# 50/36 Chainring Suggestions?



## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Hi,

I really liked the 50/36 option on my Force crank. Now with Red I'm running 50/34 compact. 50X11 gives me all I need so I'm not interested in the midcompact (52/36). But the 34 is overkill. Plus I think the shifting will be a little better with 50/36 or even 50/38. 

Praxis Works used to offer a 50/36 but they discontinued it. 

Any suggestions?


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## redlude97 (Jun 29, 2010)

Just swap the 34 for a 36 Amazon.com: Sram Chainring Red/Force/Rival/Apex: Sports & Outdoors


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Thanks. I have one of those in my bin. 

But isn't my bigring ramped and pinned for a 34? 

And the teeth on the bigring are cut to accept the chain coming off a 34, right? Or is that a misconception on my end?


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## redlude97 (Jun 29, 2010)

I don't have direct experience with the red crank but I did this using a compact shimano crank. While the ramping and pins may be optimized for a 34t, the difference in circumferance between a 34 and 36t is minimal. The shifting with the 36t in fact is better/faster. I've never dropped a chain or had the chain lodge between the rings either and I've been running this setup for ~2000 mi. YMMV but since you have the ring already just swap it on.


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## carveitup (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm not sure if it is the ramping or if it is the indexing of the rings (rotation of one with respect to the other to change the tooth alingment). I have a Fulcrum Torq R crank (campy style compact rings) and I went from a 34 to 36t inner ring (TA Nerius ring). On the stand, the shifting wasn't quite as good - sometimes the chain would ride up on top of the ring I was shifting into. On the road, however, I have never noticed a significant reduction in shifting performance. I imagine this is because the load on the chain is somewhat higher.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

I read that too: The chain will ride on top of the teeth for half a rotation before settling down. That's the last thing I want in a race.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Local Hero said:


> I read that too: The chain will ride on top of the teeth for half a rotation before settling down. That's the last thing I want in a race.


I think you're being way too concerned about this. The effect of the ramps and gates is minimal, and the difference between a 34 and a 36 ring is unlikely to be noticeable. Notice that carveitup said he had never seen any issue on the road. Buy a 36 ring and put it on, and I'll bet it will work fine.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Local Hero said:


> Hi,
> 
> I really liked the 50/36 option on my Force crank. Now with Red I'm running 50/34 compact. 50X11 gives me all I need so I'm not interested in the midcompact (52/36). But the 34 is overkill. Plus I think the shifting will be a little better with 50/36 or even 50/38.
> 
> ...


Just swap the inner ring withe a SRAM 36, my wife has they set up on everyone of her bikes no shifting issues.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Local Hero said:


> I read that too: The chain will ride on top of the teeth for half a rotation before settling down. That's the last thing I want in a race.


I really really doubt that will happen. Matched rings is a bit over rated unless its a issues with them being the wrong distance apart.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

OK, maybe I just bought into all the hype with matched rings. 

SRAM RED 2012 Crankset Chain Ring Design with Bryn Johnson - YouTube
^this guy makes it sound like rocket surgery. 

Praxis Works LevaTime Chainrings - YouTube
^at the 2:10 point he says there's a difference between 50/34 and 50/36. 


You guys are right, I'm probably over-thinking all this. I'll give it a go with my 36T. If it sucks I'll move back to the 34T and start over.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

FWIW, SRAM's spare parts catalog shows for non-Red chainrings (since Red doesn't offer 50-36):

11.6215.197.050 , 50t chainring for 50-36.
11.6215.197.060 , 50t chainring for 50-34.

Scroll to bottom of this page, you'll see both 50t rings are available retail:
Universal Cycles -- Sram Black Chainrings

So, probably "indexing" and/or "pins/ramps" is slightly different. 

Whether you'll notice on the road, is open to debate. If you competitively road race, and need absolutely fastest front shifts, you'll be more sensitive to this issue. USA-style crits, not so much, as you're always in the big ring.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

tom_h said:


> FWIW, SRAM's spare parts catalog shows for non-Red chainrings (since Red doesn't offer 50-36):
> 
> 11.6215.197.050 , 50t chainring for 50-36.
> 11.6215.197.060 , 50t chainring for 50-34.
> ...


