I’m gutted. I spend hours researching a purchase. I take the plunge, I wait, it comes (pardon the pun) and then when you fit it, its a mighty disappointment.
I shelled out for a pair of AbsoluteBlack sub-compact rings last week. 46/30T. Absolutely perfect for me. My fave 46T outer ring, a teeny weeny ‘get out of ‘jail’ 30T inner and oval too. Hmmmmm….nice.
They are great looking rings (too much innuendo in this post). Machined beautifully. The lines look like a vinyl record.
AbsoluteBlack achieve the ability to fit a 30T inner where a 34T usually sits by cleverly using a smaller bolt. The rings are fitted using 2 x M5 and 2 x M7. The small ring also has a machined spacer that sits snugly in the larger diameter hole on the crank arm.
Fitting is pretty straightforward. Rings on Shimano cranks (R7000, 8000 & 9000) are ‘keyed’. They have a curved tab on the crank and ring meaning you can no longer fit generic rings easily, they have to be Shimano-shaped. I get why they’ve done it but it drastically reduces my options for alternative rings either oval or different size, hence the research.
Absoluteblack were my only oval 46T option for a Shimano R7000 105 chainset
The rings went on fine and then I mounted the crank back into the bottom bracket but found the inner was snagging the frame. Arrrgghh!
Frames have an indent on the chainstay to accommodate inner ring teeth but sadly my Ribble doesn’t have one big enough to allow such a small ring. The rings have to be used in the combo they come with. I can’t just fit the outer and keep my 34T original inner due to chainring spacing and the bolts. I simply have to accept it won’t work and I’m gutted.
Ah well, first world problems. Back to the drawing board and back on the 50T again for now. Looks like I’ll have to consider a chainset change
That’s a serious bummer, man.
That’s a serious bummer, man.