CYCLING: Putting new Chainrings on my bike

geordie_ben

Please bear with the crap terminology - I'm a newbie when it comes to bike parts

I want to put a bigger chain ring on my Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc 2011

It's currently got 44 x 32 x 22, with chainguard using a Front Derailleur: Shimano Alivio, 34.9mm clamp, top swing, dual pull

I'm finding that when going down on hills I can't pedal any faster as I've reached top speed those gears can go so I want to add a bigger top ring

Something above 50 would be great (I think)

EdinCycles have these on sale at the moment, but not sure it's the right type of thing..

Any advice or recommendations?

Marco_Panettone

What's your usual cadence like? If you're not pedaling at 100+ rpm in top gear then you can get more speed of of your legs first before tinkering with mechanics.

Are you just riding on the road, as that bike's geared for going up serious inclines. If you aren't using it for what it's designed for then a different bike might be a better (but more expensive - sorry!) option.

geordie_ben

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

What's your usual cadence like? If you're not pedaling at 100+ rpm in top gear then you can get more speed of of your legs first before tinkering with mechanics.

Are you just riding on the road, as that bike's geared for going up serious inclines. If you aren't using it for what it's designed for then a different bike might be a better (but more expensive - sorry!) option.

Another bike isn't an option.

haven't got a clue what cadence is, but when I'm going down hills I can't pedal any faster as the wheels are going that fast There's no resistance against the gears

Cknocker

I would be guessing if I said whether those chain rings fit your chainset or not (Give the supplier a call).

I tend to have a similar problem myself, I tend to push a big gear with a low cadence (That basically the speed at which your legs turn the pedals over - Lance Armstrong for example used to have a massive cadence, but then it looks like he had a bit of chemical assistance!).

I've just purchased a new mountain bike, as I don't enjoy riding on the road anymore, but I find the top chain ring far too small (It doesn't really matter what MTB you buy either as they all tend to be around a 44 Tooth top ring), so I'm probably going to put a larger chain ring on mine at some stage, the other two chain rings are fine for off road, so by putting on the larger ring, you are not really affecting the off road performance, while enhancing your on road performance.

geordie_ben

Cknocker wrote: »

I would be guessing if I said whether those chain rings fit your chainset or not (Give the supplier a call).

I tend to have a similar problem myself, I tend to push a big gear with a low cadence (That basically the speed at which your legs turn the pedals over - Lance Armstrong for example used to have a massive cadence, but then it looks like he had a bit of chemical assistance!).

I've just purchased a new mountain bike, as I don't enjoy riding on the road anymore, but I find the top chain ring far too small (It doesn't really matter what MTB you buy either as they all tend to be around a 44 Tooth top ring), so I'm probably going to put a larger chain ring on mine at some stage, the other two chain rings are fine for off road, so by putting on the larger ring, you are not really affecting the off road performance, while enhancing your on road performance.

Those from EdinCylces aren't gonna be any good for me as they only go upto 40T in a 4 bolt.

Ebay seems to have a load for sale, even some full sets and cranks so I'm going to find out what kind I need and then hopefully grab a bargain

Marco_Panettone

Do you just ride on the road? If so you can also increase speed with a change in tyres - some 26" slicks at proper pressure will make for a faster, smoother ride. This is regardless of the chainring.

If you do add a larger big-ring you'll need to be careful about the gears you ride in as the current chain won't cope with being on the big ring at the front and also the bigger range of sprockets at the back.

geordie_ben

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

Do you just ride on the road? If so you can also increase speed with a change in tyres - some 26" slicks at proper pressure will make for a faster, smoother ride. This is regardless of the chainring.

If you do add a larger big-ring you'll need to be careful about the gears you ride in as the current chain won't cope with being on the big ring at the front and also the bigger range of sprockets at the back.

Already got 26" super slicks on

A new chain won't cost too much so that's ok

Cknocker

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

Do you just ride on the road? If so you can also increase speed with a change in tyres - some 26" slicks at proper pressure will make for a faster, smoother ride. This is regardless of the chainring.

If you do add a larger big-ring you'll need to be careful about the gears you ride in as the current chain won't cope with being on the big ring at the front and also the bigger range of sprockets at the back.

He's already pedalling as fast as he can, so well it would be easier in the main, it wouldn't solve this issue?

rugbyleague

Better option might be to change the cassette on the wheel. A one or two tooth reduction on the smallest cog will make a big difference and probably mean that you will not spin-out on descents.

Take your wheel to a bike shop and see if you can change the cassette guessing but approximately £30?

Hope this helps

Ian

geordie_ben

rugbyleague wrote: »

Better option might be to change the cassette on the wheel. A one or two tooth reduction on the smallest cog will make a big difference and probably mean that you will not spin-out on descents.

Take your wheel to a bike shop and see if you can change the cassette guessing but approximately £30?

Hope this helps

Ian

That's an idea. I'm even tempted on a bigger second hand chainring and crank set, I only really need 2 up front, so a 50ish and 40ish would probably be fine

Marco_Panettone

rugbyleague wrote: »

Better option might be to change the cassette on the wheel. A one or two tooth reduction on the smallest cog will make a big difference and probably mean that you will not spin-out on descents.

Take your wheel to a bike shop and see if you can change the cassette guessing but approximately £30?

Hope this helps

Ian

The small sprocket on the cassette is 11-tooth already (according to the link), so I don't think it's an option.

What sort of speed are you currently doing when you spin out? There's a simple gear ratio-speed-cadence calculator here: http://www.machars.net/bikecalc.htm