Neat single- and double-ring solutions
Sometimes it’s the little bits and pieces that get people excited. Take, for example, FSA’s £18/$15 3mm Chain Tab Bolt Kit 380-6105. It doesn’t sound like much, but for anyone running a single chainring or double on a triple crank could be the perfect finishing touch. In short, the kit consists of a set of four chainring bolts, four chainring nuts, and four aluminum tabs that cover that bit of spider left exposed when removing a triple crank’s outer ‘ring. For those among us who’ve always been bothered by the unfinished look, here’s a clean solution that’s both lighter and better looking than a bash guard. For those who aren’t bothered… please move along.
By request in the UK ($90 in the US), FSA’s Shimano- and SRAM-compatible D10 double chainrings are cleverly offset to help avoid the chainline issues (usually rubbing) that tend to arise when bolting a large-gap double set to a triple crank. The alloy ‘ring set is available in 22/36, 24/36, and 24/38 combinations- with the first being plenty low enough for 29er trail bikes. One of the less expensive ways to reap the full benefits of a double chainset, the ‘rings are a good way to breathe new life into that perfectly functional (if unfashionable) triple in the shed.
Alternatively just get some shorter chain ring bolts
are these for FSA cranks only?
Faz,
Not specifically- though the tabs will look best on similarly-shaped arms (as opposed to super-wide XT style). The chainrings should work on most any triple.
Marc
I was thinking about SLX, the older style ones, like this:
http://lp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb3803149/p4pb3803149.jpg
Looking at that picture, I don’t think they’d fit?
Just what I need for my SLK carbon’s, but £18? really?
How much was the SLK Carbon setup? £18 shouldn’t even get a deep breath! 😉
Dibbs,
It was on K-Force Carbons that I first came across the rings and tabs- apparently that’s a configuration that they’re sold or spec’d in somewhere. In any case, they should match up to your cranks very nicely.
Raceface do them as well, they came on my oem two ring cranks. So far I’ve found them on Ebay in the US but UK stockists seem non existent but I guess you could go through Silverfish.