Speedo

There have been a raft of upgrade threads recently. I've got one of my own. Probably because we're all hunkering down in the cold weather doing our dream projects.

I've been wondering why it is that after market chainrings don't come with ramps and pins. I can buy a very nice Sugino crankset, with chainrings that have ramps and pins. But if I buy chainrings to change the gearing, I haven't found any that come with ramps and pins.

I guess that I don't know if this is true for the Shimano four arm cranksets. It does seem to be true for five arm cranksets.

Is there some source that I'm unaware of?

Speedo

jaypee

TA Specialties chainrings have ramps.

I swapped out my steel Sugino chainrings for some sexy Salsa rings (anodized black) and while they have no ramps and pins, have acceptable shifting performance for my needs.

tacomee

Sugino makes replacement rings with and without ramps. Campy chainrings have pins and ramps, as do Shimano. Salsa chainrings don't have ramps or pins. so it's a mixed bag.

For STI shifting on the front derailer, you want ramps. For friction shifting, skip the ramps. It's pretty easy if you remember that simple rule.

thecrunge

Blackspire, sold at MEC (in Canada) have ramped 7075-T6 chainrings. Race Face too.

Speedo

Thanks all. I've found a few now. I was shopping in the wrong places.

Speedo

waxy

No ramps and pins mean you can flip the rings once they are worn and double their life. Faster front shifting vs. saving money on chainrings? I'll go for saving money.

Speedo

Hmmm. I'm not sure if that always works. I don't think that chainrings, even ones without ramps and pins are symmetric. I once put in a middle chainring backwards. The spacing between the outer and middle ring was then a little too wide and the chain would sometimes get caught in it. It was very annoying.

Speedo