50 to 52 tooth make any difference?

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psycle

New Member
Hello,
I am new to this forum, and would appreciate some advice!
If I changed my triple chainset (which has 50 teeth on the outer chainring) to a chainset which had 52 teeth, would I need a slightly longer chain?

And would these 2 extra teeth make much difference?

Basically, I have 9 speed 105 with a sugino triple chainset, and want to put a ultegra triple on instead.

What do you think?

Many thanks,

Psycle:smile:
 

adscrim

Veteran
Location
Perth
It wouldn't make too much difference. It would be a bit like changing (for the purposes of when in the big ring) from a 12-25 cassette to a 11-23. You would not need a longer chain.
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
+1. And certainly no new chain. The only hesitation I'd contribute is it depends what else you're changing. Back in the day, I changed from a 52/42 to a 53/39, and tho' there was no great difference between the 52 & the 53, the difference in the gap between the 52/42 and the 53/39 did make a noticeable difference.
 
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psycle

New Member
Thanks for your help on this. Was going to put a 10 speed ultegra triple chainset with a 9 speed 105 front mech/9 speed 105 rear mech and 9 speed cassette..
 
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psycle

New Member
As i understand it , when in the outermost chainring and outermost sprocket, you could obtain a slightly faster speed?
(Sorry, what do you mean by two thirds?)
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
If you increase the large chaining by 2 teeth, the length of the shortest usable chain increases by 1 tooth (and a smidgen). You can only change chain length in increments of 2 teeth (1 inner + 1 outer link).
Whether you need to increase the chain length will depend on how close you are to the limit at present
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
I've changed t'other way. It makes a difference only on the speedo for those hills you can pedal down.
50 x 11 at 90 rpm is something like 30 mph anyway. Do you pedal downhill at that speed?
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
There is a chance of your having to move the front mech up the seat tube a bit to stop it clashing into the bigger chain ring. The 52T ring's radius is just over 4mm larger.
 

e-rider

crappy member
Location
South West
psycle said:
As i understand it , when in the outermost chainring and outermost sprocket, you could obtain a slightly faster speed?
(Sorry, what do you mean by two thirds?)

all I'm saying is: 3 teeth increase at the front (chainring) is the same and 1 tooth decrease at the rear (cassette)

this should give you a better idea of what difference it would make.
 

MacB

Lover of things that come in 3's
A rear cassette normally goes down to an 11 tooth cog:-

50x11 = 119.5 gear inches - or 30.2mph at 85rpm and 42.7mph at 120rpm
52x11 = 124.3 gear inches - or 31.4mph at 85rpm and 44.4mph at 120rpm

this is using a 700x23 tyre size
 
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