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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Chester, SC
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Very few, got with cranks | | Weaknesses: | Wear out in no time, especially in dirty conditions! | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano (what else?) | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Reaper, Cane Creek wheels/headset/grips & barends, Kooka cranks, Brooks saddle, Hays discs, Shimano everything else | | Bottom Line: | These chainrings must be made out of recycled beer cans! The 20 tooth was gone after two rides! I replaced it with a harder ring (titanium). The middle & outer rings endured a bit longer, but were pretty much history after just 500 miles. I live in South Cackalacky, known for mud and clay, but I try to avoid the mud holes when possible to prevent trail damage. And of course I wash down and relube the bike after every ride, it's not a cheap machine after all.
If you like buying stuff, these rings are for you, 'cause you'll be doing a lot of that. As for myself, I think I'll look for something that I can use a bit longer.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Pientka
a Cross Country Rider
from Suffolk, Virginia, USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Waller Mill | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Weak Aluminum. The teeth break too easily! I haven't had this product 6 weeks and only have about 100 miles on it and I have broken a tooth. I am not a super agressive rider and shift properly. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Trek 9900 - SRAM esp. 9.0 everything | | Bottom Line: | Back to Shimano - I need dependability. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Newbury
a Cross Country Rider
from London
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | London Bike Shop | | Strengths: | The work fantastically | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Middleburn | | Bike Setup: | Race Face Next LP cranks, 9 speed XTR mechs | | Bottom Line: | These rings shift a treat - they don't wear as quickly as other types of rings I've used and I do about 100 miles a week on them. Id go for these over Shimano every time | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a Racer
from Dresden, OH
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt Tom @ Arcadia, RI | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | Gearheads Bike Shop, Indianapolis | | Strengths: | Great looks, durability, shifting | | Weaknesses: | None to date. | | Similar Products Used: | Sugino CSS rings, Avitar Werk, Shimano | | Bike Setup: | '98 Specialized FSR Extreme, Judy XL long travel, XT gruppo, Specialized Strong Arm Pro Crank, Avid SD brakes | | Bottom Line: | I originally purchased these rings with my Next LP crankset. When I upgraded that bike to 9 spd, these rings got moved over to my freeride rig. The original rings were Sugino CSS Supershift rings, and these rings are way better than those. The black finish has been very durable so far, and these rings shift better than the original Suginos. The only downside has been these 5-arm rings are designed to work with a traditional 5-arm crank, but the Specialized Strong Arm Pro crank has one of the bolt holes co-located with the crank arm, which means that the pin RF puts on the 44T ring to prevent the chain from lodging between the big ring and the crank arm isn't as effective (you can still put it just ahead of the arm and it works somewhat). Other than that, they work seamlessly with Shimano stuff and my Sachs/SRAM chain. They are more expensive than some but the durability I've seen over the last year (little to no wear, no broken teeth) justifies the price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a
from Bay Area
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | shifts nicely (about same as shimano), lightweight | | Weaknesses: | wears out too quickly | | Similar Products Used: | shimano, what else | | Bike Setup: | heckler | | Bottom Line: | I bought the raceface rings with my cranks, and don't have a major complaint. I haven't broken teeth, like some other reviewers have, but I did find that the aluminum rings wear out pretty damn fast (about 1,000 miles), although I guess that shouldn't be too much of a surprise. The big problem is that the 22t ring gets really bad chain suck when it wears.
I was told by my LBS that 5 bolt shimano LX rings interchange nicely, and last longer. I opted for the raceface steel rings instead (got the 22t for $16 at performance).
On the plus side, they shift as nicely as shimano... I wonder if there is such a thing as shifting better than shimano? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jerry wonnacott
a Cross Country Rider
from corvallis, oregon
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | MacKenzie River Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Improved shifting with the added pins, looks nice, durable, not Shimano | | Weaknesses: | A little expensive | | Similar Products Used: | Older Race Face, Real, Shimano, Sugino | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed Ocoee, King Wheels, Race Face cranks, XT drive train (8 sp), Litespeed bar and seatpost, Kore Elite stem | | Bottom Line: | I find that these rings work just fine, the newer versions shift very well, just the same or better than my FS rig with 9speed XT, keep the drive line clean and these will hold up well, shift well, and you be satisifed, they certainly look nice, too... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Banks
a Cross Country Rider
from North Delta BC
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Severed Dick | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Not really any. | | Weaknesses: | I was more than pissed when the big ring teeth chipped away
so easily. I know that the 9 speed stuff is a little cheesier than the 8 speed stuff, but when I looked at the
teeth, they seemed to be a whole lot thinner one side than the other. The teeth that broke away were on the thin side.
