Have been given an interesting opportunity to build up a Cinelli Zydeco frameset with an SRAM Apex 1 groupset.
I think the shop is doing me a favour with the price, suspect they're using some parts/kit they already have lying around, so don't want to get too demanding swapping things out.
However I REALLY don't want the Apex chainset, it's got some stupid proprietary bolt spacing which means none of the narrow/wide or oval chainrings I already have will work, and there is very little aftermarket which fits.
What else is there? A quick trawl through CRC didn't reveal anything...
Ta
I assume all the N/W rings you already have are 104 BCD jobs? I'd go looking for a slightly older MTB chainset...
Is it the 4 or 5 bolt Apex crank? It's the 4-bolt which is the pain in the arse....which is what i've got of course.
I've been doing the same hunt (motivated by those cranks) and I've yet to come up with anything better unfortunately
Yeah, it would be the four bolt.
I have actually got an old set of Alivio cranks with a square taper BB to match, probably won't be too much heavier (in the context of a budget CX build).
Yeah avoid that like the plague. RRP on replacement rings is something like £70!
Slight thread hijack, but what is the go-to chainring size for CX/Gravel with a single ring?
Once my proper road bike arrives I'm thinking about ditching the double (which is a SRAM Apex - but 5 bolt - so keep the cranks). Rear cassette is 11-28 iirc.
I used a Deore chainset on mine.... With a 40t hope DH ring and a small top chainguide and clutch mech. Not dropped a chain yet.
Secondhand 105 cranks and an aftermarket narrow wide ring. Or secondhand rival 22 (cheaper than rival 1 for some reason) and either a proper sram or other ring. I’ve got a barely ridden 42t rival 1 sram ring to offload if you decide to go down that route...
I've got an old LX Square taper with a (104mm BCD)
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">38t N/W and an 11-32 cassette obviously not the lightest compared with HT2 but does the job, gives great bearing life and chain line is simple enough to tweak by swapping the BB (for ~£10)...</span>
FSA Vero seems the closest aftermarket match, 110BCD, square taper...
Which on closer inspection is what the 2019 Cinelli Zydeco comes fitted with anyway...