Check your e*thirteen e*spec chainring...

[BengtWeil]

I was just in the process of replacing the chainring on my Orbea Rise M-Team - It came with the E*Thirteen E*spec 32T chainring and I purchased another one to replace the original.

The OE chainring had reliefs for the chain guide screw heads on each of the 5 "spoke" ribs where the spokes attach to the center circular part on the back side of the chainring.


The new chainring does not have these reliefs. The structural ribs on the 'spokes' run right into to the circular center part. Upon installing this new E*Thirteen e*spec 32T chainring, it appears to fit just fine as no interferance is noticed (at least on my EP8) after installation


Once mounted, look closely at the amount of clearance between the "spoke" structural ribs and the chain guide screw head and you'll notice that the clearance is pretty tight. Picture below is taken from above the chain guide, looking down on the chainring, which has the relief.


If you haven't already noticed, the EP8 spindle has some lateral freeplay -


If you press in on the spindle from the chainring side, it will probably move inward .010" to .020". I believe (but have not confirmed) that this lateral play is part of the EP8 design. The problem is that the chainring clearance to the chain guide screw heads has become too tight and may cause the chainring to rub on the chain guide screw heads. Here's the result with the new replacement version of the E*Thirteen e*spec 32T chainring - you can see where the chainring has been hitting the chain guide screw heads and worn a grove into the chainring.



If you have replaced your OE E*Thirteen chainring with a replacement that does not have the relief in the "spoke" ribs, please check the clearance to the chainring screw heads, both as it sits as well as when you push in on the spindle from the drive side, to check if lateral movement is apparent - good probability that it will cause the chainring "spoke" ribs to hit the chain guide screw heads. Also check the backside of the chainring "spoke" ribs for metal worn away from impact, as shown in the picture above

I have brought this issue to the attention of E*Thirteen, and they are baffled since they have not had any feedback of this problem since they have redesigned the 32T chainring, removing the clearance reliefs. If you see there is a problem with your replacement E*Thirteen e*spec 32T chainring, please reach out to Chris at E*Thirteen, using the following email - [email protected] and let them know of the problem.

I originally replaced the OE chainring around the beginning of 2022 and didn't realize the difference in the way the chainring was made (no-relief/structural ribs) until last week when I was again replacing the chainring and noticed the "notches" worn into the "spoke" structural ribs shown in picture above. I also was not aware of the lateral movement in the spindle, which attributes to the lack of clearance, which was not noticed during installation.

Appreciate any and all feedback if others find the same issue exists - Thanks!

 

[MBj1703]

Using the second e13 chainring on my Canyon w/o any issues.

 

[BengtWeil]

I'm not familiar with the chain guide mount on the Canyon with the EP8 motor... Is it a direct mount to the frame/chainstay pivot OR does it have an aluminum mount that attaches directly to the EP8 motor with 2 screws? If it is the latter, as shown in this chain guide link, good to hear you are not having any issues. If it attaches to the frame/chainstay pivot, then there would be no possibility of interference.

Thank you for your response - I appreciate the feedback!

 

[Chicane]

Thanks for the heads up. It also looks like threre is plenty of room to shave off on the bolt head (since it protrudes out) without weakening it.

My EP 8 has zero lateral play, but I've seen a few video's of this not just on the Rise, but other manufacturers like Sant Cruz bikes, ect.

 

[BengtWeil]

Thanks for the heads up. It also looks like threre is plenty of room to shave off on the bolt head (since it protrudes out) without weakening it.

My EP 8 has zero lateral play, but I've seen a few video's of this not just on the Rise, but other manufacturers like Sant Cruz bikes, ect.

The chain guide bolt heads on my M-Team are pretty flat and really thin, maybe 1/4 to 1/3 the width of a chain roller - not much that can be removed -



Are your bolt heads different in appearance? Aluminum or Carbon Rise? Doe your chain guide look like this? (click on web page picture of Orbea Rise chain guide for larger view of bolt heads).

Thanks!