When I contacted RaceFace about this, they said I should be
more careful when I ride. OHHHHHHHH!!! Bring me my cane.
| | Similar Products Used: | Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Thin Air | | Bottom Line: | I took their advice. I put on a Ring God, and
an 8 speed middle ring. No more lost Race Face teeth,
as a matter of fact no Race FAce at all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug S.
a
from VA
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Looks... | | Weaknesses: | They're beginning to disintegrate... | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano, Sugino | | Bike Setup: | Sugino crank, UN-72 BB, PC-91 chain, XT frt Dr. | | Bottom Line: | Nice looking rings that shift pretty well. The only problem is that after only three (yes 3) rides, there are 2 teeth missing and a few others that are so deformed they might as well be missing. I've never had a set of rings wear so quickly. Since they shift smoothly, set-up doesn't seem to be the cause. It seems that the material is just too soft to stand up to any use. Or maybe I just got a bad set? Oh well...back to Shimano... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
charlie
a Cross Country Rider
from kinnelon, nj, usa
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | watchung(not anymore tho') | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | quality of shifts, beauty, i love those race face guys-they're the greatest! | | Weaknesses: | costlier than some other rings | | Similar Products Used: | shimano, shimano, and some more shimano | | Bike Setup: | xc/trials | | Bottom Line: | i think raceface has made some rockin good rings, they shift like fresh lettuce(crisp!), and they look like kate hepburn(ok, you pick the beauty of your choice). if you can get them for a good price, i would say choose them above the others, they really are what you would want from a chainring: something that shifts so well that you dont have to think about them again, you can just think about riding(or if things arent perfect you can think about whatever else on your bike is going to break :) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie
a Weekend Warrior
from Thunder Bay, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Cascades | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | durability, shifting, superb style | | Weaknesses: | price | | Similar Products Used: | shimano | | Bike Setup: | Parkpre frameset, Manitou sx-r, xt drivetrain, raceface cranks, sunn rhyno lyte with specialized evil twin tires, kore lite stem, club roost riser, 28 pound super heavy-duty hardtail | | Bottom Line: | USing this product for a variety of purposes has resulted in some pretty serious abuse. They seem to stand up very well to assaults from logs rocks and concrete ledges. One day I'll get around to purchasing a bashguard but until then these rings can take the abuse. If you're looking for a quality product to enhance performance and styles of your machine then this is for you. 4 chilis for value because of the price but overall a mean set of rings! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a
from Minnesota
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Killer looks, shift great | | Weaknesses: | chainring bolts, pricey | | Similar Products Used: | Impel steel | | Bike Setup: | xt drivetrain, minus the chain which is xtr, and the cranks are cheap impel-sugino | | Bottom Line: | They work much better than my old impel steel-rings, which were well worn after about 1,000 miles. The only problem is that I can only put on 4 chainring bolts because the third hole is behind the crank arm, and the rings are a bit wide. The only thing that concerns me is tooth wear. Since i mainly ride around town, I don't worry about them bending, besides the fact that they are pretty beefy(they are thicker than my bmx bike's chaingring). I have yet to see any real wear on them though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Racer
from Scarborough,On,Canada
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Durham Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | They are bomb proof. | | Weaknesses: | A little pricey. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale w/XTR, Race Face | | Bottom Line: | Excallent rings. They keep going, and they just don't bend, chip, or break. Great manufacturing from a great Canadian Company. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J. Salmon
a Weekend Warrior
from Chapel Hill, NC
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
They don't bend | | Weaknesses: |
None | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano
'98 Race Face | | Bike Setup: |
SRAM ESP 9.0 sl with
bottom swing XT Fr. der. | | Bottom Line: | I'm not too picky about front shifting, but I want a ring that can take being slammed into stumps and even the occasional rock. I have had a '98 set on my Klein for over a year and they have worn well and are straight as ever. I now have a set of '99 rings with all the ramps on a new ride (still riding the old rings too) and they shift a bit better. I get no chain suck (even after Hurricane Floyd), but I use an 8 speed. 9 speed is stupid, but that's a different review. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NH dude
a Racer
from newhampshire
Date Reviewed: September 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
your mother daves trail and kevins | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
looks no shifting problems at all | | Weaknesses: |
none yet... | | Similar Products Used: |
sugino stock rims | | Bike Setup: |
stumpy 98 m2
RF lowrise bar
z2 alloy
tioga 2.1 dh in the f and a yeti f in the r | | Bottom Line: | great rings dont notice themat all witch means that they are doing there job got em for 92 $$ with a sachs powerlink chain at cambria good rings | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick
a Weekend Warrior
from North Vancouver, B.C.
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
North Shore | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Has the same advantages of strength,looks and long wear as '98 version with the added advantage of
shifting as well as Shimano which last year's don't. | | Weaknesses: |
None so far. | | Similar Products Used: |
'98 Race Rings, Shimano, Sugino, Syncros. | | Bike Setup: |
'97 Klein Mantra Race, '99 Z-1 BAM, Race Face Riser Bars, Stem, Seatpost,Headset, Cranks. XT RF 8 speed shifter, bottom bracket, hubs,derailleurs, 636 pedals. Magura Tomac hydraulic brakes, Titec beserker K Ti saddle, Oury grips, Sun Rhyno lite rims, Fox Alps 5 shock. | | Bottom Line: | The best has gotten even better for '99!!! | | Overall Rating: |
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