9 speed rings on an 8 speed drivetrain

Not much expertise here, but since no one has answered yet...

I've used a 9 speed ring on a 7 speed without problems because my LBS
couldn't get one in on time for an uphill TT.

You loose the benefit of having matching rings so the ramps carved into the
rings aren't used. Not a big deal to me as I hardly ever use the small ring
here in this flat land.

It seems to me that for a given material the slightly thicker 8 speed ring
might last longer.

It should be a simple matter, given enough time, for your LBS to order you
an 8 speed ring which should be cheaper than a 9 speed ring obtained on the
internet.

--Art

"Mark Scardiglia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A google search of past threads yields a ton of info on the ins and
outs of what happens when you try to stick with your old 8 speed
cranks while otherwise upgrading your drivetrain to 9 speed, but
nothing about what I want to do, which is the reverse.

Any problem, as far as anyone knows, taking a 9 speed ring (I want to
do just the little ring, but am curious about both) and running it on
an otherwise all 8 speed drivetrain? The 9's just seem a lot easier to
come by and if there's no functional price to pay, why bother hunting?

Thanks.

Mark

Art M said:

Not much expertise here, but since no one has answered yet...

I've used a 9 speed ring on a 7 speed without problems because my LBS
couldn't get one in on time for an uphill TT.

You loose the benefit of having matching rings so the ramps carved into the
rings aren't used. Not a big deal to me as I hardly ever use the small ring
here in this flat land.

It seems to me that for a given material the slightly thicker 8 speed ring
might last longer.

It should be a simple matter, given enough time, for your LBS to order you
an 8 speed ring which should be cheaper than a 9 speed ring obtained on the
internet.

--Art

"Mark Scardiglia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A google search of past threads yields a ton of info on the ins and
outs of what happens when you try to stick with your old 8 speed
cranks while otherwise upgrading your drivetrain to 9 speed, but
nothing about what I want to do, which is the reverse.

Any problem, as far as anyone knows, taking a 9 speed ring (I want to
do just the little ring, but am curious about both) and running it on
an otherwise all 8 speed drivetrain? The 9's just seem a lot easier to
come by and if there's no functional price to pay, why bother hunting?

Thanks.

Mark

Chain width varies as I learned the hard way when I tried to link some
KMC Z50 7 speed chain with an 8 speed power link. The Z50 chain is .2
mm's wider than the 8. 7 speed chain is better matched to my old
drivetrain but in my case I don't know if 8 speed chain rings would be
too narrow.

In your case 9 speed chain is narrower still and uses a power link II
connector. There seem to be plenty of 8 speed crank and chain ring
sets around so I would keep looking. I have not seen any sets
specified for the older 6 and 7 speed systems so I may be out if luck.

[email hidden] (Mark Scardiglia) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

A google search of past threads yields a ton of info on the ins and
outs of what happens when you try to stick with your old 8 speed
cranks while otherwise upgrading your drivetrain to 9 speed, but
nothing about what I want to do, which is the reverse.

Any problem, as far as anyone knows, taking a 9 speed ring (I want to
do just the little ring, but am curious about both) and running it on
an otherwise all 8 speed drivetrain? The 9's just seem a lot easier to
come by and if there's no functional price to pay, why bother hunting?

Thanks.

Mark

I have "9 speed" FSA rings (they're not specified for either 8- or
9-speed) on an otherwise "8-speed" (chain, cogs, shifter) system. I've
never had a problem with front shifting.

Not for a lack of trying- the bike's a complete mongrel: the
aforementioned Ultegra/FSA crank, elderly XTR 12-28 cassette, semi-old
Deore XT rear derailleur, way old XTR shift/brake levers (original
series: 8-speed, non-V-brake style), a FD-R443 front derailleur, and
SRAM PC-48 chains. All of that on a Tour Easy recumbent...

Jeff

Art-<< Not much expertise here, but since no one has answered yet...

I've used a 9 speed ring on a 7 speed without problems because my LBS
couldn't get one in on time for an uphill TT. >><BR><BR>
<< You loose the benefit of having matching rings so the ramps carved into the
rings aren't used. >><BR><BR>

Once upon a time, long long ago....big rings didn't have matching this or that,
no pickup pins, give up windows, not such gadgets and gizmos...

A wee bit of cycling finesse and skill would get the chain from the small to
the big ring w/o any problem whatsoever...just ease up a bit on the cycling
pressure...and bingo...it shifts(works for rears also).

Use any 8/9/10s ring with any system..no problem at all.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"