Would it be possible to just buy a chain ring the same size as say the middle of the current triple and install that to make it 1x?
The bike is obviously an older model so I am unsure of sizes of parts thanks!
by jackSB24
Would it be possible to just buy a chain ring the same size as say the middle of the current triple and install that to make it 1x?
The bike is obviously an older model so I am unsure of sizes of parts thanks!
by jackSB24
11 Comments
The bike has vertical dropouts, so you will need some kind of tensioning device to keep the chain taught. It’s been a long time since I’ve shopped for one, but I used to have a Surly Singleator that worked reasonably well.
Technically you could just leave the unused chainrings on, or you could just remove them and use washers to make up for the excess length on the chainring bolts.
Google ghost cog / ghost ring. Put it on the middle ring and somewhere around the 5th gear in the back. A single speed chain would be best as it’d have less flex and work better.
You could shift into an appropriate gear and do the limit screws on the derailleur so it doesn’t move. That’s the easiest and cheapest I can think of
You’ll need a freewheel or a single chainring + spacers (whichever fits your bike) for the rear and as mentioned above you could just leave the original gears infront, leave the chain on your favourite gear and remove the derailleur, I did that years ago and it worked a treat. If you get a half-link chain you may get lucky and be able to just get enough tension adjusting the chain length, it worked for me!
Don’t change gears!
Find a gear you like to ride in, cut the shift cables and housing off, take off the shifters from the bars and now you have a single speed.
Front ring is easy replaceable, just find the Right BCD for your 5 bolt crankstlet. Narrow wide chainring, costs like 10 on ebay and chain will never come off. About back single speed stuff wait for others
Easiest thing would be to make it a 1×8. Find a suitably sized sprocket for the bottom bracket, then remove the front derailleur and shifter.
That’s the cheapest way to make your bike a 1x.
Cut the derailleur cable off
Cheapest and easiest way?
Well, you could put it into a gear of your choice, and then just LEAVE it there? This strategy has the advantage that the bike needs no mods at all. Also, you could change your mind about *which* gear to be stuck with, if, say, you encountered a change in road conditions… like needing to go uphill?
This is just a suggestion.
FYI I do not believe you can source replacement chainrings for this chainset (proprietary specialized BCD). Additionally, I believe the two large rings mount on top of each other using 5 extra long bolts that thread into the chainset.
As such, I’d say your best bet for a 1x is in replacing the chainset altogether for something more inclined towards a 1x setup.
Fitting a single speed at the back will most likely involve a chain tensioner or possibly the existing derailleur. If it is a screw-on style wheel (rather than freehub) the wheel will need to be redished and the axle moved across by replacing / swapping spacers or axle nuts.
For simplicity’s sake, I’d suggest just using the limit screws to set the front derailleur to the middle or big ring, removing the front shifter and calling it a 1 x 7. Or just get it serviced properly and keep it as a 3 x 7. Why spend so much time and money just to give yourself a narrower gear range?
Alternatively, invest a bit to replace the whole drivetrain with an affordable 1x setup for instance from Microshift or Sensah. Just make sure the rear wheel can accommodate a bigger cassette ie. 9 or 10 speed.
Good luck.