this post was submitted on 17 May 2024
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If you are just needing a new one then everything else should be able to stay the same.
Do you definitely need new chainrings? They last pretty much forever unless they're damaged, in my experience. But nonetheless, really all you need is the BCD which is the measurement of the bolt distances:
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/pages/how-to-measure-bolt-circle-diameter-bcd
Then you need to know how many teeth your current rings have. Then order the same spec and install.
However if you are going from a single chainring to a triple then yes you will need a wider bracket as well to account from the extra rings. Assuming a square taper bb, it will only have two measurements, the shell, which will be either 68 or 73mm and then the total width (e.g. could be 110mm or 122mm or anything really). The latter will determine the clearance you get for the rings from the chainstays. It is measurable and your LBS could do it. This is ultimately going to determine your chainline, which you want to be as straight as you can (I.e. middle ring up front in line with middle ring on the cassette).
I'm by no means an expert but this is what I'd be looking for
Thanks for the info.
Yeah, the LBS said the middle chainring has some wear, so I'd rather just change it all up.
I'm staying with a 3x, and same gear range. Looking at a few Shimano front derailleurs, the BB will be quite a bit wider than what I have.
Maybe I can pretty-please my LBS to have a look and decide what the best swap would be. I'm also going by what they have in-stock or can get easily, so my options are further limited.
In that case I guess I would just order 3 new chainrings with the same number of teeth, keep the cranks and bottom bracket, just make sure to order the right number of bolts and BCD. Simple. There's a special tool to help hold the chainring bolt in place while you unscrew it but you can make do with a flathead screwdriver or an old spoke
Edit: and the front derailleur should also be fine unless it's damaged