HiYoSilver

Or, the other way of saying is why are there few replacement chainrings for shimano 92mm?

No triple available in dura-ace, triple in ultergra is 92mm so can't replace chainring. Only option is to drop to 105 crankset. SRAM/truva... only offers 9 speed, i.e. "mountain", all roads are doubles only. Campy has very neat 11 speed 12-27, but it only works with doubles. For triple have to drop back to 10 speed cassette.

Did someone flatten the hills over the last year or so?

DieselDan

What? There is a 6700 Ultegra triple. However, there is a movement to compact doubles, with a 34/50 chainrings. You appear to be in a major market, so finding a good shop to order you one shouldn't be too hard if I can get one here in coastal Redneckistan.

knobster

I only looked a couple places, but crankset here: https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...1_10000__10001
Chain rings here: https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...g.aspx?sc=FRGL

Google is your friend.

Panthers007

I have the Ultegra 6603 on my hybrid - Hollowtech II. Chainline is 45mm. You can still find these for quite cheap. I shelled out $160 a year ago:

HiYoSilver

You assumed I wanted to change the ring with exactly the same ring. I want to make the small ring smaller, like a 24 or 26 instead of a 30. you can't do with with 92mm rings on the Ultegra. The DA triple is last years and I don't have the specs for the bolt BCD sizes. Currently 2010 DA doubles have 2 different sizes for bolts. I understand the industry is trying to push doubles because it means less parts to stock, but it seems a major step backwards. Unless they have something in the works for 2015 and this move is to clear inventory for that.

DieselDan

Road triples usually don't go smaller then a 30T. You may need to get a touring crankset.

bigvegan

Sounds like you want an MTB crank.

knobster

Maybe not a MTB crank but more a "trekking" crank. I had one on my touring bike and it was pretty good. 46/36/26. I think Shimano still makes them. Most use something like Octalink bottom brackets though.

stapfam

Road triple dont but in the MTB cranks there is one form than takes larger rings than the normal MTB Compact cranks. I run an old XT crank and I can still get rings for this at my LBS. It has the same spacing as road triples and I use the 28t on my road triple for mountainous rides.

Mr. Beanz

OK, how many fingers am I holding up?

cyccommute 

Shimano and other companies have always pandered to the racing crowd. It happens in road biking and in mountain biking...and it always has. It makes little sense for us mere mortals who happen to live where the land is more vertical than it is horizontal but that's just the way things go. It also makes little sense from an economic stand point since they could make much more money off us mere mortals. They throw us bones like the 'compact double'...the dumbest gear selection around...and say "deal with it" and if you can deal with it...old knees, injuries, lack of elite cyclist strength, etc...you must not be a real cyclists and should be riding a 50 lb comfort bike on 3 mile bike path rides

Unfortunately, I don't see this trend changing anytime soon. Perhaps it best to just adapt and go with boutique equipment...if you can find it...or swap over to a mountain bike style drivetrain. You can find trekking cranksets that have 48 tooth outer rings and really low inner which will give you the range you want with a little lower high end. A 48/11 will still give you a good high gear and the opportunity to go with a 22/34 or 22/anything gives you a much lower low than any road crank can give you. XT and XTR stuff is very light weight and durable and it will work very well with road derailers. Maybe not a stylish as a road crank but it's better than what is currently being offered.

BlazingPedals

In a 92 BCD, a 30T ring is as small as will fit. A standard road triple is 130/74, and can go as small as 24T; although your front derailleur might not span that much without dragging.

deep_sky

I might have missed it, but why can't you just slap on a gigantic cassette on the back instead? Instead of changing my chainrings, I upgraded to an 11/32 cassette with the commensurately larger capacity derailleur to handle the extra chain needed. Made a HUGE difference in going up hills, and I didn't have to fuss with the front part of the drivetrain, which seems to be more of a hassle to "upgrade".

Jeff Wills

So you replace the middle ring with a TA tripleizer ring, available from Peter White:
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/chainrings.asp
(scroll down to Triple Conversion Chainrings)

This will allow down to a 24 tooth ring. One of my friends did this on a Dura-Ace triple crank and it worked fine on a cross-USA tour.

tatfiend 

Sugino still offers a lot of triple cranksets with 110/74 chainring sizing which allows a 24 tooth smallest ring. All JIS square taper cranks so far as I know.

If you want even smaller inner ring capability Surly makes the Mr Whirly modular crankset in a 110/54 rings compatible spider size and it fits external bearing bottom brackets using Surly's own spindle assembly.

joejack951

Stronglight, FSA, Sugino, TA Specialties all make road triples with BCDs that allow you to use the rings you want.

HiYoSilver

Good data points. thank you. Got to run, work calls