Fitting a bigger chainring …

I won’t bore you with the why but …

Since boost became a “standard” and tyre sizes have increased chainring sizes – or more specifically space for chainrings has decreased.

It appears direct mount rings further the issue as spiders seem a thing of the past.

I appreciate that with wide range cassettes you get the spread down low but if you live somewhere devoid of hills spinning out is more likely where I end up – I have a 38T chainring on my Mk1 Solaris!

So … can anyone shed any advice on how it can be achieved/bodged? I have a frame that states 32T max (:-( ) that I would like to bump up a fair bit.

A non boost chainset with a ring in the outer position?

A boost touring(?) crankset?

Superboost?

Spending time developing a 7T cassette sprocket?

All help/suggestions most welcome.

M

Classified rear hub 😉

9 tooth cassette?

edit, saw your 7t comment

how about a 9t cassette and the max permissible ring? because i cant imagine finding or fitting a 38t would be much fun and function particularly well if bodged to work

Yeah, if sram, then a non-boost chainring will give a little more room, or any similar variation to get to a non-boost position. What crank do you have?

@tom – I don’t follow

@alan – unless I’m missing something (probable) I don’t need the wide range that the SRAM esc cassettes come with

@Yak – I’ve a few that I could try but currently fitted is a SRAM GX? With a direct mount ring.

13 made cassettes with a 9t smallest

Some of the new “wide” boost chainsets with 55mm chainline might give you move clearance for a bigger ring,

Old fashioned octalink or square taper bottom brackets are available in a variety of lengths and would allow you to fit a larger chainring at the expense of increasing the chainline.

OP what sort of bike/frame do you have that has a 32T limit, and where/what are you riding that needs a bigger gear than 32:11, with 29×2.2″ tyres at cadence of 90rpm thats 36km/h

Sorry, got that wrong. You need a boost chainring to move it out and give more room. Non-boost is going the wrong way and closer to the chainstays. So a 3mm offset chainring to fit a direct mount (3 bolt) sram crank would be the boost position. But if you want more clearance, then superstar make a 0mm offset direct mount chainring, so would gain 3mm over the boost position.

Double chainset with some sort of clamp on front mech?

Or,

Fit some really heavy wheels and stupidly sticky tyres? Maxgrip shorty front and back should do it.

What Tom meant by Classified rear hub…

Powershift Set

Classified hub will give lower gears surely?

HammerSchmidt?  IIRC you can get one that is an overdrive

Review: Truvativ HammerSchmidt AM Crankset

Just run a 2 x setup?