 

[sumyungguy]

Remove the two washers between the guide and the motor and it will fix this issue. I was just servicing a friends Rise and saw the marks on his sprocket. Removed those washers and the guide still clears in all gears. I serviced my Rise a few weeks ago and did not have any marks with the washers installed. I don't believe this is an E*Thirteen issue, Orbea's chain guide and washer thickness need better quilty control.

 

[BengtWeil]

Remove the two washers between the guide and the motor and it will fix this issue. I was just servicing a friends Rise and saw the marks on his sprocket. Removed those washers and the guide still clears in all gears. I serviced my Rise a few weeks ago and did not have any marks with the washers installed. I don't believe this is an E*Thirteen issue, Orbea's chain guide and washer thickness need better quilty control.

Thank you for the feedback that you have run across the issue with the current E*Thirteen chainring not having enough clearance on your friend's bike. The goal here is to let Chris at E*Thirteen know of these occurrences and hopefully they can appropriately address the change they have made to the chainring profile that can cause this condition.

I don't agree that the proper resolution is modifying a new chainring with a dremel tool each time you replace this consumable item nor modifying parts around it because the profile of the chainring where it interferes with the chain guide screw heads, has changed.

In the case of my chain guide, out-of-the-box, it is very close to centered on the chain as it sits on the chainring and in 1st and 12th, proper clearance is still present without any chance of chain rub occurring. To say that it is a problem with Orbea's quality control with the washer thickness, let us keep in mind which part has changed in the clearance equation in question.

Again, I only ask that a quick email to Chris at E*Thirteen would be helpful for all Orbea owners who become aware of this potential problem and who would expect the same replacement part to fit the way the original part fit, without the need to modify other parts being affected.
Chris can be reached at "[email protected]". I thank you and others who have or will encounter this same problem will thank you.

 

[sumyungguy]

I'm don't agree that the proper resolution is modifying a new chainring with a dremel tool each time you replace this consumable item nor modifying parts around it because the profile of the chainring where it interferes with the chain guide screw heads, has changed.

In the case of my chain guide, out-of-the-box, it is very close to centered on the chain as it sits on the chainring and in 1st and 12th, proper clearance is still present without any chance of chain rub occurring. To say that it is a problem with Orbea's quality control with the washer thickness, let us keep in mind which part has changed in the clearance equation in question.

I said the solution is to remove the 2 washers. It takes no time and resolves the issue. This chainring is made for ep8 motors, not the Rise specifically so it’s not going to be a perfect fit for every model if the thickness of those cheap washers and chain guide vary. You are making a big deal out of this and ignoring the simple solution. If you want the guide perfectly center (which it doesn’t need to be) then you can use some high quality, tight tolerance, shims instead of the punched out washers to dial it in.

The fact that you’ve ignored this solution in both the FB discussion and here tells me you are out to make a big deal of this.

 

[Murphius]

Appreciate your raising this issue. I will not buy any additional e thirteen components and will avoid bikes that come with them, having had nothing but bad experiences (wheelset, dropper post, and most recently cranks that destroyed my ep8 motor spindle).

Their engineering is trash and it shows.

 

[RickBullotta]

I'm astonished that anyone is still keeping any e*thirteen stuff on their bikes. Great service with poorly designed products doesn't cut it.

 

[spxxky]

Bin the E-Thirteen cranks and fit Shimano

 

[Chicane]

No issues with either when installed correctly/yourself!

 

[fitlikemike]

I said the solution is to remove the 2 washers. It takes no time and resolves the issue. This chainring is made for ep8 motors, not the Rise specifically so it’s not going to be a perfect fit for every model if the thickness of those cheap washers and chain guide vary. You are making a big deal out of this and ignoring the simple solution. If you want the guide perfectly center (which it doesn’t need to be) then you can use some high quality, tight tolerance, shims instead of the punched out washers to dial it in.

The fact that you’ve ignored this solution in both the FB discussion and here tells me you are out to make a big deal of this.

Yes, let it go mate. Go ride

 

[fitlikemike]

Bin the E-Thirteen cranks and fit Shimano

Which ones, specifically for the Rise mate?

