xxguitarist

Looking for reviews on the sugino/duraace line of chainrings, or any others that you feel are truly worth mention. 144 BCD only, for my purpouses at least.
I'll spend what I need to for quality, but not much extra for bling.

Biffle

get a soma hellyer chainring, much better.
https://store.somafab.com/sohech.html

renton20

I don't have it yet but I'm ordering a custom made chainring from AU. It's from a company called cycle underground and that is almost all they make. You get to choose one of twelve designs and they will make any combination of bcd and teeth that you want. you can even choose between different thicknesses! best part is that it will be about as expensive as a sugino messenger chainring. I'll post a review when mine arrives in a week or two.

simplestyle

Stoked to hear the review! They're site looks cool. I wonder if they would do a custom design for you (me).

tgscordv6

Why is the hellyer chainring much better?

xxguitarist

Also interested in how the soma one is better than unspecified others- have you tried several?

wroomwroomoops

Thank you renton: I checked their website, and these guys are winners through and through. I am very much interested in technical details, and to me it seems they checked all my checkboxes: chainring material, tooth shape, availability of 1/8", any BCD and T.

It's really strange that they even exist, as most cyclists don't distinguish (or aren't even interested) between alloys, let alone chainring tooth machining details. I wish them good luck and prosperity, as they could, as a side-effect, educate a portion of the cycling community.

P.S. I really like it that they also offer the option of unpolished (and hence cheaper) chainrings, for those of us who are not so hung up on looks, and would rather save Us$30 or us$45, than to have the "oooohh... shiny!" Nothing wrong being obsessed with looks... I guess... it's just nice that they cater to the rest of us, too.

wroomwroomoops

One thing, renton: when you review your chainring, please pay special attention to roundness: it's the one thing they *might* get wrong. I tend to notice even the slightest ovality, and it bugs me.

What are the specs of the chainring you are ordering?

xxguitarist

Yep, roundness is one of my biggest concerns, and it'll require a CNC with either zero backlash, or a very good feedback/encoder system, plus the fixturing must be nearly perfect

xxguitarist

Lots of input, huh?
I knew I should have just asked which matched my deepVs best...

wroomwroomoops

Haha, yeah, this is the fixed gear guy's subforum, after all (I feel a bit of a stranger, being a SS dude myself, and being into technical stuff rather than bling).

Well, I can give you my input: the only chainrings that I strongly recommend against are the Rocket Rings, mainly because of the very poor aluminum alloy they're, apparently, made of (they claim they're made of 6061, which is indeed not very hard, but I doubt they're using even that alloy). It's more like a mixture of butter and styrofoam. They are cheap, but they last very little. It's not even that the teeth wear rapidly (they most certainly do), no, they DEFORM! And they do it almost so quickly, you feel stupid for buying them. It's not only the money you threw out for that garbage: it's the work you do to put them on your bike and then get them off after a few weeks. They are so bad, you might just as well save yourself some effort and put them in the trash as soon as you receive them.

So if anyone who tells you that you get what you pay for when you get Rocket Ring chainrings, rest assured that it's BS.

Too bad Salsa doesn't offer any 144mm BCD chainrings. I have been using Salsa chainrings with much satisfaction. I am pedantic when it comes to wear-resistance of my components, and follow them scrupulously. Well, I used to before I got married - now I don't have that much time anymore. The Salsa chainrings have impressed me with their longevity and precise machining.


EDIT: I would strongly recommend you avoid any chainrings made of 6061, whether Rocket Ring or otherwise. Salsa makes them of 7075, which is almost twice as hard. Vuelta, for example, only makes the granny rings out of 7075.

psirue

while I do not have experience with every chainring available, I have picked up the belief that it is generally true that the more you pay, the better (read: rouder, higher quality material) the chainring is. dura ace, higher end sugino, campagnolo...those are the only rings I purchase when seeking top quality.

wroomwroomoops

Not necessarily. For instance, I never understood what justifies the price of the Sugino 75. Sugino themselves don't even try - it's all a myth and magic kind of affair. In other words, it smells of hype. I will be hated for saying this, I know. FG guys just love the Sugino 75. (That said, even more overpriced and hyped is the Sugino 75 crankset. Absolutely NOTHING justifies that kind of price of what are essentially two pieces of forged aluminum. I can just imagine how hated I will be for saying that - I'll get cancer for sure.)

Clydesdale Scot

I have bought one of the chain rings from Cycle Underground, it arrived during the week, and yet to be used
I can have it measured up.
What are the tests of 'roundness' you would like to have checked? I have mates who can measure it.
John from Cycle Underground has provided some information on his manufacturing process
page 1 page 2 page 3

wroomwroomoops

Just install the chainring on your bike and then tension the chain really well - much more than you normally would - and then turn the pedals with your hands, slowly. If the pedals offer a uniform resistance, then you have yourself a nice, round chainring.

Ken Cox

As for Dura Ace, I have experience with Dura Ace 130BCD rings, only.

However, regarding Sugino, I recently purchased a Sugino 75 Track ring, the one that looks more like a conventional road ring than the Zen or Messenger rings.

The Sugino 75 Track ring exceeds any design and engineering expectations I could have possibly entertained.

Sugino addressed details that I didn't know existed until I mated the ring to my Sugino 75 crank and started closely examining them both.

The Sugino 75 Track ring retails for $125 and I got it for $97.

It looks and behaves as if it costs twice as much.

The Dura Ace 144bcd offering might match or exceed the Sugino 75, but I have no experience with the Dura Ace 144bcd rings.

na975

FSA are good rings, just so damn heavy.

psirue

I do agree that there is a bit of an inflation due to the latest cycling craze around the world and sugino recognizing this, but prices will drop in the next few years down to levels they were several years ago. the retail prices will normalize and come back to earth.

But I disagree - the Sugino 75 ring is pretty good.

wroomwroomoops

Why don't you tell us what exactly makes the Sugino 75 chainring worth US$97. Here, take this opportunity to educate us. "The Sugino 75 Track ring exceeds any design and engineering expectations I could have possibly entertained. Sugino addressed details that I didn't know existed until I mated the ring to my Sugino 75 crank and started closely examining them both." is a lot of words that aren't really saying anything, except that they have mystical magic dust all over them.

PedallingATX

wrooom- I have sugino 75 crank and ring and love them both. The crank is nice and stiff. I don't race at a track, but I ride pretty hard sometimes and even do "sprints" on flat straightaways.

The ring is nice and round. Almost perfectly. The chain maintains an even level of tightness no matter what position the pedals are in.

The finish on both the ring and the crank is very smooth looking. No flaws

What else do you want from a crank? How about you tell us exactly what is wrong with Sugino 75 stuff instead of just spreading your magic hate dust all over it...

wroomwroomoops

The price, that's what is wrong.

PedallingATX

it's cheaper than campy or dura ace...

psirue

...like I said, prices of track parts are incredibly inflated at the moment.

ALaS

I have an alien crank set and their chainring is 144 no complaints here but I am not as knowledgable as some of you guys. Just an affordable part that I think has good quality.

wroomwroomoops

I checked their website, and they give as much information on their chainring (and their crankset, for that matter) as Sugino does about their Sugino 75. So it is reasonable to believe that they are same in quality. I have seen track cranksets with the same specs (no specs) on eBay for less than that, even.


I am really looking forward to what renton20 and Clydesdale Scot have to say about their Cycle Underground chainrings.