Spa XD2 chainset - which way round chainrings?

[Sweep]

My chainset has the rings just as they were provided, already installed by Spa, i.e. I've not dismantled it yet. The lettering and tooth sizes are all on the outside face.

To clarify slowster if you would be so kind, by "outside" do you mean facing the frame or facing away from the frame when the chainset is mounted? Am sort of assuming you mean away?

[Brucey]

Is this shelf at the base of the teeth?

Yes it is - a sort of circular cut ridge (never known what to call it - apologies) and it seems to be a very simple way of telling folks which way round the rings go - once I have the "key"

the problem with the ridge is that it can face either way on different chainsets/chainrings.

cheers

[531colin]

XD2 with original rings?
For once, there is an extensive range of clear photos on Spa website....https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p2000/SPA-CYCLES-XD-2-Touring-Triple-Chainset
Re. my post about the splined/knurled backnut on the middle ring fitted behind the crank.......It occurs to me that these chainsets are assembled in the Far East, and if I have ever taken one apart, I don't remember.
If a knurled nut isn't fitted from new, I think its a very good idea to fit one when you have it apart. Again, after 7 years retirement my recollection isn't to be trusted, but I think there could be a big box of splined backnuts at Spa.

[slowster]

My chainset has the rings just as they were provided, already installed by Spa, i.e. I've not dismantled it yet. The lettering and tooth sizes are all on the outside face.

To clarify slowster if you would be so kind, by "outside" do you mean facing the frame or facing away from the frame when the chainset is mounted? Am sort of assuming you mean away?

Yes, facing away .

[Sweep]

My chainset has the rings just as they were provided, already installed by Spa, i.e. I've not dismantled it yet. The lettering and tooth sizes are all on the outside face.

To clarify slowster if you would be so kind, by "outside" do you mean facing the frame or facing away from the frame when the chainset is mounted? Am sort of assuming you mean away?

Yes, facing away .

Many thanks slowster - much appreciated - very kind of you to chuck your bike up on the stand.

I think Colin has maybe cracked it without me getting all greasy again.

[Sweep]

XD2 with original rings?
For once, there is an extensive range of clear photos on Spa website....https://spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p2000/SPA-CYCLES-XD-2-Touring-Triple-Chainset
Re. my post about the splined/knurled backnut on the middle ring fitted behind the crank.......It occurs to me that these chainsets are assembled in the Far East, and if I have ever taken one apart, I don't remember.
If a knurled nut isn't fitted from new, I think its a very good idea to fit one when you have it apart. Again, after 7 years retirement my recollection isn't to be trusted, but I think there could be a big box of splined backnuts at Spa.

Thank you colin - I should have thought of that.
That third pic is very useful - the one taken from the small ring side.

It very clearly shows that that cut ridge on the small ring which I struggled to describe is facing in towards the frame (ie out from the pic).

So it appears that I had actually put everything back together properly.

I hope at least that my ramblings may have been of some use to folks in highlighting that notch/bump on the inner and middle rings that are I assume deliberately mounted in line with the drive side crank arm on the edge of the ring away from the pedal.

I can now investigate other causes of my shift problem - it was definitely all fine on the stand - fine for one or two circuits of the park and then went all wonky from there

Thanks again.

Have a good day all.

[pwa]

In general, if I set something up on the bike (gears, brakes) and it works for five minutes then stops working, nine times out of ten it is because something wasn't done up tight enough and has slipped. E.g. the band that holds the front mech.

[Bmblbzzz]

Does your inner ring have pins? Mine doesn't! I've got mine with the writing facing outwards.

[Sweep]

Does your inner ring have pins? Mine doesn't! I've got mine with the writing facing outwards.

I thought inner rings were always without pins.

[Bmblbzzz]

Don't know about always, but I had the impression you were saying yours had.

[Sweep]

Don't know about always, but I had the impression you were saying yours had.

You were probably thinking of what I termed the "shelf" (the mark you can see on the little ring in the third pic in the link provided by Colin).

[Sweep]

Reporting back.

Many thanks one and all for all your help with this.

Reassured that the chain rings were on the right way round (and learning a fair bit about chain rings in the process) I was able to set to the bike with a will and very swiftly sort the shift to the little ring problem. Several loops round my testing ground/local park and all is working.

Some bits of chain rattle in some combinations but the important ones (ie combinations I am going to realistically need) can be sorted thanks to my front rapidfire's nice trimming function/extra click.

It is a slightly challenging bike to set up at times (a Dr Bike cheekily pondered whether it was a Frankenbike, though he may have been thrown by the extra click shifter) - it's a 90s Tange steeled hybrid - originally 22/32/42 or 44 front with a 7 speed cassette on the back - now a 9; speed 12-27 at the back, 28/38/48 on the front. It's XT front mech strictly needs a 12T difference middle to top ring so it is set high. Even though it all now works, or good enough to me, the next step is to change that middle ring to a 36, so all should be smoother in future.

Thanks again as always

sweep.

[Brucey]

By all means try it but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that the shift from inner to middle doesn't improve if you change from a middle ring of 38 to 36. What will improve is the chances of the chain not overshifting off the big ring (because the FD is set slightly higher than is ideal). If that doesn't trouble you at present then the change you intend is unlikely to have any positive benefit, IMHO.

cheers

[Sweep]

By all means try it but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that the shift from inner to middle doesn't improve if you change from a middle ring of 38 to 36. What will improve is the chances of the chain not overshifting off the big ring (because the FD is set slightly higher than is ideal). If that doesn't trouble you at present then the change you intend is unlikely to have any positive benefit, IMHO.

cheers

Thanks for the reply brucey.

But might it not help some of the rattling?

I have the impression that the high-set mech means that when it is set to ride in the top ring the chain sometimes clashes with a bit of the cage bulging out that it would otherwise miss if the chain was higher in relation to the mech?

It's a 771 XT mech - very nice in my experience if I don't abuse its specs too much.

Have bought several as new ones for between £10 and £15.

[Brucey]

maybe, but 2T is only 'worth' ~4mm in terms of mech height, so the effect might be smaller than you expect...?

cheers