My triple chain ring came in from Cyclone.
The outside 48T is a brushed aluminum.
The 32T and 44T are stamped steel.
During the install, I decided to use my 48T steel chain ring from my Sick Bike Parts set up. It's a bit heavier, but it should be able to handle more power somewhere down the line. It's nice to know that everything in my drive train is made out of steel.
Since my bike came with a single chain ring up front, I had to buy all the shifting stuff on my own. Here's what I ordered:
Shimano Deore SL M590 Left Shifter
Jagwire cable housing kit (came with way more than I needed)
SHIMANO DEORE FD-M591 9SP Triple Front Derailleur
The installation was very straight forward. I've never installed a front derailleur or replaced cable housings before, but it was rather quick. I ended up needing a longer chain though. When using my 34T Blackspire ring, my chain was pretty much maxed out on the largest rear cog. I extended it by 4 links, and the bike runs fine in all 18 speeds with almost no rubbing on the extreme ends.
For those of you wondering how I managed to get around the 3 speed shifter to only shift in the on the 32T and 44T rings without messing with the 48T ring that's powered from the motor, I placed it in on the middle setting or 2, rotated the outer ring derailleur adjustment screw all the way in and backed it out about 3/4 turn. It won't let me shift into 3rd setting all the way. 3 speed shifter is now a 2 speed shifter.
Durability and reliability are two separate things. Reliability wise, I've probably sacrificed a bit going from the e*thirteen chain guide to the triple ring derailleur set up. It did pass the stair test, but I'm not sure if it's going to vomit the chain off the ring off some big jumps or just rough terrain. The increased versatility of 9 to 18 speeds was worth the increased weight and reliability compromise. The 32T ring gives me better climbing ratios while the 44T gives me decent flat ground speed.
Durability probably didn't decrease that much. The bike is still using the same Shimano HG-50 rear cassette which is steel. The chain is the same width. Had I tried to fit an extra cog and gone with a 10 speed set up, there would definitely be a drop in overall durability.
Actually shifting between the front 32T and 44T rings is smooth. I haven't done it under power and don't intend on it.
Crankset Review:
1. GNG set up failed on day 1. Threads on the freewheel crank arm stripped. I splined it and pinned it to the freewheel, but it failed after a few hard rides.
2. GNG chain ring + BikeMotive crank arms & ACS 16T freewheel. BikeMotive cranks were ISO taper not JIS. I ran it with the freewheel on the outside of the GNG chain ring temporarily until I could put together my own chain ring set up.
3. Dicta freewheel, SickBikeParts steel 48T chainring bolted to my Blackspire 34T aluminum chain ring w/ random bolts from ace hardware. Bent the BB spindle during this set up. It seemed okay except that my bike would spit the chain off the front ring when my suspension compressed deeply and rapidly. e*thirteen chain guide fixed that. Then the Dicta freewheel crapped out pretty fast from all the dust and sand from my trail riding.
4. Cyclone 140mm ISIS BB & freewheeling cranks + my SickBike Blackspire chainrings + White Ind. ENO = my bomb proof set up.
5. Current set up: Cyclone inner 32T/44T chain rings, swapped the outer aluminum 48T chain ring w/ the steel SickBikeParts one.
Future plans:
For those of you following my build, there have been many times where I've stated I'm done. :lol: Really, at the time, I do feel that the bike is great where its at. Then something comes along that seems more appealing than what I already have. It was a hard decision for me to go with the Cyclone triple chain ring since I had ironed out all the short comings with the kit that suited my needs. Anyhow, I'm likely not going to do anything major in the near future. I am interested in LightningRods' potential wider belt upgrade as well as replacement motor shafts that could accommodate a chain sprocket. If I end up doing that, I'll probably do the controller staple shunt mod, increase my output amps (~30A), and go with a heavier gauge wiring.
My bike as it stands today:
), taped around those batteries. denting can wreck them and you will dent them if they are loose like that. coroplast notched and folded around with a bunch of duck tape works for me. also works with a few extra layers as a battery box on the bike as well
