crankset advice please!

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Big John

Guru
It might need a tweek but I wouldn't have thought it would make it redundant. It'll still work but might need adjustment.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
There may be an offset or inset on the chainset which is is why they are recommending that size spindle. As above a tweak to the Hi-Lo adjustment screws may be necessary but you can check by removing the cable and moving the cage across by hand.
Is the big ring the same size? If not you'll need to move the FD up or down the seat tube. Cage should sit 1-2mm above the big ring or the with of s flat blade screwdriver. Make sure it's parallel to the chain ring when viewed from above.
 
OP
OP
N
There may be an offset or inset on the chainset which is is why they are recommending that size spindle. As above a tweak to the Hi-Lo adjustment screws may be necessary but you can check by removing the cable and moving the cage across by hand.
Is the big ring the same size? If not you'll need to move the FD up or down the seat tube. Cage should sit 1-2mm above the big ring or the with of s flat blade screwdriver. Make sure it's parallel to the chain ring when viewed from above.

this is really informative and useful! I will update you on the outcome. Thank you so much 👍
 
Location
London
I can recommend that Spa crankset you are considering noviceridgeback. I think it stylish and no-nonsense. Just be aware that the chainrings it comes with as standard aren't the most durable things, but you can get spares of the same standard cheap from Spa - I think they often sell on cheap the cheaper rings they take off new cranksets where folk have specced the better ones. In time as they wear I would change them to Spa's better quality ones. One point about that excellent value crankset - one of the chainring bolts is hidden behind the crankarm and a special bolt is used for that fixing. Even though this seems bonkers I have - to my surprise - not found it a practical problem so far though. There is a version of the crankset without this "hidden" bolt.
A pic of a bike I built up with that crankset - a 90s Ridgeback that was initially 7 speed.



I initially installed a 110mm BB but had initial problems shifting onto the small ring. A 113mm BB solved this. Please note that that's on my bike though and I am no expert on the relative mysteries of chainline.
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
I bought that Spa chainset to go on an old Raleigh MTB, I had to buy the 110mm BB to ensure it fitted correctly in respect to the front derailleur, you may also need to order crank arm bolts too, the original BB on mine had crank arm nuts, you will also need a crank arm extraction tool as well to remove your existing chainset & non drive side crank.
 

T4tomo

Legendary Member
I'm still not sure why the OP is changing what appears to be a perfectly good crankset??

With regards to BB length, that (i.e. the bigger measure - the smaller measure is the shell width) matches to the crankset and will be different for different cranksets on the same bike. the crankset manufacturer specifies the length to put the chainrings in the right place, depending on design of the crankset, to the the optimum chainline.
 
Location
London
I'm still not sure why the OP is changing what appears to be a perfectly good crankset??
Yes, a good question worth repeating.
@novice ridgeback you never said what the problem is with the current one, nor answered my question about whether the chainrings can be changed when needed.
Beware the bike industry siren calls of "upgrade upgrade".
Background on my job pictured upthread - i acquired essentially a frame, the rest of the bits attached were completely wrecked so i definitely needed a new crankset anyway.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
OP
OP
N
I'm still not sure why the OP is changing what appears to be a perfectly good crankset??

With regards to BB length, that (i.e. the bigger measure - the smaller measure is the shell width) matches to the crankset and will be different for different cranksets on the same bike. the crankset manufacturer specifies the length to put the chainrings in the right place, depending on design of the crankset, to the the optimum chainline.
Yes, a good question worth repeating.
@novice ridgeback you never said what the problem is with the current one, nor answered my question about whether the chainrings can be changed when needed.
Beware the bike industry siren calls of "upgrade upgrade".
Background on my job pictured upthread - i acquired essentially a frame, the rest of the bits attached were completely wrecked so i definitely needed a new crankset anyway.
He could probably just have changed the ring but maybe he felt like a new chainset.

for the price of a new chainset I’m think of replacing the lot along with a new chain
 

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Wandrin

Senior Member
Location
Lancashire
As a possible alternative view?

Pondering the "maybe one day perhaps a really big tour"-ness of various upgrade/replacements, I looked into swapping out the existing BB/crankset with something more posh.

But all the thinking required to make sure the chainline was ok and that my front derailleur didn't also join the "needs changed" pile made my head hurt.

So two chainwheels from the same series, Acera M391, 26-36-48 and 22-32-44, mean I can swap between road mode and overloaded tourer mode with not much more than a couple of links of chain of a difference to think about.

And hopefully bog standard enough that replacements can be found in both the back of beyond and Lancashire!
 
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