[Scott Novak]

RANT! Why do companies usually package a sprocket set together with the cranks?


How can they know what your particular riding needs are?


How do they know if you live in a hilly area like San Francisco or a flat plain like Kansas?


How can they possibly know how strong your legs are and what sprocket ratios you can pedal?


It's not like the cranks wear out and are in frequent need of replacement.


So what logical person would package a sprocket set that may not do the job along with the cranks?


Or are they just hoping that you'll buy their crankset with the sprockets that you don't need and then also buy the individual sprockets that you do need?


Scott Novak

 

[JMac47]

What exactly is it you need that is not offered?

 

[J.B. Weld]

Most cranksets have chainring size options, I look for the size I want and fine tune with the cassette.

 

[AZ]

Really? Shimano has dispatched a removal team to your location, please do not resist.

 

[shiggy]

RANT! Why do companies usually package a sprocket set together with the cranks?


How can they know what your particular riding needs are?


How do they know if you live in a hilly area like San Francisco or a flat plain like Kansas?


How can they possibly know how strong your legs are and what sprocket ratios you can pedal?


It's not like the cranks wear out and are in frequent need of replacement.


So what logical person would package a sprocket set that may not do the job along with the cranks?


Or are they just hoping that you'll buy their crankset with the sprockets that you don't need and then also buy the individual sprockets that you do need?


Scott Novak

My crankset does not use sprockets. End of "problem."

Did you ever start building that wheelset?

 

[Scott Novak]

If you are talking about specific ratios, I use a 24T, with either a 34T, 35T or 36T middle sprocket and a 50T for the large sprocket. That along with a 26, 23, 21, 19, 17, 15, 14, 13T rear sprocket cluster. It provides a nice smooth transition from the granny gear to get me up the steepest hills near the river, to my maximum cruising speed. And yes, the wide variation in tooth count of the front sprockets exceeds the derailer's rating. But I made it work nicely.

But I also want to try 165 mm long crank arms. I reduced my crank lengths from 175 mm to 170 mm and increased my ability to pedal harder and increased my maximum speed by about 10%. I'm not sure what my optimum crank length is yet.

But the point remains that I already have my front sprockets and I don't need another set. And secondly, I haven't seen anyone offer my preferred sprockets as a set.

Scott Novak

 

[Scott Novak]

My crankset does not use sprockets. End of "problem."

Did you ever start building that wheelset?

Are you using a belt drive or what?

Yes I finished my first wheelset and have been riding on them for a couple of months. But that is another discussion.

Scott Novak

 

[J.B. Weld]

RANT! Why do companies usually package a sprocket set together with the cranks?

It's more cost effective. You can buy cranksets without the chainrings and order the sizes you want but It will cost you a lot more.

Let's face it Scott, you're a little weird. Nothing wrong with that- most of my friends are off in one way or another too (as well as myself) but if companies start catering exclusively to 1%'ers they would go bust. A standard triple mountain bike crankset with 22/32/42 rings will serve the gearing needs for 99% of mountain bikers perfectly well whether they live in Kansas or the Alps.

 

[Scott Novak]

It's more cost effective. You can buy cranksets without the chainrings and order the sizes you want but It will cost you a lot more.

Let's face it Scott, you're a little weird. Nothing wrong with that- most of my friends are off in one way or another too (as well as myself) but if companies start catering exclusively to 1%'ers they would go bust.

It's certainly not more cost effective for me.

Unless you are building up a bike from scratch and you don't already have the cranks, why would you want to buy cranks at the same time you are buying the sprockets? Are most riders experiencing crank failures due to stress fatigue and need to replace their cranks at the same time they replace their sprockets?

Selecting the proper crank length is part of the bike fit process. And that will take some trial and error and may require the purchase of several cranks before the optimum length is determined. Pairing the crank arms with the sprockets just doesn't seem like a logical, reasonable, or cost effective method for the consumer.

Crank arms and sprockets purchased separately really shouldn't be that much more expensive. I doubt that crankset sales are anywhere near the volume needed to significantly reduce the production and packaging cost when packaged together. Any significant cost difference between separately purchased cranks and sprockets and a package deal is just an artificial manipulation of the marketplace.

