AusTai

Hi,

I bought a standard Campy crankset (53/39) a few months ago and while it works better than the triple (55/45/35) it replaced, I'm thinking a compact configuration (50/34?) may be more useful. Trouble is, I'm having a hard time finding just the 50t or 34t chain rings unless they're the super expensive (to me) Record or higher stuff. I just have a low-end Campy group and that's all I need.

So my question is: do I need to purchase Campy chain rings, or would my cranks be compatible with, say, SRAM or Shimano. Hope that isn't a dumb question.

Otherwise, where do you go for replacement chain rings? eBay isn't giving me very many inexpensive options.

Thanks!

urbanknight

Sorry to tell you, but "compact" chainrings won't fit on a standard crankset. They have different bolt circle diameters.

Now, once you acquire a crank with the 110 bcd, you can use any brand chainrings you like.

clink83

The smallest chainring you can fit on a 130BCD crank is 38t, and the smallest you can fit on a campy 135bcd crank is 39t, IIRC.

AngryScientist 

as alluded to, the bcd or bolt circle diameter of standard and compact cranksets are different. what makes you think that this crankset works better than the triple you had before, or do you mean to say that it simply looks better?

ericm979

Unless you get a Campy "110mm BCD" crank, which has one bolt on a 112mm circle. So only Campy-compatible 110mm BCD rings fit it. I have heard of some people getting creative with a dremel tool to get regular 110mm rings to fit.

AusTai

The double I'm using now has a 135 BCD, so I guess I just need to find a 50T chain right for that BCD, regardless of make?

@AngryScientist: the double works better for me vs the (35/45/55) triple because the 39T is low enough for all the hills I've encountered, and the 53T isn't as high as the old 55T, matching my ability better. In fact, if I can replace the 53T with a 50T, I'd use the bigger chain ring even more often.

AusTai

OK, now that I know what to look for, I found a "STRONGLIGHT DURAL" 50T/135BCD chain ring for ~$30, vs a Campy Record one for $90. Is the Record worth the difference? Will it be made THAT much better? Thanks.

urbanknight

Ahh, I see. You're looking to get closer spacing. I have had Stronglight track chainrings before, and they seemed just as good as any to me.

achoo

That kinda makes me wonder what gearing the OP has on his cassette.

AusTai

13-26 9-speed.

hammond9705

Are you sure that the triple is 35/45/55?

M_FactorX19

you could just sell your crank and buy a new or used compact double. you should be able to do so and not have to spend to much money. the advantage to having a compact double in my mind is having the 34t small ring for climbing while using a 50t and a 11t (or 12t) in the rear for the high gears. just going to a 50t big ring and keeping the same small ring wouldnt make a lot of sense to me.

if you just want a lower gear for climbing then why not get a new cassette with a lower gear than you have now. like a 12-28. you would gain a higher gear as well as a lower gear by doing so.

Campag4life

That would be me and here is my write up way back in Dec of '07 and the crankset has been flawless:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...s...?highlight=

Sometimes you can beat Campy at their proprietary game...offseting a single bolt is pure marketing to sell their rings...not necessary.
Shifting has been perfect.

OP...you have many options. The outer ring is ramped and pinned so you have to be careful if swapping out the outer ring. I believe TA makes good rings for Campy. You maybe perfectly happy with a 50/39...I would be fine with that....though prefer 50/38 which is much more enjoyable than a 50/34 IF you don't need the short gear inches for climbing which I don't living in a relatively flat area.

Campy cranks rock...in particular the newer ones with outboard bearings. You can easily ebay your full size crank and get a Campy compact and paste an inexpensive Sugino ring on the inside like I did as well as I love this solution. Of late I have been considering swapping out the driveline on my bike because I have not been entirely happy with the shifting of the late model Campy shifters...but I would keep the Campy crank because it is so good.

Cheers.

AusTai

D'oh. You're right. I just looked and it's 32/42/52.

AusTai

@M_FactorX19 and @Campag4life, your suggestion of going with a compact double has given me some food for thought. Looking on eBay, seems I can get a Campy Mirage UT compact crankset for less than the price of that Record chain ring. It'd have the black finish which wouldn't match my gruppo's silver finish but I can live with that. And though I've managed with the 39 small ring on my current crank, a 34 would give me some more cushion.

I'm just not real clear on all that I'd need to change out with my BB. The square taper spindle would have to be replaced. Would the BB cups go, as well?

AusTai

Ah, I see now. The UT cranks join directly, not needing a spindle.

They'd still need different cups, though, wouldn't they?

topflightpro

Vuelta makes a 50T 135 BCD chainring - $26 too. Universal Cycles is usually a good source for things like this.

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=2630

Campag4life

Yup...need the cups for Ultratorque...cups are cheap. It is really a sweet crankset design. I believe Campy just revised their crankset again in the last year or two and copied Shimano...no longer with sawtooth joining of the halfshafts...but a single shaft all the way thru the BB with a separate left hand crank arm a la Shimano's cranks which works very nicely.
Its all good really but I personally would stay away from the older style square taper....prefer the outboard bearing cranks.
So you have a couple of ways to go...change out the outboard ring and live with the 39t inner or go compact and tune the inner ring size to your climbing needs. If you live on flat land for most, a std 53/39 is OK...you just won't use the big ring much unless you are quite strong.

teterider

Why give vague information and not just say the facts?
The Ultra Torque system is expensive to machine, and its pretty amazing it went all the way down to Mirage. The "sawtooth joining" as you call it is a Hirth Joint. Ultra Torque is still found on Super Record, Record, and Chorus. From Athena down is now Power Torque which as you say is a solid through axle with fixing bolt on the left crank arm. the left cup holds the bearing while the right side still has the bearing pressed onto the crank like UT.

The jury is still out on Power Torque since it's new but I think at the end of 2011 there will be enough miles ridden on it for users to have valid opinions.

AusTai

Sigh. You're sure making tough for me to decide. I wasn't planning to spend so much but your enthusiasm for the UT crankset is contagious. Would I need special tools to install it?

Campag4life

Because I didn't want to talk over anybody. Most don't know what a Hirth joint is.
The reason why the Hirth joint trickled down to Mirage as you state is obvious. There are economies to be derived by commonality in spite of the cost to machine the Hirth joint. It is more than the cost of the Hirth joint why it is being superceded. The Hirth joint is more prone to set up variation and manufacturing tolerances versus the solid shaft Shimano design.

Your decorum needs some work but you got it mostly right but why didn't you provide more complete information or just try to be a bit friendlier?...lol.

Campag4life

Not so bad really. You are in the right church. Campy makes great cranksets. BTW so does Dura Ace and others. All the top line stuff is good.
Shimano doesn't buy into carbon fiber cranksets like others do and whose to argue as they make some of the best and stiffest cranksets out there out there including the new hollow outer ring Ultegra. Some run Campy drivelines with Dura Ace cranks and btw visa versa. Its all good and your choice is pretty easy...all you need is another chainring or get a compact. Keep in mind that gearing is personal and is based upon terrain and your watt output. Stronger riders can sustain higher gear inches easier. Also as another poster mentioned, you could keep your std double and go with a wider spaced cassette and accomplish the same end.
cheers.

AusTai

Good grief, Campag4life, you're making my life harder with all these choices.