Advice: Chainring condition

DefUnctUK

Hi all,

I'm still trying to track down a slight rattle from my drivetrain when i go hard. One of the bike-shops i asked for advice mentioned that my chainrings looked like they could be on the way out, causing the chain not to release from the bottom.
Having said that, i have never had chainsuck, plus the rattle happens regardless of whether i'm on the 50 or 34 chainring and i find it hard to believe both are knackered suddenly at the same time. So i spoke to the country Campy distributor, who said from the photos that the rings seem to look ok. I would value your opinion - can i rule them out as the noisemakers? Do they look ok to you?

Galley of images here: http://imgur.com/a/F9q50

Thanks!

keezx

Outer ring is a bit worn from crosschaining but should run smooth on all except the biggest cogs.
Using the big ring and the biggest cogs never runs 100% smooth
Inner ring almost 100%...

DefUnctUK

Thanks a lot, so even the 50t chainring should have some life in it with some careful use and shouldn't really cause any chainsuck in your eyes?

ElectronShepherd

If it's started on both rings, first thing to check is that the chainring bolts are tight.

DefUnctUK

Thanks, i have checked that, as well as the BB / UT. To be honest it could be jockey wheels, derailleur hanger, chain, cassette. At the moment i want to try and rule out the chainrings - if they look like that have a lot of life in them yet and it happens on both, then i doubt / hope it should not be them (the replacement chainrings from campy aren't cheap :-) )

giropaul

Although we can't see the top of the ring, the front changer seems very high. That could mean that parts of the cage that should be below the big ring are catching when you press on a bit.

DefUnctUK

giropaul: thanks a lot, although i have just lowered the front derailleur a little, i will look again (compare with specs).

fenix

Have you checked bottle cages ? They're often the culprits.

Failing that go through the bike from the front back and check all is tight.

drlodge

Can you describe the sound a bit more, is it really a rattle? Is it constant throughout the pedal stroke?

apreading

Double and triple check the chain ring bolts. On my Ultegra chainset I had to torque them way higher than Shimano said to stop them making noise. Could also try greasing them.

DefUnctUK

Hi, thanks for all the advice - i know it's been a while but remembered i never posted what seemed to solve the issue. In the end, it seemed losing a couple of links off my chain length seemed to make everything run smooth.