When did obsolete chainrings get so dear ?

Guess it’s the rarity value now ? 🤔12 year old XT double chain set rings need replacing though might just get away with inner?!Cheapest I can find the outer is £53 !!!!!

2 X still suits the use I put the bike to so I don’t really want to go 1 X especially as I’ve just put a new 11 -36 cassette on .

Surely there are plenty of barely used sets knocking about from people removing them to run 1x ?

Genuine Shimano replacement chainrings were always expensive. It was often cheaper to buy a new chainset than new rings.

@paule maybe 🤔

Deore 2 x chainsets look to be around £50? Sell your cranks and pop new ones on?

At older high end, there’s a retro tax too. I bought a new chainring for my old Dura Ace 7700 chainset a while ago and it was eye wateringly expensive. 😳

@superstu can I bring myself to put Deore on a Ti frame? 😔😔😔😳

I guess it’s the XT Tart Tax !

It’s one of the reasons I moved 1x. Road cycling outers are the same, sometimes more economical to just buy new.

I’ve got some triple chain rings in good order if anyone wants some.

My LX chain rings ate £50 plus so it’s ebay I keep an eye on, similar for SRAM/ Truvative 2×10 chainrings. At least with my two vintage 130 BCD chainsets, TA and Stronglight make decent rings. The other is a standard 5 Arm 110 BCD, loads of cheap options.

Might there be other chainrings that are cheaper?

Knowing all the different chain sets etc it’s a gamble to make sure you get the right one ?

@oldfart I have some used LX ones kicking about, need to check but used is probably being conservative, they were taken off my Trailstar about 15 years ago.

Can you not still get e.g. Middleburn rings?

Or TA rings.

SJS and Spa stock most of the older stuff with odd BCD’s.

I’ve got an old Middleburn Hard coat kicking about , it’s a 42T though so whether that still fits . SJS have the exact one it’s £70 ! £55 on Evilbay

I’ll have a look at TA id forgotten them .

It was great when buying XT cranks to convert to 1x and selling the chainrings a while later for more than the cranks. I miss being able to buy silver cranks these days though wish I’d bought more.

Road cycling outers are the same, sometimes more economical to just buy new.

Not with Campag stuff it isn’t. New chainrings cassette and chain required on the summer bike. I bought TA rings from SJS as the originals were £200-ish for rings or £300-ish for chainset.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335027730870?itmmeta=01HXPS5C1MBZQT62SMM52PXET5&hash=item4e013579b6:g:yBMAAOSwocZk82w9

400+ euros 🙂

I got this crankset, unused, in original box, and also the front derailleur, new in box. Not selling, waiting for a bike that deserves them.

Also have the same year XTR brakes, almost unused.

If it’s got the old 104mm equel spaced bolts you can shift the ring round through 90deg and get more life from it (most of the wear happens during the first half of each pedal stroke, I don’t have evidence for this but I’ve tried it and it works).

@chickenman

Sounds like it’s worth a try though the chain retaining pin will be in the wrong place .

I just renewed an XT 3 x 9 drivetrain, original from year 2000. I got genuine inner and middle XT rings for not much money, eBay I think, but the big ring was unobtainium. Went for a Deore from the same era, cheap and works perfectly. The expensive bit was genuine Shimano chainring bolts, a total con.

TA Industries do a 3x set as well, but they cost a wee bit more. I also found a NOS XT front mech, renewed the cables, cheap SRAM cassette, HG chain, it’s now shifting perfectly and I’ve got that lovely big cog for overtaking roadies on my Orange filing cabinet. If I can find the 3x bits for a 2001 bike you can do a 2x

CRC wiggle had a shed load of old double triple mtb chainrings last summer,  any still left on ebay?

could always go slx or deore, in the same model range.

I’ve got a carrier bag with old 2x chainrings in somewhere.

Happy to have a rummage if you like OP.

• As for 2x, I got XT FC-M8000 rings from Swinnertons in December 23

26T £19.99

36T £47.99 …, that made me wince tbh

Total £68 delivered. Bit of a rip off I agree

@chakaping if you get a chance I’d appreciate that thanks 👍

Not bothered about getting an XT outer SLX or Deore in 40T is fine , anyone know the Shimano number for those cranks ?

I’ve sent you a PM to clarify

We at Middleburn are not supporting triples anymore so the stock we have in, once it has gone is gone. It’s not viable to produce these chainrings anymore sadly.

I’ve also got a pair of double chainrings in the garage doing nothing if you don’t come right.

I disappeared down the Shimano wormhole 🙄 turns out mine is a 40AJ , that last letter is important apparently, if you don’t get the identical one then goodbye decent shifting 😔

@hadge mines a double cheers 👍

I’ve got an unused set of 3×9 chainrings (Sunrace) that I’m happy to sell on cheap. 104bcd symmetrical. Message me if interested, I’m away for the next week.

Thanks @montgomery but I don’t think they will work.

@oldfart I know you are looking at doubles, I’m just coming from the point of trends changing and everything going the way of 1x’s. Even supporting doubles for us is getting risky and expensive stock wise.

@hadge thanks for clarifying 👍

Heck, I’d better buy up a few changes of triple and doubles to see me through to the end of the line 😄

@grimep

I think I’ve bagged the last 40T AJ ring on the entire planet ! It’s coming from Taiwan 🙄 discontinued is the official word from the supplier. I thought I had quite a few to choose from until you get to specifics .

There was a NOS XT crankset year 2000 vintage going for about £750 a while ago.

I really ought to see how big my eyes would become while trying to source a replacement crankset for my Voodoo Wazoo fatbike, which sheared through the pedal thread section on my way to work in July ’20.

I didn’t bother looking at the time, given the major bike and parts shortage at the time and bought a new Voodoo Marasa commuter for ~£280 instead.

Years ago before the pandemic began, I think someone offered me their old fatbike crankset in the big fatbike thread, because they had upgraded their one from 2×8 to something more fancy… So regret not taking them up on their offer!

Such fond memories of the Wazoo now sat in the shed, highly inappropriate for mostly road riding, but it was so much fun and gave me so much confidence to ride again, after commuting my Tricross Singlecross into the back of a stationary refuse collection lorry during the storm back in Xmas ’13 on the sweeping bend by Northam Bridge.