Smaller chainrings for S40
- Thread starter Markopolo
- Start date
On my road bike, I swapped out the 50/34 for 48/33. It does not sound like much, but it did help on the hills. This is just a simple and relatively cheap chain ring swap. To the best of my knowledge, 33 is the smallest that will fit on compact crank sets, and TA is the only company I could find that made them. I have no idea if the FD can be adjusted down far enough on the S40 to use 48/33.
Yeah I saw the 48/33 advertised somewhere, don't know if the 33 would be worth the effort. Put some more time on the 50/34 that's on there at the least and stay away from the big hills for a while. Eventually something smaller wouldn't hurt. Least there is the 36 on the cassette.
Leif
Active Member
I was considering trying this until reading about FD issues:
https://praxiscycles.com/product/alba-m30/
I bought the 48/32 165mm.
https://praxiscycles.com/product/alba-m30/
I bought the 48/32 165mm.
ak-tux
Zen MBB Master
Would you consider a triple? 50/39/30 like Shimano-Tiagra-4703-10-Speed-30-39-50t-165mm-Crankset works with Hollowtech II Bottom Bracket.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Shiman...122428&hash=item2cae616dcc:g:I4YAAOSwGPxaAeu8
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Shiman...122428&hash=item2cae616dcc:g:I4YAAOSwGPxaAeu8
Yeah, that's what I'm looking at. FSA also makes one. Have to figure out what makes some of them fit and some not, then find a derailleur I guess.
I think a mod going to a smaller 2ring with the FD bracket would be to cut and shorten the post with a sleeve or insert then pin it with roll pins but haven't taken any measurements or investigated further on that one.
Also going to try a longer chain stay which would help on the chain angle w triple.
I think a mod going to a smaller 2ring with the FD bracket would be to cut and shorten the post with a sleeve or insert then pin it with roll pins but haven't taken any measurements or investigated further on that one.
Also going to try a longer chain stay which would help on the chain angle w triple.
Compass makes one that looks interesting: 11-speed double with 46 - 30 rings.
https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/cranks/compass-rene-herse-11-speed-double-cranks/
https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/cranks/compass-rene-herse-11-speed-double-cranks/
super slim
Zen MBB Master
This is another option.
$249 for a 153 mm long crank, FSA Gossamer triple crankset with 50/39/30 chainrings, with BBs.
The 74 pcd can take a 24 tooth chain ring
http://www.bikesmithdesign.com/Short_Cranks/gossamer.html
$249 for a 153 mm long crank, FSA Gossamer triple crankset with 50/39/30 chainrings, with BBs.
The 74 pcd can take a 24 tooth chain ring
http://www.bikesmithdesign.com/Short_Cranks/gossamer.html
I have an 11/40 cassette on my S40. I like it, even though I have only ridden the bike on the trainer as it has been raining or too cold since November.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/SunRace-CSMX...hash=item5681a4a3b0:m:mArsFASrrRShF3cGsYZWR3w
https://m.ebay.com/itm/SunRace-CSMX...hash=item5681a4a3b0:m:mArsFASrrRShF3cGsYZWR3w
Cool! That is what I was looking for. Went down to the lbs asking questions and he said my derailleur wouldn't take the 12/42 and told me about many of the other pitfalls of changing stuff around. Quite the maize of happenings. In the end decided to suck it up but I'll look at that setup.
Are you using the Sram GX rear derailleur? And you are using a 2x at the front, like the 34/50? And you're running a 10 spd?
Are you using the Sram GX rear derailleur? And you are using a 2x at the front, like the 34/50? And you're running a 10 spd?
William Morris
Member
I have a 28x38x48 triple with a 13-32 10 speed cassette. The cassette is made of 2 disassembled shimano cassettes, a 13-25 Ultregra junior & an 11x32 XT. It's like road race gearing at the high end but also with lower gears. I'm on the 38 tooth chainring 98% of the time, with 3 higher gears on the 48 & 2 lower gears on the 28 when needed. The shifting is excellent all around. I've thought of using a compact double with a wide range rear cassette but I'd be shifting the front derailleur all the all the time to stay in the usable range I have with the 38. That's the beauty I find with a triple. It's like a 1x gearing in the middle ring with an available over / under drive when needed.
Robert at Rose City Recumbent put together my bike. I believe it's Sram GX RD. Front D is Sram Rival 50/34 165mm, but I just ordered a Cobbs 50/34 155mm to swap it out as my right calf below the knee gets slightly irritated . I have the 10 speed 11/40 cassette on the bike and trainer.