 

[BengtWeil]

Shimano EM900, M8150 XT or EM600 cranks fit. Should come with appropriate Shimano plastic preload bolt and be sure to remove all E*Thirteen dust seals.

There are many threads that can be referenced relating to the appropriate cranks to replace the suspected problematic E13 cranks...

 

[franciscoasismm]

I was just in the process of replacing the chainring on my Orbea Rise M-Team - It came with the E*Thirteen E*spec 32T chainring and I purchased another one to replace the original.

The OE chainring had reliefs for the chain guide screw heads on each of the 5 "spoke" ribs where the spokes attach to the center circular part on the back side of the chainring.


The new chainring does not have these reliefs. The structural ribs on the 'spokes' run right into to the circular center part. Upon installing this new E*Thirteen e*spec 32T chainring, it appears to fit just fine as no interferance is noticed (at least on my EP8) after installation


Once mounted, look closely at the amount of clearance between the "spoke" structural ribs and the chain guide screw head and you'll notice that the clearance is pretty tight. Picture below is taken from above the chain guide, looking down on the chainring, which has the relief.


If you haven't already noticed, the EP8 spindle has some lateral freeplay -


If you press in on the spindle from the chainring side, it will probably move inward .010" to .020". I believe (but have not confirmed) that this lateral play is part of the EP8 design. The problem is that the chainring clearance to the chain guide screw heads has become too tight and may cause the chainring to rub on the chain guide screw heads. Here's the result with the new replacement version of the E*Thirteen e*spec 32T chainring - you can see where the chainring has been hitting the chain guide screw heads and worn a grove into the chainring.



If you have replaced your OE E*Thirteen chainring with a replacement that does not have the relief in the "spoke" ribs, please check the clearance to the chainring screw heads, both as it sits as well as when you push in on the spindle from the drive side, to check if lateral movement is apparent - good probability that it will cause the chainring "spoke" ribs to hit the chain guide screw heads. Also check the backside of the chainring "spoke" ribs for metal worn away from impact, as shown in the picture above

I have brought this issue to the attention of E*Thirteen, and they are baffled since they have not had any feedback of this problem since they have redesigned the 32T chainring, removing the clearance reliefs. If you see there is a problem with your replacement E*Thirteen e*spec 32T chainring, please reach out to Chris at E*Thirteen, using the following email - [email protected] and let them know of the problem.

I originally replaced the OE chainring around the beginning of 2022 and didn't realize the difference in the way the chainring was made (no-relief/structural ribs) until last week when I was again replacing the chainring and noticed the "notches" worn into the "spoke" structural ribs shown in picture above. I also was not aware of the lateral movement in the spindle, which attributes to the lack of clearance, which was not noticed during installation.

Appreciate any and all feedback if others find the same issue exists - Thanks!

If you push on the spindle from the side of the platter it will probably move in 0.010" to 0.020"
This also happens in the E8000, it produces a minimum axial rotation, which in the long run deforms the Shimano snapring that they do not sell.
SOLUTION:
With a circlip, between the plate and snap ring, fix the problem.

 

[RickBullotta]

No issues with either when installed correctly/yourself!

Nope. The carbon crankarms with a single pinch bolt are poorly engineered. No way I'd use them on any bike.

 

[e*thirteen Components]

Nope. The carbon crankarms with a single pinch bolt are poorly engineered. No way I'd use them on any bike.

Hey Rick,
To clarify, an early production batch had some issues with the pinch bolt. The issue was caught early on and very few of those cranks ended actually made it to market. That has been rectified for sometime now and the current carbon cranks have largely been problem free. While we do strive to make things perfect from the start, unfortunatly that early batch had issues. We addressed them and took care of customers who reached out to us with issues.

Cheers

 

[RickBullotta]

Hey Rick,
To clarify, an early production batch had some issues with the pinch bolt. The issue was caught early on and very few of those cranks ended actually made it to market. That has been rectified for sometime now and the current carbon cranks have largely been problem free. While we do strive to make things perfect from the start, unfortunatly that early batch had issues. We addressed them and took care of customers who reached out to us with issues.

