I’ve been using some TA Specialites Chinook ones in 24/36 but they’ve worn out pretty quick.

What steel chainrings are out there that I get could this combination in? Cheap is preferable.

You can get steel Deore 36t middle rings. I usually team this with a Truvativ 24t aluminium granny.

That looks good. It’s the 36t that is really worn too.

Or I could get a Middleburn 24t for the same price. The Deore 36T is only £6.90 from Rose!

Deore steel is the way to go unless you’re a total weenie… The weight difference is surprisingly small though. But not only do they last forever- as in, I have never replaced one- they also keep their shifting performance, unlike most chainrings that are past their best long before they’re actually worn out.

I went for an SLX 36t, about £30 I think but it looks hardly worn after 18 months of riding. Merlin have them I think.

So fair bit of 24/36 chat here – is that a common combo? I want to convert from 3×10 to 2×10, but given the amount of cycling on roads required to get to hills, looking for more than the ‘normal’ OEM 32 ring middle ring, but not sure whether just to go to 34 or up to 36. If you go 36, do you need to up the inner ring too so there’s not as much of a gap between inner and middle rings for ramping?

I’ve got 22 \ 36. I think that is good for 9 speed, it is a big gap between the rings though. for 10 speed where you can get a 36 – 11 cassette I think 24 \ 36 would be about ideal.

for a while I was 22 \ 32 but I definitely missed the gears at the top, especially on the road

24/36 rings here with 11-34 9sp cassette. All you need really – good range of gears.
Blackspire Super Pro rings have lasted well over the years.

I would also add that it is worth getting a double specific front mech (Shimano SLX) much better change – triple mech is ok but just not as direct or smooth.

I run 39/26 and a 11-32 cassette love it. There are times on the road where you get to 25mph and have to roll.. that or spin like a nutter!

I live in the big ring 90% of the time, only going down to the 26 ring for big climbs.

Personally i’d go no smaller than 39/26, but can see a small benefit of upping the cassette to 11-34.

22/36 is my setup, tbh I’m not convinced there’s much point in 24/36- tried it for a little while but it just worked the same, middle ring most of the time, granny ring for winching. Except without the lowest gear, which is something you don’t miss til you need it then you really, really miss it! The granny ring didn’t become much more widely useful, I still went straight into the middle if I wanted to pedal harder.

^^ Wot he said.
22/36 shifts fine. Steel Deore 36t lasts forever.
22t gives you better climbing options.
Keep the standard 3sp front shifter if that’s what you already have.
If you really need to go bigger than 36t up front then consider 10sp setup and keep the climbing ratios by getting an 11-36 casette.

22/36 with 11-30 _ 8spd.

If I had a 11-36 10spd cassette though Icertainly consider 24/36 or 24/38

So fair bit of 24/36 chat here – is that a common combo? I want to convert from 3×10 to 2×10, but given the amount of cycling on roads required to get to hills

I run 1×10 with a 36, and the one place I miss higher gears is on the road to the trails. I’d be more inclined to go 26/38 or sommat, unless you really use the easiest gears regularly, when a triple probably makes the most sense!

I’m 24/36 with a 9 speed 11-34 cassette. if I was 10 speed then I’d probably get 26/38 chainrings but as it is the 24/36 combo is nice, there is less of a jump than 22/36 and it gives you a nicer shift (not a double specific front mech).