Sourcing Chainrings.

[r04DiE]

Hello Learned Ones,

I am closing in on 19,000km on my road bike that I have owned since new, at the end of 2015. It has had a new casette and I have just replaced the chain, after noticing that it is slipping on the front (large) chainring when I put the power down! Usually this will be pulling away in the big ring.

Now, the bike shop are quoting me about £100 for both rings and, as much as I like to give them some business (and I do), this seems a bit pricey and I sure that I can get them cheaper online. The big problem is that I cannot find a 50 tooth, which is what my bike has had on it from new.

Do I get something near that size and live with it, swallow the cost of the LBS and get it replaced, or do something else? Might be a silly question but I wondered what others do.

Thanks,
Nick.

 

[smutchin]

Spa Cycles is usually good for this kind of thing, eg this one for £16: https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s149p293/STRONGLIGHT-110-BCD-Dural-Outer

Not sure why you're having trouble sourcing a suitable 50t chainring - they ought to be common as muck.

ETA: of course, you really should specify the BCD of your existing chainrings and whether they're four or five arm if you want recommendations.

 

[MichaelW2]

Chainrings come is varying tooth count, Bolt Circle Diameter (to fit crank bolt pattern), indexing patterns (pins and ramps for better chain derailling). Some are available as matched pairs with better shifting between rings. The material varies in hardness, generally between std Aluminium alloy and a very tough, durable alloy. Big brands such as Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM can be quite expensive in the higher groupsets. You can usually fit a lower groupset OK. There are plenty of good affordable brands. Specialities TA make almost every pattern of rings you could want.

 

[slowmotion]

Another vote for Spa Cycles. They have loads and loads of them of all shapes and sizes.

 

[r04DiE]

Spa Cycles is usually good for this kind of thing, eg this one for £16: https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s149p293/STRONGLIGHT-110-BCD-Dural-Outer

Not sure why you're having trouble sourcing a suitable 50t chainring - they ought to be common as muck.

ETA: of course, you really should specify the BCD of your existing chainrings and whether they're four or five arm if you want recommendations.

Thanks, @smutchin! Apologies, they are 110mm BCD and 5 arm, Shimano 105, 11 speed. I will take a look at Spa Cycles.

Chainrings come is varying tooth count, Bolt Circle Diameter (to fit crank bolt pattern), indexing patterns (pins and ramps for better chain derailling). Some are available as matched pairs with better shifting between rings. The material varies in hardness, generally between std Aluminium alloy and a very tough, durable alloy. Big brands such as Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM can be quite expensive in the higher groupsets. You can usually fit a lower groupset OK. There are plenty of good affordable brands. Specialities TA make almost every pattern of rings you could want.

Thaks for the info, @MichaelW2, very useful stuff. I have done lots of repairs and maintenance on bikes but never replaced chain rings, so a bit of a newbie to this.

Another vote for Spa Cycles. They have loads and loads of them of all shapes and sizes.

Noted, @slowmotion and thanks

 

[smutchin]

Thanks, @smutchin! Apologies, they are 110mm BCD and 5 arm, Shimano 105, 11 speed.

Hmmm. That sounds slightly odd to me - 105 switched to a four-arm crankset with the move to 11-speed.

In any case, chainrings are pretty easy to replace. It's even easier if you take the cranks off the bike but not essential.

 

[r04DiE]

Hmmm. That sounds slightly odd to me - 105 switched to a four-arm crankset with the move to 11-speed.

Really? This is a 2016 11 speed Defy 1 Disc, bought from a Giant Dealer.

 

[bpsmith]

Really? This is a 2016 11 speed Defy 1 Disc, bought from a Giant Dealer.

You probably have the Shimano RS500 chainset, not 105 5800. It’s if comparable quality, although not actually a 105 model.

You could buy a 105 5800 chainset for £60 at Ribble, minus £5 if you sign up to their newsletter.

 

[r04DiE]

You probably have the Shimano RS500 chainset, not 105 5800. It’s if comparable quality, although not actually a 105 model.

You could buy a 105 5800 chainset for £60 at Ribble, minus £5 if you sign up to their newsletter.

On closer inspection, its says its a 5800 and thanks for the heads up on the Ribble site. If I buy the set, do I need special tools to get the cranks off?

Thanks

 

[smutchin]

do I need special tools to get the cranks off?

http://www.madegood.org/bikes/repair/replace-the-chainring-on-a-shimano-hollowtech-crankset/

 

[r04DiE]

OK, thank you for that - thanks to everybody that has contributed.

One more thing, what makes a chainring 10 or 11 speed? I can't see why they would need to be any different?

 

[si_c]

OK, thank you for that - thanks to everybody that has contributed.

One more thing, what makes a chainring 10 or 11 speed? I can't see why they would need to be any different?

11 speed chains are ever so slightly narrower, so the distance between the chainrings can in theory be narrower. I'm not certain that it makes a difference though, I've certainly had no problems using 9 or 10 speed chains with an 11 speed chainset.

Don't recall hearing anyone having had problems either. Would be interested to hear if someone has though.

 

[Gixxerman]

I too have the same issues sourcing chainrings. Especially like-for-like ones for my hybrid. Very few people seem to stock them. You can get MTB and road bike ratios, but there is a sparse supply of the sort of OEM ratios you get on most hybrids. Not sure why this is so, given the popularity of hybrids.

 

[PpPete]

Hybrids typically do less miles than road bikes (and in better conditions than MTBs), so less wear, less demand, & hence less supply. Spa is still your best bet for rings, but also their 'own-brand' touring chainsets are excellent value in the sort of chainring teeth count range that are often found on hybrids.
This for example

 

[Blue Hills]

Have fitted one of those.

It's excellent.

And rather stylish I think in its understated way.