedalling.
Once the chain is there, it takes ...
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What bike chain size do I buy?
A friend gave me his old bike which I'm fixing up to use. It has no chain and I've never replaced one before so I'm wondering what size I need to buy to replace it. The Bike is an Apollo Avio, it has ...
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5 arm cranksets versus 4. Which is better and why?
I'm looking to buy a Sora triple crankset. Shimano make two types, one eith 5 arms, and the other with 4 arms1. Which should I get and why would that be a better choice? I'm a slow-ish rider. I'm 50 ...
user41329