Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)
  • What is that pointless Shimano 96BCD standard for?
  • oldnpastit
    Full Member

    What is the new(ish) Shimano 96BCD crank standard for? I can’t see any point in it whatsoever.

    It might have made some sense if I could put smaller chainrings on – but I can’t. The smallest 104BCD is 30t. Even several years after it was introduced, the smallest 96BCD I can find anywhere is also 30t.

    If you want smaller than that (28t) then it goes on the granny tabs, just like with 104BCD.

    So what’s it for?

    I’ve just found out the hard way, hence my irritation. I now have a 96BCD crankset that is incompatible with every other crank/chainring/bashring in the garage. Thank you so very much Shimano. At least the bolts still fit.

    My suspicion after buying a few other recent Shimano products is that they’ve lost their way, and probably don’t ride their own stuff. But maybe there’s a better explanation. Or perhaps 96BCD is just totally awesome in some way I have yet to discover.

    woodster
    Full Member

    And don’t forget that XTR has the same asymmetric 96 BCD, but a different bolt size so there’s no cross compatibility between rings for XTR and XT/SLX.

    catfood
    Free Member

    It means I can’t buy a third party ring for £20 when my current one wears out, kerching!

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    swanny853
    Full Member

    think it was so they could take 30t ‘properly’ rather than with an offset ring. And it means I can fit a 30t oval, which is nice.

    But yes, I was very surprised that was all the change had bought you. And it’s SRAM that get the stick for changing things!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    “And it’s SRAM that get the stick for changing things!”

    It shouldn’t be, Shimano did all the stress testing on this with bullshit like 15mm axle, demonstrating that you could totally win a standards war with an item that’s worse at everything. At least when SRAM promote a change it usually does <something> better.

    Kind of sympathetic with shimano and drivetrain, they had such a good run a few years back when you had to be daft to buy any other cranks, but now they’re just nowhere, today’s product just seems objectively worse than my ancient XTR M970 which was awesome . But then, I’m less sympathetic because they can just use their industry and OE clout to get stuff out there anyway.

    vincienup
    Free Member

    Shimano 10sp stuff was great. I have no idea what they’re up to now but I’m strongly suspecting it involves motors and batteries…

    munrobiker
    Free Member

    I think the idea was so you could run a non offset 30t ring as part of a triple, allowing you to use 20/30/40 rings on 29ers.

    Bit of a daft idea but if Blackspire do a ring for them for about £20 if you really must. I found this out after buying a normal ring, obviously.

    sillyoldman
    Full Member

    It allows 30T rings (without offset tabs altering chainline as 3rd party brands do with 104mm) but still supports the rings enough at the shifting pick up ramps for the bigger rings of double (or gasp – triple) set ups due to the offset spider – the arms are closer together where the chain shifts. Particularly important for Di2. Same principle as their road cranks.

    Same cranks for both applications.

    Plenty aftermarket companies doing rings for them now?

    i think both brands are as responsible as one another for introducing new standards with difficult to fathom benefits. For every 15mm axle from Shimano there’s a 28.99mm axle, or Boost (which I like as it happens)

    chakaping
    Free Member

    They might ride their own products but I bet they don’t ride 29ers with 1x drivetrains.

    FWIW Superstar do rings for them in all colours and shapes (well, round and oval), and they last very well IME.

    I was gutted to discover they only go down to 30t though, the new SLX crank is lovely otherwise.

    timbur
    Free Member

    Umm, Superstar do them for cheap………

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    Umm, Superstar do them for cheap………

    Where?

    I can find 96bcd, but only down to 30t. i.e. the same as 104bcd.

    And I can find direct mount Hope and Cinch down to 26t.

    The next chainset I purchase will be direct mount. The choice of chain rings seems to be much better.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    They need a stop gap until they invent direct mount 😉

    howsyourdad1
    Free Member

    quick question then. i habe a set of boost xtr trail cranks ready to g on on my new build. i bought a burgtec chainring for it that was told fits… but wait you guys are saying it doesnt fit? i also presune i install.it.on the inside of the tabs, if it does fit? ta!

    greyspoke
    Free Member

    In other words it does the same job as the old 5-arm compact cranks, which typically came with [22 or 20]/30/40 rings.  On 26″ wheel bikes.

    ndthornton
    Free Member

    Iv always liked the offset tabs on 30T chain rings. I prefer my chain line biased towards the sprockets I use 90% of the time (the big ones).

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    quick question then. i habe a set of boost xtr trail cranks ready to g on on my new build. i bought a burgtec chainring for it that was told fits… but wait you guys are saying it doesnt fit? i also presune i <span class=”skimlinks-unlinked”>install.it.on</span> the inside of the tabs, if it does fit? ta!

    I think XTR is a different size to XT/SLX.

    If you go to AbsoluteBlack’s website, they have different chainrings for each:

    https://absoluteblack.cc/mtb-chainrings/

    And, I’ve ended up buying a 28t 64BCD chainring from AB, which will go on the granny tabs, because that seems to be the only way to have 28t on the new chainsets from Shimano.

    letmetalktomark
    Full Member

    At the risk of being burned at the stake ……..

    Why do folk need such small chainrings?

    ndthornton
    Free Member

    Some Folk ride proper mountains 🙂

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    At the risk of being burned at the stake ……..

    Why do folk need such small chainrings?

    I’m going to the Atlas mountains with Freeride Morocco on Saturday!

    I think even 28t might be a bit hopeful, 26t might be a better bet.

    letmetalktomark
    Full Member

    So what you are saying is a triple or at a push a double would be helpful there 😉

    greyspoke
    Free Member

    So what you are saying is a triple or at a push a double would be helpful there

    If you are going to push anyway, it doesn’t matter does it;)

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    Why do folk need such small chainrings?

    Fashion

    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    A 30t chainring with a 50-11t cassette gives a lowest gear equivalent slightly lower than 22-36, is that really not low enough?

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    So what you are saying is a triple or at a push a double would be helpful there

    I’ve tried using a double with a dropper post. Once I get tired, it becomes clear that I’m just too stupid for this setup, as I end up stabbing frantically at the wrong button. It gets very annoying. So until I can find a way around that, it’s 1×10.

    A 30t chainring with a 50-11t cassette gives a lowest gear equivalent slightly lower than 22-36, is that really not low enough?

    Exactly. At that point, I’ve ditched my Shimano drive train and gone to SRAM. Which then makes me ask: What were Shimano thinking of when their marketing department came up with this stupid 96bcd “standard” ? Are they just on a retainer from SRAM? Do they only ride in really flat places? I don’t know.

Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)

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