Tandem Chainring Question

[jays35]

Are the chainrings, cassettes and chains different on a tandem than that off a road bike set?

[waynesulak]

Are the chainrings, cassettes and chains different on a tandem than that off a road bike set?

Nope. Too few tandems sell for much in the way of special products. Tandem manufacturers have to work to keep some variety in cranks with sync chains. Rings, cassettes and chains are standard road or mountain equipment.

[jays35]

Tthat is what I thought. But a freind of ours had their bike in the shop for a strange noise and they were told they had the incorrect chain ring for a tandem. The bike came with a 52t and they had installed a 53t, which they thick the 53t was causing the noise.

[jimmuller]

Tthat is what I thought. But a freind of ours had their bike in the shop for a strange noise and they were told they had the incorrect chain ring for a tandem. The bike came with a 52t and they had installed a 53t, which they thick the 53t was causing the noise.

??

A chainring can be "incorrect" only if the pieces around it can't accommodate it. A 53T is only slightly larger than a 52T. Perhaps the front derailleur was positioned so close to the big ring that the 53T would rub against it somewhere. It sounds to me like that story could be reported in the C&V thread about the dumb things heard at the LBS!

[tredlodz]

??

A chainring can be "incorrect" only if the pieces around it can't accommodate it. A 53T is only slightly larger than a 52T. Perhaps the front derailleur was positioned so close to the big ring that the 53T would rub against it somewhere. It sounds to me like that story could be reported in the C&V thread about the dumb things heard at the LBS!

+1. I think the Front Derailleur is hitting the 53. Move it up a bit if you can, or you're stuck with a smaller chainring. Unless you're doing something like trying to mix an 8 speed ring with a 10 spd chain - that might be noisy - on a single or tandem.