How to choose a compatible set of chain, cassette and chainring?

Asked by: Vivian Bailey

In general, cassettes, chains and chainrings are compatible with each other across manufacturers. You just have to make sure you select a chain and chainrings that are compatible with the number of sprockets in the cassette. The number of rings on the crank does not matter.

How do you know if a chainring is compatible?

A replacement chainring has to have the same BCD as the crankset, as well as the same positioning of the bolts, so the two join up. The BCD of any given crankset also sets the lower teeth limit for chainring compatibility. If you have a 130mm BCD crankset, for example, the smallest compatible chainring is a 38t.

How do I know what cassette fits my bike?

The size of a cassette is usually expressed by quoting its smallest and largest cogs. As an example, a typical modern road bike cassette may be an 11-32t (teeth) cassette. For a mountain bike cassette, the range may be something like 10-52t.

Do all chains fit all chainrings?

As long as your attempting to replace them with a chainring(s) designed to work with your chainset. Your cranks will have a specific bolt layout or fitment spec so you can’t just fit a BMX chainring to your triathlon bike.

How do I know what size chainring to get?

The larger chainring gives you bigger, harder to turn gears that move you further per pedal revolution – so it’s suitable for higher speeds – while the smaller chainring gives you gears that are easier to turn but move you a shorter distance per pedal revolution – so it’s suitable for lower speeds, including riding

Are bigger chainrings faster?

Bigger chainrings and cassette cogs run more efficiently than smaller ones but extreme cross-chaining can cancel out those efficiency gains.

How does chainring size affect speed?

The smaller the chainring, the easier the lowest gear for climbing; the bigger the chainring, the faster you can go in the highest gear. You can calculate the gearing ratio by dividing the teeth of the chainring with the teeth of the cog on the cassette.

Is a 11/28 cassette Good for hills?

When you have built up your leg muscles and are powering up most hills, swap a lower range cassette, such as an 11-28, back in. You don’t need to do this if you are a frequent cyclist, young, with strong legs, fitter than average, or if you live in a flat place with no hills.

Is 11/32 cassette Good for hills?

For hill climbing and mountainous terrain, we recommend a road cassette such as the 11-32T SRAM Red 22 XG1190 11 Speed Cassette (A2), or the 11-34T Shimano Ultegra R8000 11 Speed Cassette.

Do all cassettes fit all hubs?

Most cassette hubs are compatible with Shimano cassette cogs. SRAM cassettes and most Miche, IRD and SunRace cassettes use the same inter-sprocket spacing as Shimano, but at least some SRAM 10-speed cassettes do not fit aluminum-body Dura-Ace hubs.

How do I know my chain size?

To determine the pitch (chain size), you’ll need to measure the distance between any three consecutive rivets, then divide the result by 2. The rivets are the small, round pegs/studs that hold the chain segments together. Measure from the first to the third, then divide that number in half to get your chain pitch.

Can I use a 12 speed chain on a 11 speed chainring?

Condensed answer: A 12-speed chain can work with an 11-speed cassette. However, it’s recommended to avoid using a Shimano 12-speed chain because it doesn’t play well with 11-speed chainrings.

Will a 10 speed chain work on a 7-speed cassette?

10-speed derailleurs are not compatible with 7-speed cassettes and should not be combined on your bike. You however may be able to make it work if you change the shifters and chains on your bike to 10-speed too, but it’s not advisable to match components of different speeds.

Do I need to change chain when changing chainring size?

No. Reducing the chainring size by two teeth means the chain needs to be one tooth shorter, so half a full link. You can only shorten a chain by a whole link, which is two teeth’s worth of chain, so if the chain was optimal before you could make it too short.

What size chainring is best for climbing?

Mountain bike chainrings are available in smaller sizes all the way down to 26t, though I’d recommend most riders try a 30t or 28t first to experience how much easier it is to climb. For gravel bikes, I wouldn’t recommend going any smaller than 38t to maintain top-end speed on downhills.

Which gear is fastest on a bike?

Quote from video: Похожие запросы

Are cranksets interchangeable?

Cranksets are not always interchangeable. Every crank is designed to work with a specific bottom bracket. Even if the cranks use the same interface (octalink, square taper, or hollow tech), switching them between bike brands or even models of the same brand is hard.

Are all chainrings the same?

Rings are supplied with different sizes with different amounts of teeth. The more teeth, the bigger the chainring. The number of teeth affects how much effort is needed to turn the pedals. The larger the chainring the more rotations of the rear wheel you’ll achieve by a single rotation on the front chainring.

Are Shimano chainrings interchangeable?

Thus, cranks from Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo are freely interchangeable along with those from all aftermarket brands (e.g. FSA, Rotor, Praxis, etc.). And while it is preferable to match the chainrings/crankset to the transmission, there is no strict need to do so.

How do you measure chainring on a bike?

Quote from video: Okay so I'm measuring the center-to-center diameter here on these bolt holes on the chain ring and it looks like it's about seventy six point four millimeters that means looking up on a table.

What does 110mm BCD mean?

The diameter of that circle is the BCD. When you see a measurement like 110 or 130 BCD, that means that diameter is 110 or 130 millimeters, respectively.

What is the difference between PCD and BCD?

Chainrings are sold by number of bolts and PCD or BCD, which is the same thing and stands for Pitch Circle Diameter or Bolt Circle Diameter. Easier than diameter to measure is the centre-to-centre distance between two adjacent bolts.