Experience with 38t RaceFace chainring

[Jeremy McCreary]

That really does sum up the situation rather well. @Jeremy McCreary your parts suck so your results will too. There's just no fixing that other than replacing it....

If I were redoing your drivetrain, I would first try Microshift.... Shimano would be my last choice. Not because its bad but because others are better. No matter what you pick, use the SRAM EX1 chain which is an ebike strong chain and costs only $25.

Thanks for your help, as always. Going with the SRAM EX1 chain and Shimano XT 10-speed derailleur and casette — the latter mainly because I could really use the lower 1st gear it provides. Since the aluminum Deckas 38t chainring below is already showing wear, replacing that with a Raceface while we're at it.

Asked the main LBS mechanic how a 190 lb, 74 year-old rider in so-so shape could have trashed the chain and derailleur on a rear hub drive bike so thoroughly in just 900 miles. Bad chainline? Failure to remove a link after going from 42t to 38t chainring? Occasional beach riding? Inadequate maintenance?

Nope, he said, just my habit of riding our short, steep (often 6-10%) hills at PAS 1/9 (exactly why I want that lower 1st gear). The Alivio components were targeted at riders who rely a lot more on the hub motor.

Fits what you and @fooferdoggie said about Alivio quality. Hopefully the upgraded drivetrain will be able to handle a monster like me! ;^}

PS: Matt, the extra "@" in your screen name keeps me from tagging you on this forum. Are you aware? Workaround?

 

[Deacon Blues]

That really does sum up the situation rather well. @Jeremy McCreary your parts suck so your results will too. There's just no fixing that other than replacing it.

Here's an interesting thing: Just yesterday - literally - I replaced my Box2 Xtra Wide derailleur, Box 1 Single shifter and 12-50T Box 2 cluster with... Microshift Advent X. I was having issues with the really steep hills coupled with my short chain- and seatstays here in the Monterey Bay Area... My Box 9 spd system only had 6 usable gears thanks to the chain line limitations that go with a bike with a nimble rear setup. I have been sitting on a complete Advent X setup I got on a clearance sale - all of it was about $100 - and the results have been nothing short of awesome. Shifting is great, I have a range effectively just as wide as before and have access to two more gears, not just one. Microshift has one of the nicest clutches on any derailleur, too.

And its a bargain-priced performer. I have used Microshift Advent 9 spd and have been similarly happy. Their clusters are steel 1-piece that are excellent for mid drive use that is also as kind on your cassette as possible. Also the Advent 9 uses a single-gear shifter which is what you want on an ebike.

If I were redoing your drivetrain, I would first try Microshift because it is a budget brand that punches way above its weight class in terms of quality. If you want to go truly premium, a Box 2 derailleur, Box 1 single shifter and a Microshift cluster (1 pc steel 11-46T and only $39!) would be the next choice. Another excellent avenue would be 9 spd SRAM which since its 9s is cheap. Shimano would be my last choice. Not because its bad but because others are better. No matter what you pick, use the SRAM EX1 chain which is an ebike strong chain and costs only $25.

EDIT: Also you can use this video to tell you everything you need to do step by step.

Great video....thanks!

 

[m@Robertson]

Thanks for your help, as always. Going with the SRAM EX1 chain and Shimano XT 10-speed derailleur and casette — the latter mainly because I could really use the lower 1st gear it provides. Since the aluminum Deckas 38t chainring below is already showing wear, replacing that with a Raceface while we're at it.

Nope, he said, just my habit of riding our short, steep (often 6-10%) hills at PAS 1/9 (exactly why I want that lower 1st gear). The Alivio components were targeted at riders who rely a lot more on the hub motor.

PS: Matt, the extra "@" in your screen name keeps me from tagging you on this forum. Are you aware? Workaround?

hmmm. That Deckas chainring is already made out of 7075 which is no better or worse than a Raceface. the RF is probably better made but if you are doing that to a chainring I think you are going to just be changing a cheap failure for a more expensive one.

The 38T Raceface is a 110 BCD ring. It runs about $55 generally. About double what the Deckas does. Instead of doing that, I'd go with a Surly 38T, 110BCD steel chainring. I am a big fan of not taking half measures, and what I am seeing on that chainring is a tragedy. Forget about weight. Go for durability from a quality manufacturer. The Surly ring is even cheaper at $50.

