33 Tooth Chainrings

Sometimes the only way to solve a gearing problem is to find an odd chainring size. Of the sizes commonly needed but almost completely unavailable it the 33 tooth chainring.

The worst Option

The Surley Stainless Steel chainring is about the worst way to solve this problem. Stainless steel has no place as a chainring material on a high performance bicycle. Too heavy, overkill, and just plain silly. Who thinks this crap up?

The Best Option

After hearing rumours online about an aluminum 4-bolt 33t chain ring made by Truvativ, but not able to find it listed in any catalog, I called them directly. They listened, they checked, "No, we don't make that." was the answer.

Pissed, 'cause I really needed this for a setup that I was doing, I talked to Brian Herman at Fairfax Cyclery. I told him what I needed, and the rumour, but not that Truvativ said they didn't make it. Brian called me later that day, "Sorry dude. No can do, I'll keep looking."

Ok. So it was true, they didn't make the ring, right? Wrong. An hour or so later, Truvativ called Brian back and said that they did in fact make the ring and steered him as to who had it.

It pays to do the leg work!!