I wouldn't say the 11/40 is the smoothest thing in the world as it feels a little clunky when shifting gear. Definitely not as smooth as my road bike with Ultegra 11/32, or it's just me not adjusting the RD well for the trainer. However, I am sure I will appreciate the low gears in the spring when I need to climb the Seattle hills.
I wouldn't say the 11/40 is the smoothest thing in the world as it feels a little clunky when shifting gear. Definitely not as smooth as my road bike with Ultegra 11/32, or it's just me not adjusting the RD well for the trainer. However, I am sure I will appreciate the low gears in the spring when I need to climb the Seattle hills.
Thanks guys, good information there. I just ordered a Sram PG1070 12-32 because like William I like the road gearing at the top looking at the percentage jumps and has almost the desireable stuff at the low end, 11t on the cassette just seems too much of a jump. I'll try this on the trike as it has the 30/39/50 and a 36 low cassette at present.and see how it goes and then try to transfer it to the S40 with maybe some gearing like the 28-38-48 like William. If I can do a triple that would be the ticket or like Bachetta uses a 26/36/48. Like William said that middle gear can really roll, I like the 39 on the trike. LBS guy likes the 36/46 chainrings if a guy can get the cassette to work with an 11 spd and looking at the percentages can see why.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Received the longer 21.5" chainstay today. Couldn't proceed without that. Moved the FSA gossamer triple 50/39/30 from the catrike to the s40 to see how it would fit. Lot of things are close but I think it will work. The fd and rival dble tap should handle the 3rd ring I believe. So it is pretty much an easy install at this point but won't know til end of next week for certain, but kind of certain now. Utah trikes has the crankset with bb for $115, also has a chainguard. The weight increase of the triple over the dbl is .7#.
I also played with the cassette gearing. Seems I am always at the 19-22 jump cruising along on either the trike or df. So i got ahold of a 19/21/23 and moved that in and everything works wonderful now. Seems I cruise quite a bit on the 23 and the jump up and down of 21 and 25 works well with 21 and 19 getting a bit of use. So I ended up with 15,16,17,19,21,23,25,28,32,36. Might be a little short on the 15 end but until sponsorship comes though I should be good, and I can always install a bigger chainring then 50 if I need it bad enough. But the cruising around and gearing works pretty good, and if I'm downhill I'm enjoying it.
I also played with the cassette gearing. Seems I am always at the 19-22 jump cruising along on either the trike or df. So i got ahold of a 19/21/23 and moved that in and everything works wonderful now. Seems I cruise quite a bit on the 23 and the jump up and down of 21 and 25 works well with 21 and 19 getting a bit of use. So I ended up with 15,16,17,19,21,23,25,28,32,36. Might be a little short on the 15 end but until sponsorship comes though I should be good, and I can always install a bigger chainring then 50 if I need it bad enough. But the cruising around and gearing works pretty good, and if I'm downhill I'm enjoying it.
William Morris
Member
I’m curious about what cassette cogs you use. I’ve used Miche & Shimano road & mountain cassettes broken & reassembled.
That's what i did. Actually did it two different ways. I looked at some of the miche single cogs but for a few dollars more could have a complete cassette or more cogs anyway. Finding stuff in stock is kind of difficult also. There is a pretty good selection of 10 spd stuff if you can find it, much better then the 11 spd from what i could tell. On one cassette i used a 19/21/23 that was made to go on the inside and found out it needed an additional spacer because of the dish, I think it was a 1.7 to bring it flush, plus the .90? to go on top of it. Then you have to be careful as some of the cogs are on a spider and others are pinned. I think for the price of two older cheap cassettes i ended up with what i wanted.
FWIW found out the Sram double taps don't handle the triple front ring. And the triple i put on mine is a 52/39/30, not the 50 ring I thought I had bought which is fine. Also when I was looking at changing the cassette, instead of using percentages i switched to comparing the overlap or gap of mph at a certain cadence, like 80-90. Think that tells the story a little better then percentages. You can push the gap around or you can overlap, kind of interesting playing with the numbers.
FWIW found out the Sram double taps don't handle the triple front ring. And the triple i put on mine is a 52/39/30, not the 50 ring I thought I had bought which is fine. Also when I was looking at changing the cassette, instead of using percentages i switched to comparing the overlap or gap of mph at a certain cadence, like 80-90. Think that tells the story a little better then percentages. You can push the gap around or you can overlap, kind of interesting playing with the numbers.
William Morris
Member
Thanks, TA also makes cogs, available as cassettes & individually. They are available at Peter White bicycles. They are more expensive & I’ve never tried them. I have TA chainrings though. If you look at on line bike shops in Europe you can find many brands not available here.
