9 Speed Compatibility?

Iwasgoodonce

Old School Grand Master
Does a chainset have to be 9 speed specific? The chain and shifters yes I understand but the chainset?
I am rebuilding a Focus for my bro's wife and the chainset as found is a cast iron Suntour thing about as good as the also Suntour forks. Ina a word RUBBISH.

The odd thing is the rings are steel, not replaceable and 28-38-48. I just can't imagine that they were ever built with 9 speed in mind.

What do you think?

PS I'm so old I remember when Suntour made really good stuff. Any road bike whose owner was in the know used to have a Superbe Pro front mech. What happened to them?
 
I use an 8 speed chain and casette and Campag 10 speed chainrings on one of my road bikes. Never had any problems. You may have issues with a 9 speed chain and 6/7/8 speed chainrings as I believe the thickness of 9 and 10 speed chainrings are thinner than 7/8 speed ones. Never tried it though.
 
All chains are 3/32" inside. But 9s have thinner sides so are thinner overall.

Occasionally you get some 7/8 speed chainsets where the rings are SLIGHTLY further apart and a 9s chain can get sort of halfway between the two, sliding between the teeth and the next chainring.

Usually however it's fine.
 
I ran 9 speed (shifters/mechs/chain) on an old LX chainset ( the early 90` nice black one)
 
Got a black bottom of the range Shimano 9 speed chainset with replaceable rings you can have (came off the ex-wife's Giant) for some good karma :D

pm me your address & I'll post it on saturday.
 
I've run a 1980 shimano road chainset with proshift mechs and 9 spd bar end shifters...

1988 Deore mechs, 1993 XT 48t ring, 2003 LX 9spd

As long as the chainline is good, I've personally never had much of a problem.

Just getting front mechs to shift corectly can be a pain.
 
Back
Top