Almost genius? Triple is the new double!

[rain dogs]

OK, SO I thought I had a pretty clever idea for my wife's new gravel bike.

We load our bikes up, bikepack, and don't race or anything, so I was thinking that for her, even a 30/34 low gear as will be supplied on GRX will be sweet, but not super, sweet candy kinda sweet.

And then I remembered that I had an old set of .... the horror.... FSA triple chainrings that I basically tossed in the bottom of a box on immediate sight. BUT, BUT, BUT! it has a 74mm granny ring.

So, I whipped them on her gravel bike took off the 39/30 and bought a 26t inner and a 42 tooth outer, combined with 11/34 and she could climb a wall.... 26/34 is 20,8 gear inches on 700x35!!!

EXCEPT..... ramps and pins. crud.

So, now the only thing that is separating me from a super slick, super cheap, super ugl...err climby set of cranks on her bike is finding old stock 130bcd 42tooth middle rings with ramps and pins for 11 speed. :help:

Any ideas? My searches come up fairly empty.

FOUND Specialties TA make 130bcd 42t outerrings with pins... 10 speed should be fine, no?

[AngryScientist]

fwiw....

chainrings without ramps/pins shift just fine. maybe not quite as quick or smoothly, but they shift perfectly well.

i've done a few triple/wide compact double conversions myself. no problem.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-22dWnbb5ogg/Wmz82BBmWBI/AAAAAAAAC9s/l76DkNpujAc6jiJiR-WV70RwzCbv7EgTQCLcBGAs/s900/IMG_1980.JPG

[buddybikes]

this what you need? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sweet-Ritchey-NOS-New-130-BCD-42-Tooth-Chainring-Ramped/303161230396?hash=item4695d1443c:g:T0YAAOSwAcdc4q8 l

[Hindmost]

What you found should work fine. A 42 ring with ramps and pins was usually meant for middle use on a triple.

[sg8357]

Rivendell and Spa Cycles both sell triples with the big ring
replaced with a chain guard.

https://www.rivbike.com/collections/cranks-bbs/products/crank-silver-double-steel-rings-34x24-with-guard

[Ralph]

Wiggle sells TA rings for middle position on triple. Pins, etc. Don't know if middle ring is 11 specific. Also E Bay shows some N10 FSA Middle rings with ramps and ins in 40 and 42 130 BCD. Imagine a 10 speed ring would be fine in middle position.

[Spoker]

A 104 bcd spider for sram/truvativ can turn a lot of cranks into a great combination.

[oldpotatoe]

OK, SO I thought I had a pretty clever idea for my wife's new gravel bike.

We load our bikes up, bikepack, and don't race or anything, so I was thinking that for her, even a 30/34 low gear as will be supplied on GRX will be sweet, but not super, sweet candy kinda sweet.

And then I remembered that I had an old set of .... the horror.... FSA triple chainrings that I basically tossed in the bottom of a box on immediate sight. BUT, BUT, BUT! it has a 74mm granny ring.

So, I whipped them on her gravel bike took off the 39/30 and bought a 26t inner and a 42 tooth outer, combined with 11/34 and she could climb a wall.... 26/34 is 20,8 gear inches on 700x35!!!

EXCEPT..... ramps and pins. crud.

So, now the only thing that is separating me from a super slick, super cheap, super ugl...err climby set of cranks on her bike is finding old stock 130bcd 42tooth middle rings with ramps and pins for 11 speed. :help:

Any ideas? My searches come up fairly empty.

FOUND Specialties TA make 130bcd 42t outerrings with pins... 10 speed should be fine, no?

Shimano for 6600 also, not hard to find. 10s and even 9s would work fine..I've done a LOT of triple-double with low gearing, conversions..using 'track/pista' CR bolts and any 74mm BCD small ring..

[Mark McM]

Heck, you can use this concept to make a sub-compact out of a standard (or compact) double crank as well, using a triplizer chainring. A triplizer chainring mounts in the place of inner chainring on a double, and has mounting holes to add the inner chainring from a triple:

http://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/tripleizer/tatripleizerflat.jpg


Triplizers are available for 144mm, 135mm, 130mm, 122mm and 110mm BCDs cranks.

As with your solution, you'll need a longer bottom bracket spindle (for chainring clearance and chainline alignment) which will increase Q factor. I considered this solution myself, but my knees prefer as narrow a Q as I can find, so I went a different direction for a sub-compact road crank.

[rain dogs]

Rivendell and Spa Cycles both sell triples with the big ring
replaced with a chain guard.

https://www.rivbike.com/collections/cranks-bbs/products/crank-silver-double-steel-rings-34x24-with-guard

I should have known that all the smart folks here would have long done this. I proclaim the rebirth of the triple!

In fact, this above, was completely what I was thinking. Slap a chainguard on the outside to really complete it. I remember K-edge made these ones, which would be ideal (but in black):

https://www.cxmagazine.com/wp-content/gallery/mechanical-mondays-chainrings/k-edge-single.jpg

[jtbadge]

Also, the All-City Cross Wizard (formerly the Salsa Crossing Guard) comes in a 44t 130bcd combo that you can order at any bike shop. Cheap and look nice.

https://allcitycycles.com/images/products2/_gallery_thumb/Cross-Wizard-3.jpg