Recommend a Decent and Cheap Chainring (if Such a Thing Exists)

Looking for a prettier chainring (more traditional looking) for my sugino Messengers (5X130 PCD), ideally relatively cheap, but I still want something half decent. Anyone tried the Shimano Sora rings, cheap pressed steel, but being shimano I would have though reasonably accurately pressed, for about £15. Or should I go for something like the TA rings at about double that cost?

any suggestions, I would prefer to keep it 1/8" but I'm happy to go down to an 8speed chain if 3/32" is going to give me better options.

A bit more than 15 quid but not too bad.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/category-130mm-PCD-5-arm-Single-725.htm

I have a Thorn singlespeed chainring - good and solid.
A shop mechanic once told me that a decent alloy chainring would outlast a cheapo steel one, though that may have been upselling...?

its a lie* aluminum has a fatigue life, steel does not, meaning that alu under any stress will break eventually, but steel has to be taken past a certain point before it gets damaged

*it could be that the stress of riding is enough to do in the cheapo steel ones

Mechanic said something along the lines of "a good alloy chainring will last longer than a cheap steel one which are made of really soft metal"
This was when I enquired about getting a cheapo shimano steel middle chainring for singlespeed duties instead of the alloy LX one he had in stock.

depends on the quality of the metals and the mix of the alloys... still think he lied, maybe

provenrad I have a Thorn singlespeed chainring - good and solid.
A shop mechanic once told me that a decent alloy chainring would outlast a cheapo steel one, though that may have been upselling...?

Yeah I've heard they're good. Roadcyclinguk.com reviewed them and gave 'em a thumbs up.

BillB Looking for a prettier chainring (more traditional looking) for my sugino Messengers (5X130 PCD), ideally relatively cheap, but I still want something half decent. Anyone tried the Shimano Sora rings, cheap pressed steel, but being shimano I would have though reasonably accurately pressed, for about £15. Or should I go for something like the TA rings at about double that cost?

any suggestions, I would prefer to keep it 1/8" but I'm happy to go down to an 8speed chain if 3/32" is going to give me better options.

what size are you after?

you get 4/3 the stiffness from (avg) aluminium yet it will be roughly 2/3 the weight
the fatigue life is shorter, but in normal use and if you get one that weighs as much as a steel one i think it would take quite a lot to destroy
depends what you do, chris hoy probly wrecks them whereas i could use one indefinatly (unless u go to blb!)

i cant however suggest one :D

• maybe 1/3 cant find my notes, didnt want to over state it
  

who says alu is stiffer then steel?

oops ive made a right hash of that

ignore numbers, you can make aluminium stronger than steel for the same weight
but ive just realised you cant exactly make a chain ring any thickness or size you want it sought of has to fit the chain .....
so yea contemplating deleting above haha :P
yea i should revise ...

pilky you get 4/3 the stiffness from (avg) aluminium yet it will be roughly 2/3 the weight
the fatigue life is shorter, but in normal use and if you get one that weighs as much as a steel one i think it would take quite a lot to destroy
depends what you do, chris hoy probly wrecks them whereas i could use one indefinatly (unless u go to blb!)

i cant however suggest one :D

• maybe 1/3 cant find my notes, didnt want to over state it
  
  

Errr complete bolloxx

indeed
its worse than that
appologies!!

gerhard chainrings come in 130 PCB, available from kiwicycles.com for about £20. Dunno if they're good, but they look pretty solid.

er. Gebhardt. I'm such a lazy twat today.

Hmmm, I've got a 44t on at the moment, I was thinking about going bigger, from 44:16 to 50:19 or similar, keep the same rough ratio but bigger rings to try and be a bit kinder on chains (I'm using Sram PC-1 chains and getting 4-500miles out of them). I might try the thorn ring.

got myself a gerbhardt from kiwi, had it about 6 months, as stiff as a very stiff thing

31t®um got myself a gerbhardt from kiwi, had it about 6 months, as stiff as a well aroused donkey

haha

if your interested I have an unused 50t TA specialities ring 130 BCD...

1bhp if your interested I have an unused 50t TA specialities ring 130 BCD...

Oooo yes, whisper me a price :)

so you'd reccommend 31trum? I think they look pretty cool, been thinking of upgrading the ring on my pista.

hi bill,
tis 1/8,
postage shouldn't be a probably I can stick it in a jiffy bag and post it, sure it'll only be a couple of quid at most 1st class to guildford...
ben

@asm, yup
and the text matches my frame :)

I've got a 49t Miche track chainring that I bought thinking I needed 135bcd. I don't. I need 130 bcd. Wow did I feel stupid when I tried to fit it...
I bought it 2nd hand but it's only had v light use, and none from me.
Need a chainring with 130 bcd (...obviously), 1/8" size and around the same tooth count as the one above. Still need a cog so am flexible about sizing. Also need a cog! Any combination that gives around 75" is what I'm after. Am running 78" on my single speed but figure I should shorten a touch for this first fixed build.