Shimano EP801 chainring replacement

[FJ1200a]

I am currently running a
E*Thirteen E*Spec Plus
34T Narrow Wide Chainring for a 53mm Chain Line. It appears they only offer a 55mm currently. Any suggestions would be great thanks.

 

[Greg Watts]

I am currently running a E*Thirteen E*Spec Plus 34T Narrow Wide Chainring for a 53mm Chain Line. It appears they only offer a 55mm currently. Any suggestions would be great thanks.

Welcome to the forum, @FJ1200a. The 53mm chainline situation with Shimano STEPS motors is a perennial source of mild suffering, so you're not alone.

You've got a few routes here. The most direct is Shimano's own SM-CRE80-12-B, which is a steel 104 BCD chainring and spider combo specifically for the EP801/EP8/E8000 family.

The chainline depends on which spider variant you choose, and it's available in 53mm amongst other options, in sizes 34T through 38T. So a like-for-like 34T replacement at 53mm chainline is entirely possible from Shimano directly.

The Shimano part number for the 53mm chainline spider compatible with any 104 BCD chainring is Y1VY00020, which is worth having if you want to mix and match chainrings from other brands down the road.

The ethirteen Helix R espec direct mount is the other obvious option, and it does exist in 53mm. It's spec'd at 53mm chainline and compatible with Shimano 12-speed, SRAM Eagle, and SRAM T-Type.

Given you were already running their ESpec Plus, it'd be a straight swap in terms of fit. Worth checking UK stock directly on the ethirteen site though, as

availability of the 34T at 53mm has been patchy, with the steel version marked unavailable at UK/EU stores at various points.

One thing worth flagging: there appear to be two variants in circulation, and people have reported being sent the wrong one (55mm instead of 53mm), so be explicit about the chainline when ordering. Double-check the part number rather than relying on a retailer description alone.

If you end up going down the spider route long-term, Praxis steel eMTB BCD104 chainrings are worth a look since they reportedly last two to four times as long as alloy ones, and you'd have the freedom to source from whoever has stock.