Replacement chain ring for Golden Arrow crankset
 

Need to replace my chain rings on a Shimano Golden Arrow crankset. Does anyone have any suggestions as to new ones I can buy please.

I know they have to be 130 bcd - can I use any that come with that spacing and also does the number of gears at the rear (7) alter the choice.

That's pretty old stuff. I suppose you can, but I usually found it better to just change the entire crankset. That gets me a new BB too and much fewer things to worry about.

...once youi get past the 130 BCD requirement, chainrings do come in different widths, to match up with the width of your chain. So even though almost any 130 BCD chain ring will sort of work, the wider ones for track use with wider chains probably will not. The narrower ones sold as "9 speed, 10 speed, etc) will sort of work, but not as well as something specifically designed to fit a 6-7-8 speed chain.

Additionally, as you get to more recent designs, there are custom tooth profiles and shifting ramps that improve shifting, but you don't really need them for something that old.

there are a gajillion 130BCD rings in the used parts stream, because Shimano used it as their standard for many years. If you can find a bike co-op nearby, they will have a whole box filled with them.

Thanks for the replies.

I would have liked to keep the bike original, it's a Bertin, but probably the easiest option is to convert it to something modernish and then look out for donor chain rings off the auction sites.
I have been looking for a bike coop locally, but I don't think they have them here in Luxembourg.

You should be able to find Stronglight or TA Specialties rings in 130 bcd there in Europe..I ordered my TA rings from Wiggle,and I believe BikeInn also carries both..John

That's good to know John. Typical, I've just received an order from Wiggle. Still, it gives me a good excuse to order some more goodies :thumb:

As for the genuine ones, there's a small chance of finding NOS on the auction site. However, looking at the Velobase photos, these chainrings look pretty much the same as the ones used on other 105 or 600 cranksets from the mid-late 80's. These were 6/7/8 speed groups in the 80's. Which should be more or less compatible with the Golden Arrow mechs. If your rear derailleur is Golden Arrow, that's friction only, so even less of a headache, it would probably be difficult to find something that doesn't work. If you're adamant you want to stick to Shimano chainrings, these can be found from time to time in new condition. In the mean time, you could look for Stronglight chainrings, which are decent quality anyway. If in doubt, I'd take Vernier calliper, check the thickness of your current chainring teeth etc. and ask the seller about clarification on their product.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into the 105/600 chainrings. Have seen a couple of NOS but the prices were ridiculous so unless I see something at a decent price I will go the Stronglight route.

I was in similar situation recently, trying to keep to genuine Shimano parts (which I usually got in a good shape and at a decent price). The thing is, that looking at various chainrings, there isn't that much of a difference, quality-wise. Granted, my sample isn't exactly extensive, I could compare Stronglight, Peugeot, Shimano and Ofmega. I don't know about the modern, carbon fiber / titanium bicycles, because I don't have one, but looking at various parts from the 80's, it seems that it's just a chunk of aluminium designed to be replaced every now and then. It appears to me that any known manufacturer with any kind of quality control will produce chainrings of similar quality. I did have a freewheel which shattered during my first ride using it, so it seems things can go badly even with simple parts, but it's generally not a problem to get a refund if that happens.