My chain keeps skipping on the middle ring so time to replace it, I use the middle ring a lot so don’t mind splashing out on one that will last for the longest time possible.
I’ve been looking at the raceface on CRC for £34.99 which gets good reviews.
Cranks are Truvativ FireX 3.2GXP.
Please recommend me the strongest, best and longest wearing middle ring, thanks.

steel deore. about £7

Tallon Engineering.
If you can find anywhere that has some in stock please let me know.

Aye, steel deore. Shifts nearly as well as the best shimano, when new. But keeps shifting like that for most of its life as it doesn’t lose its shape, as expensive shimano does. The weight penalty is very small, 10s of grams from what I remember comparing an SLX 32 with a deore steel 36.

Thanks for the swift reply, on CRC the cheapest deore middle is the M532 (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38192) for £12.99 – the description doesn’t mention what material it’s made from. Is this the fella you mean?

Steel Deore at 80g has a weight penalty of 40g over an alloy Shimano or 20g over a composite Shimano SLX/XT for 32T.
TA Specialites and Sugino CSP rings are even lighter at approx 33-35g overall.
Middleburn slickshift hardcoat are approx 40g and I think are very good, but do not last much better than the other alloy rings.

I am speaking from experience with all of these, and will continue to use a mixture until stocks are exhausted/worn away.

PaulD

“is this the fella”… yes there all steel, you find it cheaper from Rose bikes but will also need to get at least a cheap as chips shimano SLX/XTR BB while your there to make it worthwhile (as the P&P is £5)

Also note you might need to file off some material from the inner tabs to make them fit, this is normal

+1 Shimano Deore. A weight penalty of 40g!? Just take off your wrist watch, or use 40ml less water.

thanks all, that’s great.
Zippy, can I do the filing with a little round file or what tool might you recommend that would get the job done?
ta

or a small flat file? what I mean is, is the place where you have to file bits off in the holes or a flatter bit?

A (large) flat one is what you really want, as you taking it off the inner tab… were not talking cm’s of metal, just a few mm on all the tabs, and ‘exactly’ how much depends on the particular model of deore ring and your chainsets (so I can’t tell you) & supposedly some may not need altering.