What physically makes chainrings have a specific speed compatibility?

Asked by: Holly Sayasane

Are chainrings speed specific?

Chainrings are sold as having a specific compatibility for only certain speed setups, some overlapping across many. What physically makes this the case?

How do you know if a chainring is compatible?

One of the easiest ways to determine which chainring is going to be compatible with your crank is to simply type in your brand, type, groupset, and type, added with “chainring”, and possible the amount of teeth you want. You can find the type of the crank located at the back of it.

Are all chainrings compatible?

You can replace the chainrings on your crankset, but not all chainrings will fit all cranks. First, different cranksets may have a different number of arms or direct-mount interfaces (connecting the cranks to the chainrings), and they may be positioned differently.

Are front chainrings speed specific?

Yes, chains are #speeds specific.

Can I use a 10 speed chainring with a 11 speed chain?

You can certainly use a Shimano 10-speed double crank and chainrings with Shimano 11-speed chain, derailleurs, shifters and cassette, however.

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.

Can I use an 11 speed crank on a 8 speed bike?

Nominally no, an 11 speed speed crank will not work with an 8 speed drivetrain.

Can I use 9 speed crankset with 10 speed cassette?

A nine speed crank set will work with a 10 speed drive train. However it’s not all plain sailing. You can have trouble using a 10 speed FD with a 9 speed crank set. It doesn’t shift as far out as the 9 speed so you may experience sloppy changes to the outer ring and chain rub against the FD in some gears.

Are 11 and 12 speed chainrings the same?

The chainring on a 1x system will only “see” the internal of the chain, so yes, a 11 speed chain will work fine with a 12 speed chainring (that’s usually 11/12sp chainring). But Shimano created a new tooth profile for their 12-speed chainrings that matches the internal parts of their new 12-speed chains.

Do all cranksets fit all bikes?

Bicycle cranksets come in different sizes with different fittings for the types of bikes in the market. Therefore, as we had discussed earlier, cranksets range from 16mmm to 190mm. Also, some bikes have wider bottom bracket shells, and this calls for a specific axle. Therefore, all cranksets don’t fit all bikes.

Is a bigger chainring faster?

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

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.

What is faster 9 speed or 11 speed?

Are 11-Speed Cassettes Faster? 11-speed cassettes are absolutely not faster than 9-speed cassettes. The factor that determines the speed of your bike is you; the rider. Putting an 11-speed cassette on your bike will not magically produce more speed.

Are Shimano 10 and 11 speed compatibility?

A 10-speed Shimano or SRAM cassette can still be fitted to an 11-speed body, but a spacer will be required to make up for the difference in width. There is another, more subtle, incompatibility that affects different brands of hubs and wheels, but it will only have an impact on those riders using multiple wheelsets.

Will a 10 speed chain work on a 8 speed cassette?

A 10 speed chain should work on an 8-speed drivetrain. if you want 10 speeds, you will need a 10 speed-specific chain, cassette, derailleur and shifter (and a new cable while you’re at it).

Can I use any chainring with 11 speed chain?

Because the INNER spacing of chains remain the same for different speed classes of chains, an 11s chain will run on 9s chainrings just fine.

Are 9 speed and 10 speed chainrings interchangeable?

9 and 10 speed chains are the same internal width, so single chainrings are totally interchangable. On a double or triple there’s scope for problems, but 1 x 10 with your older Middleburn will be fine.

Can I use a 9 speed crankset with a 10 speed cassette?

A nine speed crank set will work with a 10 speed drive train. However it’s not all plain sailing. You can have trouble using a 10 speed FD with a 9 speed crank set. It doesn’t shift as far out as the 9 speed so you may experience sloppy changes to the outer ring and chain rub against the FD in some gears.

Is a bigger chainring faster?

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

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.

What gear is the fastest on a bike?

High Gear = Hard = Good for Descending: The “highest” gear on your bike is the largest chain ring in the front and the smallest cog on your cassette (rear gears). In this position, the pedaling will be the hardest and you’ll be able to accelerate while traveling downhill.