Non-OEM chainring - anything I need to know?

[Kell]

My chain snapped this morning (I'm OK - just had a three mile walk home in SPD shoes).

I was toying with the idea of getting a slightly smaller chainring this time around and am looking at a non-OEM 48T one.

I'll buy a new chain, new sprockets and this new chainring together and replace the lot. Any problems with a Brompton chain on any other chainring or will they all play nicely together?

 

[Kell]

(Was going to delete this thread, but I can't)

Just looking back at a previous thread (also by me) it appear the only thing I might have to do is remove a couple of links. Going to order this with a corresponding chainring:

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s210p3387/SPA-CYCLES-130-BCD-Zicral-Outer

 

[DCLane]

Just get the bcd and number of chainring bolt holes correct. Otherwise it won't fit. Not that I know that

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I hope you aren’t buying a new chain ring because your chain broke. The two things will not be related.

 

[Roseland triker]

Carry a spare snap link and chain tool.....

 

[Kell]

I hope you aren’t buying a new chain ring because your chain broke. The two things will not be related.

Nope - When I replace my chain, I always replace the Chainring and sprockets.

Do it twice a year regardless of whether they need it or not.

Long story short but after trying to make a chain last longer than it should, it snapped, depositing me on the cross bar of my then Dahon folder.

I broke my Cocyx, was off the bike for at least three months, and still have problems today if I have to sit down for extended periods - like any car journey over two hours.

So, as I need to replace my chain, and would be buying a new chainring anyway, I'm going to try a new one.

All things considered it's cheaper to spend £100 a year on the drivetrain bits than to be forced into driving to the station for three months and getting the tube the other end of my journey - just being off the bike for those 3 months cost around £16 extra a day. Over three months, that's almost £1,000 - which was enough to buy a new bike at the time.

 

[Kell]

Carry a spare snap link and chain tool.....

I had the chain tool - but at some point must have lost my spare link. I definitely lost one half of the one on the chain this morning.

And as it was while negotiating these roundabouts in rush hour traffic, I didn't really want to get on my hands and knees and search for it.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.626...4!1swQGgV_aBxf1voIwx3x8xCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

[Blue Hills]

Nope - When I replace my chain, I always replace the Chainring and sprockets.

Do it twice a year regardless of whether they need it or not.

Cripes - I honestly can't see any point in doing that.

 

[mitchibob]

Cripes - I honestly can't see any point in doing that.

Not sure the chainring needs it each time chain is changed, but sprockets do, and I can quite easily seeing having to do it twice a year.

 

[T4tomo]

anything I need to know?​

say goodbye to your chainguard with an OEM chainring, not sure if that is important to you or not

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Not sure the chainring needs it each time chain is changed, but sprockets do, and I can quite easily seeing having to do it twice a year.

Sprockets will last a good 3 chains at least if you don’t leave it too late.

 

[u_i]

The change in slack is so marginal that it is not worth bothering with any shortening.

 

[Kell]

Cripes - I honestly can't see any point in doing that.

My chains only last six months. The grime that comes up from daily use in London turns into a horrible grinding paste that really plays havoc with chain, sprockets etc.

This is what I used to get out of my chain pusher every month. Terrible design that allows the grime to build up in there.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4nh0aEiBeI


I'm no longer commuting five days a week, so I may get longer between changes as I’m doing fewer miles as we’re only in the office three days.

Checked this one about a week ago when I cleaned it. the 0.5 side would go in, but only just. So it wasn't too stretched, but there you go.

In 30 years of commuting, I’ve never got away with changing a chain and reusing the old sprockets, though I used to get away with not changing the chain ring.

But in this instance, as I was interested in trying a slightly smaller chainring, I thought I'd swap everything.

 

[Kell]

say goodbye to your chainguard with an OEM chainring, not sure if that is important to you or not

THe Spa Cycles chainring does have a corresponding guard which is available at extra cost.

ETA: They both turned up today and feel like quality items.

 

[rogerzilla]

The derailleur bikes benefit from the chainguard as a chain catcher. My 2-speed will unship the chain to the outside if changing to a smaller sprocket in a hurry. I avoid it by pedalling slower while changing.