Thanks Tom. 

I do race, both road and crit. I haven't swapped over to the 36T yet but I'll give it a try. I imagine that if there is a difference I'll notice it at the worst possible moment!


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## JoeOxfordCT (Jun 6, 2009)

Just ordered this chainring from Niagra Cycle Works myself. I too love the 50/36 combo. SRAM seems to be the only company who makes a 50t x 110bcd that's ramped specifically for a 36t. I also prefer their 11-28 gearing over Shimano's. Last 3 on SRAM's are 22-25-28, Shimano's is 21-24-28. For whatever reason I really like that 25t which I use in both the 50 & 36.


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## Wadl (Oct 8, 2011)

redlude97 said:


> Just swap the 34 for a 36 Amazon.com: Sram Chainring Red/Force/Rival/Apex: Sports & Outdoors


Anyone tried this one ? did it installed easily ?


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## JoeOxfordCT (Jun 6, 2009)

Wadl said:


> Anyone tried this one ? did it installed easily ?


Wadl, I have that one on order along with the SRAM 50t ramped for 36t. Should be here by the weekend... I'll let you know.


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## Wadl (Oct 8, 2011)

great.. will look foward on your review... 

Could you also post the link of the 50t ramped for 36t ring please ?
(*EDIT* nevermind, I just saw your link from niagara... you will loose the very stiff big ring from RED though... BUT, it will nice nicer .... not only will I be looking for your review but for some pics too !!  )

Thank you very much !


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## JoeOxfordCT (Jun 6, 2009)

Wadl said:


> ... you will loose the very stiff big ring from RED though... BUT, it will nice nicer


Yeah well I'm not likely to be bending any chainrings with my "awesome" power anytime soon... 

I do like that SRAM at least gives you all sorts of chainring combos with their (Force) level cranks.  See the Specification tab in the description. If I'm in shape and/or not riding alot of hills I've run a 50/38 in the past and really loved the overlapping gear ratios I had.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

What kind of cassette are ya running? 

I've been riding compacts for so long that it's simply what I'm used to. I've been running a 11-23 11 speed and really like how smooth the ratios are.


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## Wadl (Oct 8, 2011)

I run 11-23 or 12-23 (usualy 12-23 since I don't have much downhill to be able to crank 50-11)


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## JoeOxfordCT (Jun 6, 2009)

spade2you said:


> What kind of cassette are ya running?


11-28 - I like the spread...I'd rather change chainrings to adjust ratios than cassettes.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

JoeOxfordCT said:


> 11-28 - I like the spread...I'd rather change chainrings to adjust ratios than cassettes.


I get that a 50/36 will shift better, but it seems like some guys go through a lot of effort to avoid the 34 while getting bigger gears in back. I have a 11-23 on most of my race wheels, 11-25 on my low profile carbon tubies.


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## Wadl (Oct 8, 2011)

yeah, I agree with you, why not get a tighter (is that good english ?) cassette ? I want to get a 36t because I never see the 21 and 23 gears in the back...


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## JoeOxfordCT (Jun 6, 2009)

spade2you said:


> I get that a 50/36 will shift better, but it seems like some guys go through a lot of effort to avoid the 34 while getting bigger gears in back.


Understood, I just try to avoid the 16 tooth drop between chainrings. I could run 50/34 with an 11-26 and probably get pretty close to the same ratios as 50/36 with 11-28. However, I like the upper ratios in the 36t as well as the lower ratios in the 50t. The ratios in blue are the ones I typically use. I really like the 50/22 & 25 as well as the 36/14 & 15. So in the end I have 3 duplicate gear ratios: 50t - 19,22,25 & 36t -14,15,17. So if I have a hill coming up I can pop into the 36/17 and ride it all the way down...and vice versa. End result is less shifting between chainrings.

View attachment 277946


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

If you look at the backside of your crankset you will likely see a little point on the inside of the small chainring that aligns with the crankarm. Align the new chainring in the same way and your should be good. I would bet those with shifting issues may not have known that the small chainring must be installed in a certain way to keep the ramps aligned.


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