removing granny ring

[roadiewill]

is this a relatively easy thing to do? what tools would I need?

cheers

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Depends on which cassette you have on there. I assume you have a 'cassette' rather than the older, screw-on types.

Some cassettes split into separate cogs, some spilt into small groups of cogs. You will still have to replace whatever cogs you remove though.

You will need a cassette removal tool and a chain whip and it is quite easy once you have these.

 

[John the Monkey]

If you mean the smallest chain ring, try looking at this.

If you mean the cassette, try this.

 

[roadiewill]

ta
i mean the smallest chain ring

 

[Dave Davenport]

Why do you want to?

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Whoops sorry. Can you actually 'remove' the granny ring? Wouldn't you have to replace it with a double ring and corresponding BB.

 

[ColinJ]

THe granny ring will just unbolt off the crank spider thingy.

Unless it is one of those cheap, horrible, riveted-on ones in which case it won't !

 

[Yorkshireman]

is this a relatively easy thing to do? what tools would I need?

cheers

If you had one like this

all you need is an allen key (though you would have to remove the r/h crank and the chainwheels first).
If you have one of the slightly cheaper riveted (or spot welded) ones like this one

I doubt the effort would be worth it.

 

[hubgearfreak]

If you have one of the slightly cheaper riveted (or spot welded) ones like this one

I doubt the effort would be worth it.you'll need an angle grinder

but the question remains, why?

 

[roadiewill]

because I never, never, nerver, never use it

 

[byegad]

For the weight removed in this way it hardly seems worth it. taking a small water bottle rather than a large one would make more of a difference.

 

[Paulus]

On most chainrings the granny ring is riveted to the casting so is not removable. Personally I wouldn't bother. Leave it in place and forget about it.
You could always spend some wonga on a new chainset, front and rear mechs and new chain to get the double chainset, should only set you back a couple of hundred or so

 

[Over The Hill]

Can't remember when I last managed to get onto the big ring, so I must be doing something wrong!

A cycle buddy of mine does not change down much for a hill but prefers to slog it out with force rather than revs. He is about 16 stone but fairly solid not fat. I am 12 stone and getting on a bit and I dont have the push to do that so need the Granny to throw revs at a hill.

If you dont use the Granny I wonder if your approach is not best or if the back end could take a smaller cog range to balance you more to the full range of the bike.

 

[andy_wrx]

all you need is an allen key (though you would have to remove the r/h crank and the chainwheels first

Not the crank, you can simply remove the outer chainrings and then waggle the smaller one past the spider and over the crank.

I did this to replace my inner with a smaller ring

I guess you might also have to remove the pedal if you were using platform pedals with toeclips as it wouldn't fit over it.


Alternatively, if you did remove the crank you could then simply remove the inner ring without having to touch the outer rings.



If you have a triple but want to go double, I suppose you could remove the inner one and adjust the front mech stop-screws to only allow the shifter to select the remaining rings....but I really wouldn't bother.

 

[Yorkshireman]

Originally Posted by Yorkshireman
all you need is an allen key (though you would have to remove the r/h crank and the chainwheels first

Not the crank, you can simply remove the outer chainrings and then waggle the smaller one past the spider and over the crank.
I did this to replace my inner with a smaller ring

I guess you might also have to remove the pedal if you were using platform pedals with toeclips as it wouldn't fit over it.


Alternatively, if you did remove the crank you could then simply remove the inner ring without having to touch the outer rings.



If you have a triple but want to go double, I suppose you could remove the inner one and adjust the front mech stop-screws to only allow the shifter to select the remaining rings....but I really wouldn't bother.

The spider is part of the crank, and though the largest ring and possibly the middle one might can be fiddled over the spider/crank combo, the granny is too small to fit over the spider (just been out to try it ). It's only one crank retaining bolt and the four allen bolts and took about 10 minutes (other cranksets will differ).

Sorry andy ... Your paragraph

Alternatively, if you did remove the crank you could then simply remove the inner ring without having to touch the outer rings.

didn't 'register' (until after I'd finished playing bike mechanics ... and posting) ...my bad.