Changing chainrings?

tyw214

So I currently have a 2017 CAAD12 DISC 105, it came with a 52/36t chainring. I was wondering if I can change it to 50/36t or 48/36t (just changing the big chain and not the smaller one). If i can, what chainring will work? I find myself never use the 52 at all because it's tough for me at this point...

Spec:

CRANK
Cannondale Si, BB30a, FSA rings, 52/36

Can I just buy a FSA 50T ring and it'll work?

trailflow

Yes you can do that as long as it is 110BCD.

Any chainring that is 110BCD will work. Except Campagnolo type chainrings.

debeli

Well you can..... and it won't be too costly.... and it isn't a hard job.....

But you have quite a nice spread of gears there.

In the good old days of old, lots of cyclists stayed off the big ring until the middle of Spring....

Is the 52 feeling too big because you're not able to spin at the revs (cadence) you'd like to?

You can go down to a 50 or a 48 if you want, but that drops EVERYTHING when you're on the pie-dish ring.

I have 53/39 and I live in a pretty hilly part of the planet. I rarely use the 53/11 pairing, but when I do it tends to be on one or another type of descent - from gentle to stupid - and I am glad of the extra whizz.

Much of the time (at my advanced age) I am spinning along in gears far from the tallest I have, but it is nice to know the longer ones are there when there is some downhill to be downhilled.

Leave it as it is. The folk who built it know lots about bicycles. Other opinions may differ from mine. You will find that they are wrong.

tyw214

Debeli wrote:

Well you can..... and it won't be too costly.... and it isn't a hard job.....

But you have quite a nice spread of gears there.

In the good old days of old, lots of cyclists stayed off the big ring until the middle of Spring....

Is the 52 feeling too big because you're not able to spin at the revs (cadence) you'd like to?

You can go down to a 50 or a 48 if you want, but that drops EVERYTHING when you're on the pie-dish ring.

I have 53/39 and I live in a pretty hilly part of the planet. I rarely use the 53/11 pairing, but when I do it tends to be on one or another type of descent - from gentle to stupid - and I am glad of the extra whizz.

Much of the time (at my advanced age) I am spinning along in gears far from the tallest I have, but it is nice to know the longer ones are there when there is some downhill to be downhilled.

Leave it as it is. The folk who built it know lots about bicycles. Other opinions may differ from mine. You will find that they are wrong.

Yea, i am often not able to spin at the cadence I am comfortable at 52 with anything less than like about 18~19, unless it's like a decent or something :oops:

Also, if I moved down to a 50/48, do i need to shorten my chain??

wotnoshoeseh

Debeli wrote:

....... it is nice to know the longer ones are there when there is some downhill to be downhilled.

Leave it as it is. The folk who built it know lots about bicycles. Other opinions may differ from mine. You will find that they are wrong.

^^ What he said ^^

imposter2.0

Debeli wrote:

Leave it as it is. The folk who built it know lots about bicycles.

Because you've never, ever changed anything on one of your own bikes?

debeli

Imposter wrote:

Debeli wrote:

Leave it as it is. The folk who built it know lots about bicycles.

Because you've never, ever changed anything on one of your own bikes?

Aaaah.... Now that you feel it necessary to bring reality into the debate.....

Yes, I have changed lots on bicycles, motorcycles and cars over the years.

Many of the changes I have regretted. Many were plain daft. Some I will not even admit to.

But changing a chainring on a bicycle before it was worn is not one of them... and I don't imagine it ever will be.

I'm not sure I've ever removed a part of a bicycle with a view to replacing it before its 'time had come'.

Apart from rings and sprockets on singlespeeds and fixies, which do not count because when there is only one to choose from the rules don't apply.

But essentially, I am right and anything that even looks slightly like dissent or disagreement is simply wrong and probably a threat to the nation as well.

You might want to think about that before you start introducing into these discussions the notion that I might feel obliged to live by my own views. Apart from all the parts apart from the frame, all my bicycles are exactly - or largely - as they were when they were built. To say otherwise would simply be upsetting.

imposter2.0

Debeli wrote:

But changing a chainring on a bicycle before it was worn is not one of them... and I don't imagine it ever will be.

Give it a try - it's very liberating. Take it to your LBS if you're not confident in doing the work yourself.

Sutton_Rider

tyw214 wrote:

Also, if I moved down to a 50/48, do i need to shorten my chain??

It depends on your cassette (11-28 or 11-32) and your chainstay length. PM me with that info and I'll tell you.

Matthewfalle

Change away if you want to - it all about personal preferance.

You may have to shorten the chain buy a link (two minute job) but you will have to drop your front mech down the meet the now smaller chainring. Again, a 2 minute job but as you'll be releasing the cable o drop it down it will require re-adjustment.

Moonbiker

Just get an electric bike? :roll:

trailflow

Nowt wrong with switching chaingrings. It's one of the best changes ive made. I moved from 34/50t to 33/46t and i can find the gear i want alot faster. Switching between the rings is also snappier. The drive train is alot more efficient for me. And it also saves a smidgen of weight. i only spin out on really fast descents and they are short lived where i ride in the peak destrict. Above 30-35mph the wind resistance comes into play more than anything.

fat daddy

If you are not using a whole section of gears with the 52 then yes change it. The bike was built to be average for as many riders as possible to maximise sales, by changing the ring you will give yourself a far better gear range and it will further transform the bike

ben@31

Moonbiker wrote:

Just get an electric bike? :roll:

I was thinking just get a compact 50-34 chainset