Made of cheese?

So, I’m needing a replacement of my Garburak 38t oval chainring for my GRX chainset and paying £75+ is a touch pricey for something that is going to be subjected to the winter gloop.

I’ve seen these online which are noticable cheaper, but I’ve never heard of the make, will I regret it if I buy one. Anyone have experience of Stone components?

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/4001102806043.html

Right, I’m buying a chain-ring from AliExpress, what’s the worst that can happen?

Be interested to see how you get on as I’m using an equally spendy Wolftooth one and not looking forward to wearing it out.

I did briefly own a Garbaruk one, but it had a weird offset in it which didn’t clear my frame.

Went to order a 38t (for my puny legs) but they don’t have any. So looks like it’s a spendy Wolftooth one for me.

https://www.merlincycles.com/wolf-tooth-elliptical-110-bcd-4-bolt-chainring-for-shimano-grx-228777.html

I’m actually thinking it would be cheaper to buy a different crank set in the long run, one without proprietary rings.

Wow, £75 for the cheapest aftermarket grx chainring? Bonkers. Must be the bolt spacing or there would be a superstar or uberbike one by now.

I’m actually thinking it would be cheaper to buy a different crank set in the long run, one without proprietary rings.

Definitely merit in that. When the proprietary direct-mount chainring on my Deore M6100 cranks on one bike wears out, I’ve got an £11 adaptor to convert them to 4-bolt 104bcd allowing greater/cheap choice of chainrings: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315718545125

Already do similar on my gravel bike: blingy Hope EVO cranks, Hope adaptor, and a <£10 steel N/W chainring from eBay which is lasting brilliantly:

Didn’thurt I’ve got a 36t Superstar Raptor you could have if you can deal with the increased cadence! I needed a ring with an offset as am using 2x cranks, so I think I’m committed to Garbaruk.

Must be the bolt spacing or there would be a superstar or uberbike one by now.

Just saw this. Superstar wouldn’t commit to their rings fitting GRX, but suggested they might. Mine did. Don’t know why they were so evasive about it.

@a11y  which one of those in the link do you use for the Hope cranks? How do i choose?

Thanks

@a11y  which one of those in the link do you use for the Hope cranks? How do i choose?

None of them unfortunately – ML-008 is the Shimano direct mount one I use on Deore cranks, but nobody other than Hope make a suitable adaptor for Hope cranks. Hope one’s a bit more than £11…

Argh!! Thank you!

Careful now, you’re opening a can of worms/rabbit hole. I started with AliExpress chainrings too. But last year purchased a Shimano Alivio FC-MT210 triple chainset for my commuter. I sometimes do small drops max 18″ on it, or try and ride over something that a commuter bike probably shouldn’t ride over and end up jumping off the bike. Probably a contributing factor to the driveside coming away such that there’s about 5mm of side-to-side play in the cranks. Yes it’s definitely the drive-side and not a loose non-drive-side. Never happpened with UK bought Deore triple cranksets and I’ve run them for years and years and years, (and converted them to 1x).

what about road chainring. 105 should fit as its 110 BCD asymmetrical. Merlin have a 39t for £15

Thought this was an e13 (the hubs were fine) thread but taking note as I’ve GRX single chainring on my new Sonder Camino.

Has anyone tried the Alugear stuff, another polish firm, a slightly cheaper Garbaruk, some interesting looking chainrings.