A standard triple mountain bike crankset with 22/32/42 rings will serve the gearing needs for 99% of mountain bikers perfectly well whether they live in Kansas or the Alps.

They may be happy with their cranksets. But as they say, ignorance is bliss. I have doubts that most people bother to actually calculate the percentage of change in their various sprocket ratios to see what is truly optimum for them. And by most people I'm not talking about people in groups like this one. Most people posting on a group already have an extreme interest in bicycles are are not typical.

Scott Novak

 

[J.B. Weld]

98.076% of all enthusiasts who ride a lot off road and also on the road own (at least) 2 bikes or accept the inevitable compromises of owning just one. Whacky gearing costs more because nobody buys it. Supply/demand.

 

[shiggy]

Are you using a belt drive or what?

Yes I finished my first wheelset and have been riding on them for a couple of months. But that is another discussion.

Scott Novak

I use chainrings.

 

[blcman]

I use chainrings.

It took 8 1/2 hours for someone to finally figure out Scotts problem. He was using sprockets instead of chainrings! :eekster:

 

[JMac47]

Yeah. Sprockets. Like he said.

https://www.google.com/search?q=spr...1HI2ayQHXioDYAw&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=635

 

[blcman]

Yeah. Sprockets. Like he said.

https://www.google.com/search?q=spr...1HI2ayQHXioDYAw&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=635

I stand corrected! I think? lol

 

[Scott Novak]

Chainrings?

Just more silly bicycle jargon. And on that note, Shimano refers to the front "Sprockets" as "Chainwheels".

SHIMANO Dealer's Manual / User's Manual

Then there those that like to call the rear sprockets "Cogs". A "Cog" is a tooth on a gear or a sprocket. Somewhere along the line somebody made the leap from calling it a "Cogwheel" (Archaic) to just calling it a cog, which is incorrect.

cogwheel - definition, etymology and usage, examples and related words

I have no idea where someone got the silly idea to refer to the spindle bearing or crank bearing as a bottom bracket. Now maybe there is some justification in calling the "bottom bracket shell" the "bottom bracket" as it does hold the bearing assembly in place, and in the case of older bikes it held the bearing races in place. But to refer to the spindle bearing assembly as a "Bottom Bracket" is just plain silly.

I do hope that nobody here is going to insist on using the French spelling of "Derailer".

Scott Novak

 

[006_007]

I though 50T were for spandex wearing roadies only? Pretty sure you want roadbikereview.com

 

[Scott Novak]

Sorry, but I don't wear spandex or anything like sponsor shirt guys on roadbikes.

Smaller front sprockets may be fine when you need the torque off road. But I also need a ratio to get me too and from wherever I'm going in good time. The 24/34/50T combination works great for me. Granted, this does greatly exceed what Shimano says the range the front derailer is capable of handling. But it works.

As it is, in the lowest gears I can barely keep the front end on the ground when I pedal up a steep hill. But with the triple sprockets in front, top gear is just a little bit beyond what I can pedal continuously.

Whacky gearing? Hardly. It's carefully selected full range gearing with a maximum of a 13.3% increase in gain ratio between any of the gears.

I also consider reliability important. Using a 13T sprocket for the smallest in the rear is more reliable/longer lasting than the 12T and 11T sprockets. it allows a more even increase in gain ratio between gears. But it does require a larger front sprocket. Not as much ground clearance, but there are always tradeoffs. Likewise, by staying with an 8 speed rear I can use a heavier more reliable chain. As it is I still wear out at least one 8-Speed SRAM PC 850 chain in the winter and another during the rest of the year.

And DON'T get me started on this silly practice of using the term "Alloy" to mean aluminum. My CroMoly alloy can beat up your Aluminum Alloy!

Scott Novak

( I did warn you that this was a rant.)

 

[sasquatch rides a SS]

Might I suggest some of these to you?

 

[Scott Novak]

sasquatch,

Chill Pills unnecessary.

This is a rant where one complains about the things they already know are unlikely to change.

Scott Novak

 

[sasquatch rides a SS]

sasquatch,

Chill Pills unnecessary.

This is a rant where one complains about the things they already know are unlikely to change.

Scott Novak

Phew! I thought I was the only one that considered this a total waste of time! I'm glad you agree :thumbsup: