I have bought a couple of Middleburn slickshift 32 and 36 rings lately, one for a middle in a triple set up and one for the outer on a double, both Shimano cranks. Neither seem to want to shift, mainly in the upward change from granny to middle/outer. They will change eventually but with a lot of grinding and clanking. Down changes are fine. Do I need to adjust derailleurs or whatever or is this just a fact of Middleburn ownership?
The triple worked fine with a shimano ring, the double is new with a new derailleur.

Never had a problem here with similar set up.

I found middleburn to middleburn shifts to be good

When i tried to mix match it all got a bit shitty.

So i went to all shimanos as they shifted better and lasted just a out as long – significantly cheaper to

Without all of the ramps etc. of Shimano rings, they’ll never shift as well, but will shift acceptably well if you learn to shift without pressuring the cranks, and at the correct point of the crank’s revolution. Think we’ve all been spoilt by Mr Shimano 🙂

Think we’ve all been spoilt by Mr Shimano

which is funny because Shimano used to be sh1t compared to Middleburn 🙂

Both my Duo setups are OK but not as slick as my older Middleburns used to be.

they don’t seem to shift very well but seem to be lasting longer than shimano rings so far here

I think it is the weight savings they went for in the newer rings, my older rings (non slick-shift) were bigger and shifted better and outlasted shimano rings massively.

Now i just regard the front rings as giving me two different ranges of the rear gears, rather than shifting the front so much – although the front shifting is still OK.

or is this just a fact of Middleburn ownership?

This, never have been, never will be as good as rings with ramps and pins. End.

Basically, middleburn used to be one of the good options. Then everyone else got better, middleburn didn’t, now they’re pretty poor by comparison to the main manufacturers. But a lot of people still recommend them because of that history

So you’re basically getting a nice window into what shifting used to be like.

This, never have been, never will be as good as rings with ramps and pins. End.

so how come Shimano had ramps and pins years ago but Middleburn shifted far better and lasted far better.

Personally I never had issues with shifting (slick shift/hard coat) but didn’t feel they lasted any longer than Shimano Deore, and so weren’t worth double the cost.

I bought a full set of slick shift hardcoat rings a couple of years back. Fitted them with new cassette, chain, cables and shifters. Just could not get a half decent shift out of them. Massive chainsuck right from the off.

Demonstrated this to the place I’d bought them from and they could do no better so refunded the rings. Fitted Shimano and never looked back. I’ve used blackspire and raceface in the past which worked well enough but middleburn are the worst rings I’ve ever used by some considerable margin.