Purchased bike today, and chainring teeth already heavily worn.
08-09-11, 12:05 AM
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Purchased bike today, and chainring teeth already heavily worn.
Hello everyone,
I just started up biking and purchased my bike earlier tonight at a local bike shop. I got a Specialized Allez T More (detail on bike: https://www.greggscycles.com/CartGenie/prod-13070.htm)
Anyways, when I brought the bike home my roommate who recently started triathlons a couple months ago and had a little more knowledge on bike than myself noticed that my chain rings were very used. In fact, if you notice in the photos below, a couple of teeth on the granny gear are missing.
The only riding I have had on this bike was when I quickly test drove it in a near by trail at the local shop.
I was wondering based on these photos whether the wear on the chain rings are usual? Either way I am calling the bike shop tomorrow because I was barely changing gears when I tested out the bike, I didn't get a chance to ride because it was getting dark out, and I didn't even use the granny gear when I test drove it.
Thanks in advance for you advice!
Gerald
I just started up biking and purchased my bike earlier tonight at a local bike shop. I got a Specialized Allez T More (detail on bike: https://www.greggscycles.com/CartGenie/prod-13070.htm)
Anyways, when I brought the bike home my roommate who recently started triathlons a couple months ago and had a little more knowledge on bike than myself noticed that my chain rings were very used. In fact, if you notice in the photos below, a couple of teeth on the granny gear are missing.
The only riding I have had on this bike was when I quickly test drove it in a near by trail at the local shop.
I was wondering based on these photos whether the wear on the chain rings are usual? Either way I am calling the bike shop tomorrow because I was barely changing gears when I tested out the bike, I didn't get a chance to ride because it was getting dark out, and I didn't even use the granny gear when I test drove it.
Thanks in advance for you advice!
Gerald
08-09-11, 12:18 AM
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Teeth are specially-shaped to aid shifting.
08-09-11, 02:47 AM
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Yes, and you'll also notice raised and lowered areas on the chainrings which are "pins and ramps", designed to aid shifting.
08-09-11, 05:42 AM
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Looks ok from here. It really doesn't take much to scrape the perfect factory-finish on the teeth. If it wasn't you that rode in the granny gear, it might have been someone else who test-rode the bike before you bought it.
Shifting will cause some wear and scraping on the sides of the rings. You can see in your photos where the chain has scraped across your shifting ramps. That's by design and is nothing to worry about.
Also keep in mind that just because someone rides a bike a lot (as in a triathlon) doesn't mean that they have the mechanic side of things down.
Shifting will cause some wear and scraping on the sides of the rings. You can see in your photos where the chain has scraped across your shifting ramps. That's by design and is nothing to worry about.
Also keep in mind that just because someone rides a bike a lot (as in a triathlon) doesn't mean that they have the mechanic side of things down.
08-09-11, 05:48 AM
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Exactly, all you are seeing is a little grease front the chain and worn paint. How long is paint supposed to last while metal is essential angle grinding it? I seriously doubt you have removed any metal from the chain rings.
08-09-11, 06:17 AM
#7
You gonna eat that?
If you haven't been riding in a while, seeing teeth that are shaped differently from one to the next might be alarming, but as others have said, they are shaped that way by design to help with shifting. Unless the chain is skipping or something I'd say you're good to go.
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08-09-11, 06:30 AM
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08-09-11, 06:56 AM
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Further proof that "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing". You might take a few minutes to update your roommate on modern chainring design.
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08-09-11, 07:04 AM
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They(the inner ones) are usually steel- it is really really hard to actually snap off the top of a tough steel tooth.
When I returned to bikes after 18 years away(1982-2000) I was surprised to see the oddly shaped teeth.(also surprised to find out brakes actually stopped bikes rather than hinting at slowing down-even cheapo bikes)
Like others said- it looks new-just as it should.
Charlie
When I returned to bikes after 18 years away(1982-2000) I was surprised to see the oddly shaped teeth.(also surprised to find out brakes actually stopped bikes rather than hinting at slowing down-even cheapo bikes)
Like others said- it looks new-just as it should.
Charlie
08-09-11, 09:15 AM
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sounds like you should just go out and ride it in the dark so you don't have to worry about it.
08-09-11, 09:40 AM
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I hope we've convinced you that the chainrings are the way they're supposed to be and have prevented you from calling the shop and looking like an ass.
08-09-11, 09:47 AM
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Not an issue, newbies aren't expected to know everything, and shops are very used to this question. It's so commonly asked that maybe bikes should include a hang tag explain it and other FAQs.
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08-09-11, 09:54 AM
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Perhaps but I was also thinking about the OP being an ass here if he went ahead after we'd given him overwhelming consensus. I guess I was a little irked by the 'I'll take your opinions but I'm going to call the shop either way' notion.
08-09-11, 10:54 AM
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Agreed! I had worn out a chainring and went to the LBS to get a new one. As soon as I said I need a new chainring and started to give the info for what I needed, the shop guy said "Wait a minute, let's make sure you aren't mistaking the designed-in tooth shaping for tooth wear." One look at the chainrings and he said "Oh yeah, you really do need a new ring, but lots of people who don't, think they do."
08-09-11, 04:29 PM
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Agreed! I had worn out a chainring and went to the LBS to get a new one. As soon as I said I need a new chainring and started to give the info for what I needed, the shop guy said "Wait a minute, let's make sure you aren't mistaking the designed-in tooth shaping for tooth wear." One look at the chainrings and he said "Oh yeah, you really do need a new ring, but lots of people who don't, think they do."
I pointed out how the brand new ones are shaped that way as well, and he still had a hard time accepting that it wasn't his immense leg power that was the problem....
08-09-11, 06:32 PM
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When did ramped-and-pinned rings hit the market? Mid-90's?
When did they become the default style on new bikes?
When did they become the default style on new bikes?
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08-09-11, 06:40 PM
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Probably well before that, but it didn't all happen at once. It was an evolutionary process that's been happening over a span of 30 years or so. Before the ramps and pins there were trimmed, or skipped teeth, which then evolved into the more sophisticated shift gates, and phased chainrings. the last step was the addition of the ramps and/or pins.
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08-10-11, 05:42 AM
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08-10-11, 06:02 AM
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I was working in shops long before that. back when you even had to explain that strange ticking sound the bike made whenever people coasted. The worst were three speed bikes, sometimes they'd even click while pedaling too.
I remember even having to explain that it was no harder to balance on narrow tires as fat ones.
I remember even having to explain that it was no harder to balance on narrow tires as fat ones.
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08-10-11, 10:43 AM
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08-10-11, 01:29 PM
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I was working in shops long before that. back when you even had to explain that strange ticking sound the bike made whenever people coasted. The worst were three speed bikes, sometimes they'd even click while pedaling too.
I remember even having to explain that it was no harder to balance on narrow tires as fat ones.
I remember even having to explain that it was no harder to balance on narrow tires as fat ones.
There was also a real nasty old Schwinn in last week for a full tune. The derailleurs were absolutely black with crud. They popped out of the parts washer so clean and shiny (heavy chrome plating FTW!) that the when the customer arrived, he accused me of stealing his vintage drivetrain and replacing it with cheap looking chrome parts! Facepalming ensued and I had to point out the derailleurs STILL said "Huret" on them just like the day they were built.......