front rings

Neil Smith said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster than
I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say 105, would
they last longer.
Thanks
Neil

TA will last longer. I can't really answer your specific question, I
have never had to change a chainring because it was worn out, some of
mine were used for 18 years before I swapped them for ones of a
different size.

in message <[email hidden]>, Neil Smith

(') said:

I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster
than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say
105, would they last longer.

Almost certainly not - in fact, quite likely the opposite. More expensive
means lighter weight, and very often more susceptibility to wear. In any
case, chain rings should not wear significantly unless you are using a
worn out chain. The solution is to change your chain /much/ more
frequently (and, if your chainrings are worn, change your cassette as
well).

Once any part of the transmission is worn it will rapidly wear out the
other parts - so it's no point putting a new chain on a worn cassette or
chainrings.

So: in your current circumstance, replace the lot - cassette, chain,
chainrings - with new. That's really expensive, you do not want to do it
often. From here on in, check your chain at least once a month for wear,
and if it's worn out /replace/ /it/ at once. Replacing the chain
is /much/ cheaper than replacing the whole lot!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

' ' <------- this blank intentionally spaced left

Neil Smith said:

I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster than
I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say 105, would
they last longer.

The /cranks/ wore down? What on earth were you doing to them?

Or did you mean the chainrings? If so, the rings on a Tiagra chainset
are easily replaceable individually, no need to buy a whole new chainset
- just make sure to get rings of the right BCD (bolt circle diameter).

More expensive /may/ mean longer lasting, but it may not - in fact, more
expensive usually means lighter, which often means /faster/ wearing.

d.

Neil Smith said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much
faster than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front
cranks say 105, would they last longer.

Steel (cheap) rings last longer than aluminium (light) rings. Forged &
machined aluminium (expensive) rings last slightly longer than pressed
aluminium rings (mid price). Test yours with a magnet.

~PB

Neil Smith said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster than
I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say 105, would
they last longer.

Probably not. Shimano rings are one step up from tinfoil.

Good tip, how often would you recommend
"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Neil Smith

(') said:

I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster
than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say
105, would they last longer.

Almost certainly not - in fact, quite likely the opposite. More expensive
means lighter weight, and very often more susceptibility to wear. In any
case, chain rings should not wear significantly unless you are using a
worn out chain. The solution is to change your chain /much/ more
frequently (and, if your chainrings are worn, change your cassette as
well).

Once any part of the transmission is worn it will rapidly wear out the
other parts - so it's no point putting a new chain on a worn cassette or
chainrings.

So: in your current circumstance, replace the lot - cassette, chain,
chainrings - with new. That's really expensive, you do not want to do it
often. From here on in, check your chain at least once a month for wear,
and if it's worn out /replace/ /it/ at once. Replacing the chain
is /much/ cheaper than replacing the whole lot!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

' ' <------- this blank intentionally spaced left

Simon Brooke said:

Once any part of the transmission is worn it will rapidly wear out the
other parts - so it's no point putting a new chain on a worn cassette
or chainrings.

They're worn if they've been used at all, and the smallest or most-used
sprockets & rings will be more worn than the others. It can't be very
worn if a new chain doesn't skip anyway.

Certainly a worn chain wears out the sprockets, but it's debateable
whether the reverse is true to any exent worth worrying about. (I'm not
convinced, personally).

Quoted message said:

So: in your current circumstance, replace the lot - cassette, chain,
chainrings - with new. That's really expensive, you do not want to do
it often.

My advice is do not replace the chainrings if they work with a new chain
and look reasonably OK.

~PB

You will probably be shocked at this, but I don't enter the Tour de France
every year, but I usually sort out the power train once a year, at least
replacing the chain. On my previous chain rings lasted several years (they
were very pointy by that time). However, I can not get that brand anymore.
These new Shimano rings, and I always suspect Shimano, perhaps unfairly, of
certain amount of built in redundancy in there components, are causing
problems after only 12-18 months.
"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

Once any part of the transmission is worn it will rapidly wear out the
other parts - so it's no point putting a new chain on a worn cassette
or chainrings.

They're worn if they've been used at all, and the smallest or most-used
sprockets & rings will be more worn than the others. It can't be very
worn if a new chain doesn't skip anyway.

Certainly a worn chain wears out the sprockets, but it's debateable
whether the reverse is true to any exent worth worrying about. (I'm not
convinced, personally).

Quoted message said:

So: in your current circumstance, replace the lot - cassette, chain,
chainrings - with new. That's really expensive, you do not want to do
it often.

My advice is do not replace the chainrings if they work with a new chain
and look reasonably OK.

~PB

Neil Smith said:

You will probably be shocked at this, but I don't enter the Tour de France
every year, but I usually sort out the power train once a year, at least
replacing the chain. On my previous chain rings lasted several years (they
were very pointy by that time). However, I can not get that brand anymore.
These new Shimano rings, and I always suspect Shimano, perhaps unfairly, of
certain amount of built in redundancy in there components, are causing
problems after only 12-18 months.

The Shimano 105 rings on my going to work in winter bike only lasted for
one chain's life, 3000 miles. I replaced them with TA rings and they
lasted for 6 chains lives, 18000 miles. Even then they were only
replaced as the whole crank had to go as it was cracked.

I'm back on shimano rings, as they came with the crank, so am repeating
the experiment but this time with Ultegra (they were going cheap).

--chris

Pete Biggs said:

Neil Smith said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much
faster than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front
cranks say 105, would they last longer.

Steel (cheap) rings last longer than aluminium (light) rings. Forged &
machined aluminium (expensive) rings last slightly longer than pressed
aluminium rings (mid price).

Also, the more expensive CNC'ed rings will be made of harder-wearing
"Zicral" (7xxx series) alloys, whereas cheaper pressed jobs tend to be
relatively soft "Dural" (5xxx series???), hence the shorter life.

David Belcher

Pete Biggs said:

Neil Smith said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much
faster than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front
cranks say 105, would they last longer.

Steel (cheap) rings last longer than aluminium (light) rings. Forged &
machined aluminium (expensive) rings last slightly longer than pressed
aluminium rings (mid price). Test yours with a magnet.

Tiagra are steel; they're black innit. Sora are also steel but silver.

This has been, for me a very useful thread within many useful tips, aren't
newsgroups great. I am looking at TA cranksets, but they may be to expensive
and I couldn't find CNC. I am ceratinly going to change my chain much from
now on,
Thanks
Neil
"Neil Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster
than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say 105,
would they last longer.
Thanks
Neil

Neil Smith said:

This has been, for me a very useful thread within many useful tips, aren't
newsgroups great. I am looking at TA cranksets,

I have a carmina (should have been a vega but the LBS got the order
wrong). I'm very happy with it. I have also had an Ultegra which is
still in cosmetically worn but otherwise excellent condition. Only done
about 20-30,000 miles..

Quoted message said:

but they may be to expensive

When the credit card bill has been and gone, all you are left with is
the quality. I don't think I have ever regretted buying a better grade
of component, but have often regretted buying a cheaper one.

Quoted message said:

and I couldn't find CNC.

It's not a manufacturer but a method of manufacture. Cheap rings are
stamped from alloy, expensive ones are milled (using a CNC machine)
from harder alloy which won't tolerate stamping.

...d

Quoted message said:

I am ceratinly going to change my chain much from
now on,
Thanks
Neil
"Neil Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dear All,
I put on cheap Shimano Tiagra front cranks. They wore down much faster
than I would have expected. If I got more expensive front cranks say 105,
would they last longer.
Thanks
Neil