Youve often asked us for replacement rings for XTR cranks... its always been your choice ofShimano or...Shimano. Well, we decidedTo "git er done" and went straightTo BlackspireTo haveThem custom make a batch ofTheir killer rings justTo fit XTR! Some ofThe only 3rd party rings for XTR in existence Crafted for us by Blackspire in Canada, makers of some ofThe most durable rings going Shift gates and special profiles; plus stainless steel pins for flawless shifting Designed for 9sp driv
Submitted by
Rapidtrax
a Racer
from Haverhill, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2011
Strengths: The Blackspire Super Pro offered the correct bolt circle to fit my Raceface Deus crank set 104/64 in 32/22 teeth
Weaknesses: Poor shifting quality. The chain drops off the middle ring to the granny ring with a clunck when shifted. Adjustment could not smooth it out. Also you must make approximately a 120 degree rotation before the chain moves down. To much for my liking. Up shifts to the middle ring clatter. This is definately not on par with Raceface rings. The base material for the granny ring is thicker than a Raceface ring though the counter bores for the ring bolts are similiar in depth. The result is that the granny chainring bolts are more inboard and interfere with the lower pivot bolt on my Intense 6.6. This is really bad!!!
Bottom Line:
These rings are a good stop gap product if you can not locate the real deal Raceface chainrings but dont expect the identical performance. These babys fall short in all respects. 4F Form, Fit, Function the big F for failure.
Similar Products Used: Raceface Deus w/Race Rings, and Raceface Turbine rings and in my ealier days shimano XT
Bike Setup: Intense 6.6, MRP LRP, 36mm Talas 160 RC2, Raceface Deus, Crank brothers eggbeaters, WTB Velociraptors currently, Sram 990; 991, X.0 deraileurs and shifters, Juciy Carbons, carbon bar and seat post, Havoc AM wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jrsbike
a Weekend Warrior
from Winchester, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2011
Strengths: Quality manufacturing, tough and takes a hit.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I bought a 24 and 34 Super Pro to set up a 2x9 with a XT 770 crankset. I have 9 speed XT derailleurs and chain. This shifts beautifully and dependably; far better than the stock XT rings I had before. Before I got a chainguard I whacked a few rocks and the rings took the hits without a problem. I'm a believer! I think the naysayers just don't know how to set up a bike and understand compatibility.
Similar Products Used: Raceface, Shimano, FSA, Blackspire, Cycle Dynamics, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
wu-wei
a Cross Country Rider
from Kauai, HI
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2009
Strengths: The box they come in is recyclable.
Weaknesses: Shifts like a senile grandmother with Parkinsons. Wears out like your sister on prom night.
Bottom Line:
Even when brand new these things shifted poorly (amazingly slow engagement). I don't know why I lived with them for a few months but after only about 800 miles of fairly hard mtb and some road riding, the middle and smalls rings are shark-toothed and done. I replaced the chain at the same time as these rings, and I never run a chain wear with excessive stretch.
I also keep my drivetrain clean. The fault with this early wear and weak shifting lies solely with whatever cheap metal or process blackspire uses. Never have I given 1 chile, but never before have I had such a crap component. You could get these for $20 and they'd still get 1 chile for value. Awful!
I put about 2'500 miles a year on my bike, commute to work all year in rainy Seattle, and race this bike in both cross country mountain and cyclocross mudfest races. This chain ring had barely noticeable wear after 1 year of hard use. Fantastic product. No shifting issues.
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Winnipeg Canada
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2008
Strengths: strong, light, durable
Weaknesses: doesn't shift on my bike
Bottom Line:
I bought a 104-32 (middle) Blackspire SuperPro to replace my wearing XT one. I replaced the chain at the same time with a top-of-the-line SRAM PC-991. My front der is a 2006 XT.
I tested it on my street. 100% of middle->small downshifts chattered and stalled for 3 or four full revolutions before shifting down, and 30% of them dropped right down to the bike frame. Half an hour of front der cable tension and limit adjustments yielded equal or worse (100% dropping) results. Small->middle upshifts always were perfect.
I put my wearing chain and XT chainring back on, and 98% of the middle->small downshifts were instantaneous and perfect, as were the small->middle upshifts.
Strengths: shifts well, durable, significantly under the price of the Shimano replacement rings
Weaknesses: If you are overly concerned with counting grams, these may be a little heavier than Shimano, but I'm not sure. It just feels thicker.
Bottom Line:
Cant say anything about small or big ring Blackspires but the 32 tooth (middle) rings are working great for me. Im roaching the XTR 960 middle rings in less than 4 months. Been riding these for 3 months and I can hardly tell they have been used. I have not noticed any decline in shifting performance.
