MTB Conversion

Blue_CBRXX

Hi,

I have decided to commute to work on my MTB and was wondering if anyone could recommend a more road oreintated chainset/BB that will work with my current front mech. I have an Shimano LX setup with a 44/32/22 chainset at the moment. Do Shimano do bigger rings for this chainset, all my searches only find what I have? If not what else is available, and what size should I get?

Thanks.

Cheers Paul

Steve I

Why bother? 44/11 gives a 104" gear top gear. That's easily enough for 30 mph, or even faster if you're prepared to really spin a bit.

Blue_CBRXX

Steve l,

I didn't really get in to the mountain biking, too far to travel and unless you are fit ,it is too tiring, too quickly to get any real enoyment. With the road/commute the biking starts at the front door. I spent a fortune (for me) building the bike from scratch (long story) and I don't want to dump the bike and start again. Hence the question.

Cheers Paul

alfablue

This 26/36/48 chainsetseems to be the largest mtb chainset, or there is a Deore version for £43. I am not sure if you could just get the rings rto fit to your existing ones. I currently have the same chainset as you on my commuter, and the gears are plenty big enough unless going down long hills. I presume you have changed to narrow slick tyres.

Jon8a

I run those front rings and could reach 30mph easily enough on a hill. Never used the granny ring though on the road.

Have a look at the rear casette and make sure you are running something appropriate. Can't remember the ranges but you need small rings. My mtb has 12-34 but I think you can get down to 11.

If you want to go faster try putting some slick narrow tyres on and pumping them up nice and hard.

You can buy individual rings for LX cranksets, I assume you've tried wiggle and chainreactioncycles. If they don't throw anything up try SJS Cycles. My 4 bolt LX crankset has a bolt circle diameter of 104mm and they had plenty of rings available of all sizes, doesn't have to be shimano as long as it's compatable (they may help with advice on this).

Blue_CBRXX

Thanks alphablue and Jon8a. I have put slicks on the bike (Continental Conact Sport). I can get a reasonable rate going but I notice I spend all my time on the largest front ring. This means, unless I change front and rear gears, to go up hills I am putting a lot of strain on the chain, large sprocket front and rear. Hence the question, as I was hoping to spend most of the time on the middle ring.

Cheers Paul

alfablue

Hi Paul, I don't think the large ring will put a strain on your chain (if I understand you correctly) unless using the largest sprockets at the same time, so the chainline is crossed. I would tend to use the top 6 cassette sprockets then as I need to change down further, simultaneously click once on the left hand shifter and twice on the right hand shifter to put me in a similar gear using the middle ring.

ride_whenever

or just move the big ring to the middle and run a single front ring with the front mech to stop it dropping off in the extremes of the cassette.

snooks

ride_whenever wrote:

or just move the big ring to the middle and run a single front ring with the front mech to stop it dropping off in the extremes of the cassette.

I'm thinking about this as I'm spending my whole commute on the big front ring....I got the biggest I could (cheaply)...either 48 or 50 IIRC...but on my (flat) commute I don't use the other two chain rings at all

If you do get bigger chain rings you'll prolly also need a new chain (unless you saved the extra links)

Enjoy
.

passout

I'd wait until to rear cassette needs replacing then go for something different there.
Can't you buy a bigger outside ring individually??