Chainring Wear

gaffmaster

Does this look like normal Chainring wear to you?

Context:
Planet X RT58.
FSA Gossamer Compact BB386 EVO Chainset.
3 months old.
900km or so on the clock.
Nothing feels too wrong - just noticed the uneven chipping of the teeth while cleaning the chainset.

Image Link

Thanks for any input.

laraghrider

Hi, can't open the image in work but here's some general info. I'd be very surprised that a chainring would wear down after 3 months of use with a new chain. The teeth are never identical and uniform all the way around. They are shaped differently and this is by design to aid shifting up and down. You'd know proper chain wear when you see it as the chainring would look more like a collection of sharks teeth.

This is what a worn chainring looks like. If your picture is like this, then something is wrong after only 900km:


Chances are though what you're seeing is this, which is standard/proper teeth. Notice the subtle differences between various teeth:

Maidhci

gaffmaster wrote: »

Does this look like normal Chainring wear to you?

Context:
Planet X RT58.
FSA Gossamer Compact BB386 EVO Chainset.
3 months old.
900km or so on the clock.
Nothing feels too wrong - just noticed the uneven chipping of the teeth while cleaning the chainset.

Image Link

Thanks for any input.

I would think there is something wrong here - it certainly does not look like normal wear to me, especially after less than 1000 kms., if it was 10,000+ kms., I would say it was time to replace.

magicbastarder

the teeth may not be all identical by design; e.g.
http://www.wigglestatic.com/product-media/5360069943/IMG_9469.JPG?w=2000&h=2000&a=7

edit: just noticed the wear on the sides of your teeth.

gaffmaster

Thanks for the input.

There is evidence of irregularity of the shapes of the teeth by design alright, but there also seems to be wear on the drive side of the teeth.
However, they're not bent like the first example suggested by laraghrider.

I might send the picture to Planet X and see what they think.

Cheers

CramCycle

How clean is your chain?

gaffmaster

I keep it fairly clean and have only ridden this bike in dry weather so far.

I use teflon spray lube to clean it with a rag. There's no gunk on it and it's relatively silver looking - but I can never get it as good as new...

onthefringe

looks like its getting or has gotten the occasional dig off the front mech..
mech may be too low or have its limits set wrong

gaffmaster

Interesting.

It doesn't seem to touch when i shift it up and down and it doesn't make noises when riding.

Here are a couple more pictures: [Pic 1] & [Pic 2]

That said - The chain has fallen off a couple of times when shifting down to the small ring in recent weeks. I might need to adjust the limit screws a wee bit.

07Lapierre

Image Link



To My untrained eye that looks like a damaged chainring and not a worn chainring. The third tooth from the left in particular looks damaged to me.

Type 17

The heights of the teeth are different by design, no worries there.

The marks on the third-from-left and sixth-from-left teeth look like the result of some "shaving" from the side-plates of the chain during front mech changes - you might need to ease off a little more on pedal-force when changing front rings (remember they are aluminium alloy, unlike the hardened steel sprockets on the rear cassette). The amount of wear shown here is not (yet) an issue, but is is possible to ruin a ring with this wear if it continues for long enough. Note that some of the "wear" may be designed indents like the ones on the sides of the first and second-from-left teeth.

PS: The wear at the upper image in post two is from a very worn chain, rather than poor shifting practice.

Unknown Soldier

07Lapierre wrote: »

Image Link



To My untrained eye that looks like a damaged chainring and not a worn chainring. The third tooth from the left in particular looks damaged to me.

I'm no expert but it does look like the chain ring was "damaged"

Like the bike fell over on a kerb or something.

The "dint" on one of those teeth does not look like "wear & tear"

jinkypolly

Are you putting enough lube on your chain?

gaffmaster

Update:

I emailed Planet X and they replied to say there is nothing to worry about. The teeth are uneven to ensure the smooth running of the chain. Their chief mechanic looked at the photos and says the wear is normal.

I am going to keep a further eye on what appears to be wear on tooth 3 and 6 in that image (as pointed out by Type 17) and a few others on the chainring.

jinkypolly wrote: »

Are you putting enough lube on your chain?

In terms of Lube, yes I think it's sufficiently oily. I treat it the same way as my other bike and that chain + chainring has lasted ages with no sign of abnormal wear.

Type 17 wrote: »

you might need to ease off a little more on pedal-force when changing front rings (remember they are aluminium alloy, unlike the hardened steel sprockets on the rear cassette).

Nice to know I'm TOO POWERFUL!!!!! waaagh-hahahahahawww