Weaknesses: performance slightly below original shimano.
Bottom Line:
In my opinion, these are the best replacement rings for shimanos. With XT rings, i've experienced some chainsuck, hence the replacements. Since then, no more problems, no matter how much mud they got on them. I use them in conjunction with XT cranks, HG 93 or CN 7701 chain, and XTR front derailleur. I use the large en middle ring, since i hardly use my granny. Shifting performance is slightly below XT rings, say 5 percent less, but they outperform shimano in workmanship, finish and durability. If you are looking for a good alternative for shimano rings, this is your best bet.
Similar Products Used: XT and other shimano stuff.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Sam
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Island, NY USA
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2006
Strengths: sweet looking
Weaknesses: crappy shifting, dropped chains
Bottom Line:
i really wanted to like these. they look sweet in all black machined finish, they're NOT shimano, but they simply dont shift that well. and i use all my rings it wasnt the setup either. in three consecutive weekends i had violent chain droppages and skips during jumps and wheelie drops leaving me with bloody knees and no confidence in my drivetrain. I'm switching back to Shimano just to confirm my suspisions.
Submitted by
Bruce Bunn
a Racer
from Plattsburgh, NY
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2004
Strengths: Bought a whole set for my 751 XT cranks. I have immediately noticed improved performance. Less flex and noticebly smoother shifting than XT replacements that I have bought (I have been through 3 middle rings this season) Hopefully they are as durable as others have claimed. They look good
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
So far far superior performance, obviously will need time to tell on durability. I am a strong, low cadence at times, ring bending racer and these are noticibly stiffer than XT.
Submitted by
joe therider
a Cross Country Rider
from usa
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2004
Strengths: i honestly cantremember howmuch i paid 4 these, they were priced in line with raceface. They are great shifting and last a real long time. After one year they still have alot of life left to them and are shifting consistantly
Weaknesses: i cant think of any...the small ring was machined for an 8 speed drivetrain, i ofcourse got horrible chainsuck,after calling them they replaced it immediatly, and were apologetic for the mistake, those polite Canadians...such a nice change from the arrogant cali attitudes i get so tired of.
Bottom Line:
some people were b1tching about the finish wearing off and other silly crap, get over it, this is a wear item, that means IT WILL NOT BE PRETTY FOREVER (personally im suspect of any mtnbike thats too clean or new looking, u know why)These rings have taken alot of real world abuse...log crossongs, rocks, snow, mud, sand, anything u can think of, and alot of it, i ride year around, and in season do 60 to 100 mi per week. I like these rings and thay have never let me down.
Similar Products Used: shimano, raceface, real(crap)!
Bike Setup: yes, infact i'm riding today, thanx for asking.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike H
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2003
Strengths: Well, to be honest I dont know. It shifts, it doesnt bend, and it looks cool. I dont know what more to ask for out of a chainring. Its not like it will dice, slice, chop, and blend....Jeese I'm hungry
From day one I used to have chainsuck issues with my bike using the XTR rings. It was worst in mud, but happened when dry, it happened when the rings were brand new, and it happened despite changes to the chainline. I had pretty much concluded that it was a problem with the clearance on the frame. Then I got a new crank spider and replaced the rings with BlackSpire SuperPros, with a Chuck granny. NO MORE PROBLEMS!!! Even in mud, even with different chainline setups, absolutely no chainsuck! It's unbelievable. I couldn't be happier. Plus the rings have lots of shifting ramps and seem to shift just as well as the XTR rings did. Shimano won't be getting any more of my money for a long time.
Submitted by
Bart Maynard
a Racer
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2003
Strengths: Not many!
Weaknesses: Weak rings that shift poorly, bend easily and take little abuse.
Bottom Line:
These rings are terrible! The teeth on my middle ring are damaged on the top surfaces from my chain plates. They look like there are "V's" cut into them by a chisel. I had two bent teeth after 5 rides on trails that consist mostly of forest duff.
Are there any other chainrings to consider? I see the shifting performance on the blackspire rings seem to vary from great to terrible. I'm planning on switching my Noir cranks t Read More »
[B]SCAM[/B] inside beware! Not legitimate store.
Super cheap Gary Fisher Hifi Pro 29er 2009 $ 1040.00
[url]http://www.korekshop.com/gary-fisher/mountain-bikes/gary-fisher-hifi-pr Read More »
Hi,
I like to run a 2x9 setup with 26 or 27T Inner and 38T Outer chain rings on my 29er.
I am looking for a clean and quality setup with good chain line. Here are a couple of Read More »
Hello,
I would like to ask you, if you have used and know more about the BlackSpire Super Pro Chainrings.
I have a XTR Crankset converted for 2 rings with Specialites chainri Read More »
