Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Billy Braggs photo
1 Level
834 Review
66 Karma

Review on SHIMANO ALTUS CHAINWHEEL SET FC-M311-L by Billy Braggs

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Need more sizing

As part of my self study I am replacing the bottom bracket and front/rear cogs with a Raleigh M80 MTB MY2000 (7x3 speed). A few days ago I already installed the bottom bracket and rear gear cassette which were almost exact copies. The OEM crankset is Shimano Altus 24x32x38-170mm, but this Altus set was the closest I could find at Revain. It arrived yesterday and I quickly noticed that all the stock cranks are flat gears and the new set has an inward offset of about 4mm. The distance is the same. Also, the new block had four protrusions protruding inward from the gears, which interfered with the carriage body. Since this is an educational project and there isn't much money involved, I removed the problem teeth using a Dremel tool. I thought the offset to center will slightly change the alignment of the front and back chains, but this can be adjusted. After installation and many adjustments, I now find that the clamp type derailleur linkage will collide with the seat tube when I try to get it to shift to the inner sprocket. The small gear is inside the outer edge of the case. For now, I will be one of the progressive riders shifting from three to two forward gears. I complain that the specs don't indicate that this device is inwardly biased. Additional pictures can help. To be honest I googled this problem and found that others were complaining about the same thing when shopping online. An expensive solution is to visit LBS and look at a set of connecting rods before you buy.

Pros
  • Sturdy construction
Cons
  • Definitely bad product