Are Campy chainrings synchronized? Can you mix them?

[d_douglas]

I have a set of 52-36 Campy chainrings and would love to go to a 50t outer. Is there a reason why this wouldn't work perfectly with a 50-36t combination?

I feel like I've heard that chainrings are optimized to work as a pair for 53-39 / 52-36 / 50-34 and less than perfectly in any other combination.

Truth or not?

If they work perfectly, then there was someone on the PL who wanted to switch a 52 for a 50 and I would be game. Can anyone remind me who that was!?

[cachagua]

Originally Posted by d_douglas

...Optimized to work as a pair for 53-39 / 52-36 / 50-34 and less than perfectly in any other combination...

I'd say go for it. In my experience, the "less than perfect" is pretty darn wonderful -- like indistinguishable from the specified pairings, like a dirty chain will make more trouble. I've tried a number of unauthorized combinations, and shifting's never been affected.

[AJM100]

I did a 50/36 combo on a carbon record setup, 135BCD and it was fine. No issues with shifting performance.

[Mark McM]

In my experience, there are many factors that can affect front shifting, and any differences between matched and un-matched chainring pairs is relatively minor, so differences are mostly lost in the noise.

Originally Posted by AJM100

I did a 50/36 combo on a carbon record setup, 135BCD and it was fine. No issues with shifting performance.

???? A 36 tooth chainring won't fit on a 135mm BCD - the smallest that will fit that BCD is 39.

[ultraman6970]

Probably he meant 39....

I have used different brands mixed with campagnolo ones and never had a problem. THe ramps help to shift tad quicker but besides that honestly never had problems mixing stuff, back in the day chainrings did not have ramps neither pins or anything and nobody but maybe Andy Schleck got problem shifting... forgot he was in shimano tho

[cmg]

the different chain rings should work. Try to find rings from the generation/year as the crankset. It's about getting the bolt with the spacer at the correct location.

[rwsaunders]

On this particular bike I run a Campag 50/36 crankset with a 13/29 cassette...10 speed, short cage rear derailleur, no issues.

[Ralph]

I'm sure your big 52 ring has stamped on it 52/36. That means the precisely placed ramps and pins are designed to help the chain move from a 36 to a 52. A 53/39 crankset will say 53/39 on big ring, etc.

If you get a 50 tooth, and it doesn't say 50/39....it won't shift as well as a dedicated big ring. if you get a ring like one from TA, and it's sorta a generic shifting ring...maybe pins but no ramps.....it will shift OK, but not as good as one designed to have that 39 in front of it. It's no big deal, but factory combinations do shift best.

[Ronsonic]

Campagnolo always warns that using mismatched parts can result in failure causing accident, injury or death. But, we know from experience that mostly these mismatches work pretty darned well. I remember shifting rings that had no pins, ramps, doodads or gimmicks. It actually happened.

I do know people running mismatch Campy rings without a problem, but not that particular combination.