singlespeed/alfine chainset recommendations?

hey guys,

need some advice on a chainset, i have never had a single ring chainset before, mainly because i have always run triple or duo chainsets but i am embarking on an alfine set up for a custom frame build so i could use some ideas for the chainset.

having looked at recommended gearing the best option seems to be for a 32t ring, so what chainsets do you recommend? need to be single ring specific, 175mm, i suppose external bearing but square taper would be fine.

i know there are the usual options of middleburn, raceface etc but i was hoping to find something a little more interesting.

any ideas?

🙂

You can run a singlespeed on any chainset, just use the shorter bolts. Bought an LX chainset, sold the rings on ebay, and basically got it for half price, rings fetched reasonable money.

If you want to go really interesting THM Clavicula http://www.thm-carbones.de/clavicula-m-mtb-243.html

yeah i know i can run a standard chainset but i want to have a specific set up as i hate having extra unused fixings, meaning the granny ring mounts.

a friend has a truvativ set up on his genesis fortitude but it’s a bit dull and uninteresting but it is however a specific chainset, something like this but better would be good.

also, i want the moon on a stick. 😉

some how i didn’t see the link you posted! they look nice

I was as particular as you and settled on a Stylo 1:1. Which was when undiscovered i had been charged more than a triple ring Stylo for the exact same crank, with the exception of having the granny ring mounting holes left filled in instead of drilled and tapped.
So, same crank, less work done to it, more money.
That was when i realised what a mug i am. My next set up was a standard Stylo and i simply removed two rings.

Either buy something pricey like a Paul’s or stop being a fussy britches

for the record i am not averse to spending the big money on a specific, that is why i asked for recommendations, for the record i hadn’t seen the inside of the truvativ chainset so i didn’t know it still had the mountings (undrilled or not) so that is pretty crap then! like i said though i didn’t want the truvativ, i used it as an example of specifics.

having looked at the THM stuff recommended earlier, the frustrating thing there is the UK importer is poshbikes, and for some reason their website really sucks balls at the moment and the links to products don’t work!

i think the main issue i have is that i am stuck in a rut spec wise, i have loads of bikes in the garage, the build kits are similar, chainset wise there are 2 race face dues, 3 xtr, 2 xt, 1 middleburn, frankly i want something different and sometimes that’s a little hard because you get blinded by what you’re used to,

i suppose i am just curious what other people use that has been a good solution in a style of bike i have not had before.

White industries eno. End of thread. Speak to tim at sideways and he’ll sort you out. Run it on a Phil wood square taper bottom bracket and it will not only look great, but it will ‘be’ great too.

and that would appear to be the answer!

simple, elegant, expensive but not horrendous, ring options etc, neat, tidy.

thank you. 😀

it’ll probably be a Royce B/B though 😉 after all i’m only 20 mins from where they are made and cliff is a legend.

He is indeed a legend. Wise choice. To be fair you can’t go wrong with either Royce or Phil.

Yeah Paul’s or white industries look the shizzle.

Personally I wouldn’t go back to square taper. Ever.

That Eno crank set is lovely …. want one for my SS now 😀

@slimjim,

i know it’s now considered daft ‘going back’ to square taper but really it’s not an issue, i don’t race seriously anymore and lets face it (quality) square taper are reliable so running an ‘old’ design is not an issue for me. external bearings are stiffer but more reliable? probably not.

the bike that these cranks will be for is designed to be a lower maintenance bike so i think this set up will be spot on.

really appreciate the advice, i wouldn’t have considered white industries, just not in the forefront of my mind.

🙂

If you are considering white industries what about the offering from Pauls? http://www.paulcomp.com/mountaincrank.html

oh you sod, now i have a choice 😕

😆

they’re very nice aswel

And I didn’t even mention EThirteen 😆 whoops there’s another choice 🙂

I did mention the paul cranks twice ?

Im sure square taper has its pros still, but for me an interference press fit just doesn’t cut it for me. Too many rounded off issues in the 90s to bother again. Plus as you say, external are stiffer – noticeably. Plus a good external is a cinch to fit, and repair trail side should need be

By all means knock yourself out, they do look great. It’s just my opinion

Not to mention the weight saving as well of the outboard bearing systems. Was pleased to see the back of square tapers.

@slimjim, yeah i looked back, you did mention them, i seemed to miss it though 😳

@benji, there are performance gains undoubtedly but i am not performance enough myself to be affected by those gains!

i am at the point where i am fit enough to do everything i want to do but not so fit that i enjoy racing anymore, unless it’s for a laugh, this gives me the freedom that when i am buying something it doesn’t have to be the most race performance part, obviously the part still has to function well but the nice thing about getting to this point in my riding life is that out and out performance is not always the main criteria, aesthetics can come in to it and beautifully made components like White and Pauls really do fit that bill nicely.

again, thanks for the replies. 🙂