Yung Piss

Haven't been on this forum for a looooong time (nearly three years) and have to admit, my cycling has been on a steady decline too over the past year and a half. Anyway, looking for some product advice for a build.

Three years ago narrow-wide rings were still sort of novel. Wolf tooth and a couple other manufacturers. Now with the industry totally on board I imagine there are a lot more manufacturers, including the big guys who can mass produce. $85 for a chainring with a little more metal on every other tooth seems a little bit steep. Who makes the cheapest?

Specifically I need a 44t or 46t with a 110 BCD five bolt pattern.

Help a brother out!!

79pmooney

I am not doubting your need for a narrow-wide chainring but I have always wondered "why?" Why not just make/have the chainring appropriate for the job, either like an old fashioned, no pins or ramps 3/32" ring or a rack standard 1/8" ring?

I can see it if you swap back and forth between 1/8" and 3/32" wheels and don't race, but if I rode the velodrome in competition I wold want the appropriate chainring just to keep the chain as secure as possible so it cannot derail. I'd seriously consider two bikes if I needed to swap standards during a day of racing.

I used to ride my fix gear all 3/32". About 20 years ago I made the swap to 1/8" and never looked back. (My 3/32" rings were shot. I have a bunch if used 3/32" cogs sitting idle.)

So, not to be cantankerous, but of pure curiosity, why wide-narrow? What do they offer?

Ben

fietsbob

Look at Surly Stainless steel chainrings.. not narrow wide, but made for single chain ring applications..

they are thin for derailleur chain , they're flat too, you can flip them over double the wear life ...

Yung Piss

This isn't for a track bike. I've never heard of someone using a narrow-wide ring on a track bike but I guess you could - wouldn't have an answer for you as to why though either. This build (more of a refresh of a bike I already ride) is a cross bike that's currently set up as a 2x10. Front derailleur is on the way out (it's an eight year old 105 group) and I've been interested in a 1x10 setup for a while. I could just grab a regular 44t chainring, some short bolts and an older style chain retention device like you might find on a DH bike, but I want the clean look of nothing clamped to the seat tube. I also imagine the narrow-wide ring "retains" chain better than those other things...

fietsbob

Decades ago cyclocross cranks had 2 toothless rings on either side of the 1 chainring.. to keep the chain from coming off on rough race course layouts..


you could unhook the cable , turn the stroke limit screws to center the FD over that 1 centered chainring, and be good to go.. but aesthetics are paramount ..







....

AnkleWork

The worst thing about the internet is that it has made research and shopping impossible.

xenologer

It's a MTB thing, nothing to do with velodrome track bikes

The Purpose of a Narrow/Wide chainring
is Not to accommodate two different chain widths

The teeth alternate width, to match with the Inner vs Outer links on one chain
having teeth that touch the sides of plates on All links instead of just the Inner ones, is intended to minimize side-to-side chain motion so it doesn't drop as easily when running a 1x11 mountain bike over bouncy terrain.

it's specific to mountain bikes with single front chainring and rear shifting (1xN drive), has no application for either front shifting, or singlespeed drivetrains.

Cyclist01012

or 1x9 or 1x 10 or single speed

xenologer

I've never seen a Narrow Wide chainring designed for 9 speed or lower.
They seem to have been developed around the time of 10spd stuff.
and the speed does matter, since the tooth width has to match the chain closely or it would defeat the intention.

and while you *could* install one on a SS drive, I don't see the point as the chain should already be secure on its own for that....

nfmisso

I have a 44T 110/130 USAMade wide-narrow ring on my 1x9 commuter with a 12-36 cassette and KMC X9.93 chain that I am very happy with.
https://usamade.myshopify.com/collec...th-pro-110-bcd
https://www.amazon.com/USAMade-Shark...M7H?th=1&psc=1

Yung Piss

Thank you! That's what I was looking for! A helpful and simple response!! $28 solution.