Stainless Steel Bike Chainring

The Surly Stainless Steel Chainring is the ideal chainring for single-speed, fixed gear or tandem timing chain applications.

surlybikes.com

REI even has them in stock.

Surly Stainless-Steel Chainring | REI Co-op

Crafted from tough 304-grade stainless steel for a long lifespan, this Surly Stainless-Steel chainring is ideal for single-speeds, fixed gears and tandem timing chains.

www.rei.com

And JensonUSA has them in a zillion different flavors. They usually ship to me overnight for $0 extra so long as I spend $50, which is what this ring costs.

Surly Stainless Steel Chainring | Jenson USA

www.jensonusa.com

Shimano XT cluster is likely the 11-36T? Retails for about $60. If its the steel, welded-together variety thats a good thing. But, you're spending a lot for not a lot of value. Here's the thing: You may want that 36T inner cog, but your chainline to get to it is going to be skewed off hard to the side and thats the sort of thing you can expect to do what you see to your front alloy chainring. Especially thanks to going up a hill. Consider this: Instead, buy the steel Microshift 11-48T cluster. Yeah thats a lot (and its more than the Shimano derailleur can handle). However thanks to the steps up in gearing, you will hit a higher gear than the Shimano is capable of before you get up to the innermost cog. So that way you can grunt up a hill with an equivalent or better gear with a much better chain line.

I am currently prepping an article on drivetrains, and I have this worksheet I am building up. I added the XT cassette to it on the bottom. The chainline assessments are for a different bike so you can ignore those, but look at how the XT lines up against different options; in particular the Advent X. If you want easy gears, the Shimano is not a particularly good choice.

On Amazon, the Advent X derailleur is $65 and the Shimano depending on the model is $45 to $60... so not much diff in price. Microshift has a steel or an alloy Advent X cluster. The steel is $42 and the alloy is $55. Its solid stuff. The EX1 chain has something like 144 links so no issues there you'll have plenty of chain to wrap around the big cog.

And yeah I know about the '@' thing. As I understand it there's a way to work around it but I have no idea what it is as I never ping myself. @m@Robertson I just typed that out and hit preview and it works, so there's your workaround

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

hmmm. That Deckas chainring is already made out of 7075 which is no better or worse than a Raceface. the RF is probably better made but if you are doing that to a chainring I think you are going to just be changing a cheap failure for a more expensive one.

The 38T Raceface is a 110 BCD ring...

Shimano XT cluster is likely the 11-36T? Retails for about $60. If its the steel, welded-together variety thats a good thing. But, you're spending a lot for not a lot of value. Here's the thing: You may want that 36T inner cog, but your chainline to get to it is going to be skewed off hard to the side and thats the sort of thing you can expect to do what you see to your front alloy chainring. Especially thanks to going up a hill. Consider this: Instead, buy the steel Microshift 11-48T cluster. Yeah thats a lot (and its more than the Shimano derailleur can handle). However thanks to the steps up in gearing, you will hit a higher gear than the Shimano is capable of before you get up to the innermost cog. So that way you can grunt up a hill with an equivalent or better gear with a much better chain line.

I am currently prepping an article on drivetrains, and I have this worksheet I am building up. I added the XT cassette to it on the bottom. The chainline assessments are for a different bike so you can ignore those, but look at how the XT lines up against different options; in particular the Advent X. If you want easy gears, the Shimano is not a particularly good choice.

View attachment 151847

Thanks again for sharing your expertise! Unfortunately, Surly doesn't offer the 104 BCD, 38t combo I need. Mechanic found out that Raceface doesn't, either, so he's ordered a Wolf Tooth instead.

Yes, still 7075 Al and much pricier than the Deckas, but mechanic swears it will last a lot longer with my riding habits. Wolf Tooth alloy is 7075-T6 if that makes a difference. Since wear in one drivetrain component seems to "infect" the others eventually, fingers crossed.

Yes, the 10-speed XT 11-36t cassette. Interesting spreadsheet. What criterion did you use to assign a red "Nope" to the 36t cog? Was it close? Would it be significantly worse than the biggest 9-speed 32t cog I have now?

Not sure how chainstays are measured, but my crank and rear axle are 455 mm apart on center. How does that compare with your "short" chainstay?

Thanks again!