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I need to change my DUB BB and crankset for a new Deore crankset as BB is buggered. All 12 speed.
Rest is NX cassette and GX rear mech, which I want to keep.
I might change the chain in the process but do I stick to a SRAM one or do I need a Shimano.
Or would neither work well with the rest of the configuration?
Cheers!
If the chain is flat top it has a different size of roller from memory to standard chains. Iirc it works, but suboptimally
I read the same. Lot of things will work but prone to chainsuck and suboptimal wear.
The teeth on the standard ring do look quite different to anything else https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/cr-ttyp-104-a1
Although Wolf Tooth, E13, and Praxis have more standard looking chainrings which they claim are compatible.
I use an XT chainset and GX 12 spd everything else apart from an Eagle chain. Works great. Go for shorter cranks aswell, 165 rides much better than 175 IME.
It is only the latest eagle with the flatop chains that have only been out about 12 months that can cause a potential problem. For the older groups many of us have been mixing and matching 12 speed components between shimano and sram for years without any problems.
However IMO shimano chains work best with shimano cassettes, and same for sram (the shimano chains and cassettes have quite a lot more ramps and pins to aid shifting when matched together). Shimano gives a bit better shifting smoothness, sram slightly more durable. But neither advantage or disadvantage is stark and would be unnoticeable after 10 minutes of riding..
The Shimano 12s chain has u-shaped chain rollers which don't run perfectly on a SRAM cassette. So use a SRAM chain or better still a KMC X12 which I find runs better on the Shimano 12S chainring and fine on the SRAM cassette. The old 11S shimano Deore crankset is identical to the 12S apart from the chainring. The 11S chainring has shorter teeth that aren't profiled for the u-shaped 12S rollers and runs perfectly with the KMC X12 or 11/12S SRAM chains.
Thanks all. Sorry I didn't mean Transmission, just conventional 12s.
It makes sense to favour the chain/cassette working well together so will stick to SRAM or KMC. Good to hear about 11s cranks.
I just put a Unite chainring on my gravel bike with Sram Rival and a flat top chain. Eorks perfectly. The flat top part of the chain doesn't touch the chainring anyway.
 Eorks perfectly. The flat top part of the chain doesn’t touch the chainring anyway.
There are differences other than just the top being flat, as has been mentioned. Let's say it works perfectly from your perspective.
I run sram t type cassette with a flat top chain and shimano crankset. Likewise, it works fine with a normal eagle cassette and chain when running my mud tire wheel set. There is a small nominal difference in roller diameter, I think 0.1mm which is so small there is no noticeable impact in use. SRAM will say otherwise, but they do want to sell cranksets!