I took a crack at a 1x conversion but now I’m just dropping the chain all over. I put a 42T narrow wide on the outermost setting on the 3x cranks. What can I do from here? Would a clutch derailleur or shorter chain make a difference?
by G_A_T_O_R_
I took a crack at a 1x conversion but now I’m just dropping the chain all over. I put a 42T narrow wide on the outermost setting on the 3x cranks. What can I do from here? Would a clutch derailleur or shorter chain make a difference?
by G_A_T_O_R_
8 Comments
Put the front derailleur back on and Jamie it like a chain guide.
Yes a clutch derailleur would be called for to reduce risk of chain drop. At that rate you might as well invest in a 135mm hub prebuilt 26” wheel (look into Quality Wheel brand) which will have a 8/9/10speed hub, considering that most clutch derailleurs will not be a 6 or 7 speed.
As SnollyG said, you can put the front derailleur back on to act as a makeshift chain guide, but that defeats the purpose of the clean looking 1x conversion. IMO the only purpose of 1x converting old 90s bikes is the clean look, since they mostly do not fit dropper posts (which is the main driving reason 1x became industry standard).
How did you size your chain? How did you pick your chainline?
Your chain should be sized to big-big, plus two rivets. B-tension should be set to hold the guide pulley off the biggest rear cog.
The chainline is the distance from the frame center to the chain when it’s in the middle gear in the rear. Your chain should be resting in this position in the front. On a bike like this, it’s likely ~47mm. I’m guessing you’re too far out in the front, because the single chainring is on the outside of the crank and you didn’t mention it.
The chain line is off. The chain ring should be in the middle position. You’re still going to occasionally drop the chain without the derailleur though
It’s your chainline. You want the chainring to line up in the middle of the cassette. You can use offset bolts on the spider or a different BB/crank. Also won’t hurt to tighten that chain up. And you can look into a chain guide that mounts to the seatpost
i’ll add my 2¢, even though it’s just the free change out of the little dish at the register.
chainline. my experience says the chainwheel ought to be mounted in the middle position. use a straightedge to figure out the position that works best to align it with the center cog.
chain length. shorten the chain as much as possible so there’s less slop when you’re on the small.
for most of these builds i think people want to use what they have, not start off buying parts to solve potential problems or to solve encountered problems. they are also going into it knowing it is not a purpose specific designed, spec’d, and built machine and that it will never perform as such. lighten up. have fun. i think you’ll be fine.
Narrow wide chainrings don’t work with chains less than 10 speed. It’s about the dimensions of the links/rollers/teeth..
If all else fails get a chain guide, But you should be able to play with your chain line to get it to play nice.