Hi folks I bought a bike after 15 years and looking to find a solution to wanting to keep the wider tires I bought. These are 42 and I don't want to go lower.
My front derailleur takes space towards the back, between the tire and the frame.
I have seen MANY front derailleurs that don't take space in the back, and instead are slimmer and take space outwards to the side instead, leaving back free.
Am I also able to change to a similar front derailleur that doesn't take space in the back? I have 3 gears in the front.
Thanks to anyone contributing
by Nimkal
7 Comments
It’d be helpful to see the whole drivetrain as we’d get a better idea what you’re working with.
Almost certainly. Post a pic of the label side of this thing.
Not sure what the bike is and intended purpose but you might be able to make it a 1X
It seems that you have now top swing FD, you would need to replace it with bottom swing FD, it doesnt have that thing on its back and wont block wider tires. Do not mistake it with “bottom pull”. Some frames wont allow to install bottom swing derailleur.
Can you zoom in a little closer, I can’t quite see the molecular structure of the metal
As everyone is saying, let’s see the whole drivetrain. Let’s see what kind of bottom bracket and crankset it has. If it is a square taper bottom bracket, it is pretty simple to convert to a 1x system. You just need a crankset with one wide narrow chainring. Sometimes a 3x had chainrings that are bolted on with short allen bolts. If this is the case, the chainrings can be removed and a single, wide narrow chainring can be mounted on the middle chainring position. In this case, you have to make sure you order a chainring that has mounting holes that match the ones on the cransket.
Having a cassette with a clutch derailleur also helps chain stability with a 1x system. (Less instances of the chain falling off)
If you say how you ride, what speeds you ride at, and what your use case is, that can help.
Things we need to know:
Wheel size
Tire size
Max chainring clearance according to the manufacturer.
Bottom Bracket type (Does this need to be replaced? If so, we will need measurements to know which bottom brackets are compatible with the frame)
Freewheel or Cassette on the rear wheel. Guessing if it is a cassette, it will be an HG driver.
How many gears does the cassette or freewheel have? Do you know the range? (Number of teeth on each cog)
Do you know how fast you like to ride? Do you need a good climbing gear? Do you need a really fast gear?
Take it off. 🫡