Subscribe now and choose from over 30 free gifts worth up to £49 - Plus get £25 to spend in our shop
So I have a 3 x 9 setup and require new rings upfront.
I can buy 10 speed rings cheaper than 9. Is there any difference and will it work if I fit them on to my 9 speed cranks?
I can't answer your question, but I can offer you a couple of 9sp big rings in vgc for cheapness.
Email in profile if interested.
🙂
I've been running a 10sp chainset with my 9sp transmission for ages. Works fine.
Thanks SundayJumper. Hopefully it will work the other way round then aswell.
Yes 10spd rings on 9spd fine, 9spd rings on 10spd may be an issue.
9spd is slightly wider than 10 spd, so you may have issues with the narrow chain on a wider ring. It'll probably be fine though.
Any issues are down to crank specific incompatibilities - you may have to file the rings slightly. Completely compatible though. No issue using 9 speed rings on 10 speed either FWIW.
After hearing lots of conflicting opinions on this I spent an hour or so with a set of Shimano 9sp cranks and 10sp cranks and a vernier calliper accurate to 0.02mm.
I could find absolutely no difference in width, tooth height, profile, spacing on the cranks, between 9sp and 10sp chainrings. So 10sp chainrings will play happily in an otherwise 9sp system, and vice versa.
They do, however come in different ratios. Whereas the standard 9sp rings gave you a nice wide 44/32/22 spacing, the ten speed ones are 42/32/24 as they expect you to have a wider ratio 11/36 cassette on the back to make up the difference.
And by the way, the answer to the next question is that 10sp chains are the same internal width as 9sp, but slightly narrower external width - so yes, the plates are thinner/flatter.
I've been running a 10sp chainset with my 9sp transmission for ages. Works fine.
Ditto - on my road bike and my (mtb based) commuter.