Cheers

I was one of them, and Orbea's solution was to send me a set of XTRs. But glad you got it sorted. It was not confidence inspiring to have my crankarm fall off a few times.

 

[BengtWeil]

Since this subject regarding Check Your E*Thirteen e*spec chainring (clearance issue) has been hijacked, I would like to propose that in the future, those who wish to contribute to the EP8 spindle play/movement issue - follow this link for posting your findings/solutions.
For E*Thirteen crank issues, including E*Thirteen carbon crank recall - follow these links for problems, submission of solutions as well as which model Shimano replacement cranks fit the EP8 motor.

Keeping pertinent information together rather than spread throughout multiple links will make it easier for people to share their experiences, ask for solutions and find information - Thanks!

 

[DubSea]

5 riders in our group with Orbea Rise ebikes using this same guide and same ring. Some of us are on our 2nd, 3rd and 4th replacement rings at this point. No issues on any of the rings and no marks from contacting guide bolts. Best rings we've found IMHO. Clearance is tight but that is to be expected on any modern bike in this location where a multitude of design and component factors are all vying for that critical real estate.

Seems more like a shimano spindle location/play or tolerance stack issue than an issue with the ring. Appears to not even work with Shimano's own ring: Changed E-13 Chainring to Shimano spider which hits the chain guide mount - EMTB Forums

Chainguides seem to have been an after thought with EP8 motor design - no bash options and limited fitment otherwise. Unless you are an aggressive enough rider to be dropping chains, pull the guide or simply use the spacers behind the backplate to adjust it as best possible. Clutch der's and narrow-wide rings are incredibly effective at chain retention for the average casual rider so the guide is probably not necessary anyway.

 

[sumyungguy]

@DubSea agree 100% and these are the facts. @BengtWeil is clearly out to make something out of nothing here and will ignore these sensical replies.

 

[BengtWeil]

5 riders in our group with Orbea Rise ebikes using this same guide and same ring. Some of us are on our 2nd, 3rd and 4th replacement rings at this point. No issues on any of the rings and no marks from contacting guide bolts. Best rings we've found IMHO. Clearance is tight but that is to be expected on any modern bike in this location where a multitude of design and component factors are all vying for that critical real estate.

Seems more like a shimano spindle location/play or tolerance stack issue than an issue with the ring. Appears to not even work with Shimano's own ring: Changed E-13 Chainring to Shimano spider which hits the chain guide mount - EMTB Forums

Chainguides seem to have been an after thought with EP8 motor design - no bash options and limited fitment otherwise. Unless you are an aggressive enough rider to be dropping chains, pull the guide or simply use the spacers behind the backplate to adjust it as best possible. Clutch der's and narrow-wide rings are incredibly effective at chain retention for the average casual rider so the guide is probably not necessary anyway.

Thanks for checking on and passing along the feedback regarding the five bikes in your group. Agreed that the E*Thirteen chainring is the best available option and Orbea obviously thought so as well.

Since E*Thirteen has acknowledged may dimensional changes in the 32T chainring since Orbea started using it on the Rise in 2021, I wanted to give them the opportunity to address possible concerns rather than bash their product(s).

I started this thread to raise awareness to a possible problem that presented itself on my '21 M-Team, and so far, only one other person has seen a like occurrence. Taking the washers out from behind the chain guide on my bike compromised the chainguide clearance in relation to the chain when evaluating 1st and 12th gear positioning. I opted for milling almost 1mm of the backside of the five chainring "ribs" where contact had occurred on the previous "new version" chainring, as the best solution for my situation.

At this point, your 5 examples, sumyungguy's 2 examples, Chicane's 1 example (assuming it is a Rise) and my 1 example shows 2 occurrences of a clearance issue. Thank you to all who have offered confirmation of their findings so far.

 

[spxxky]

Which ones, specifically for the Rise mate?

As Bengtwell states... I went for the 8150's (XT Equivalent)