Hey /r/xbiking
I'm currently in the planning stage of building up my old ’91 Marin Bear Valley from it's original 3x setup to a modern 1x? build. Primarily for /r/xbiking Reddit karma, but also because a 1:1 low gear ratio ain't enough for my shrimp legs.
I've already ordered an Amazon special NW chainring and bought a new wheel from the local used bike shop. The thing that's got stumped is whether I want a 10 speed or an 11 speed setup.
From what I understand since I plan to be running a wide range casette that I should be able to get an 11 speed MTB casette onto the 8/9/10 HG freehub.
For those who have done this kind of build before what kind of hurdles have you run into and/or what kind of considerstions did you put into your build when you were going through this process?
Any help would be appreciated.
by radically_unoriginal
21 Comments
10 is a little easier IMO, more part options, derailleurs, shifters, cassettes, etc, a little cheaper too. Also a little less of a chance of running into chainline issues . Plus there’s not really much of a need for a 11 speed unless you really need the granny gears, a 10 will work just fine.
>I should be able to get an 11 speed MTB casette onto the 8/9/10 HG freehub.
Yes, as long as it is an HG cassette. So not Shimano 11 road (not like they make a wide range cassette anyway), SRAM XD or any other non HG stuff.
Be careful with that huge 1x rear derailleur and your frame’s non-replaceable hanger.
Mid 90s 3×8 and a low gear of 22-34 is going to ride up anything, and 1x is due to be so over any day now.
You need to measure the freewheel to determine compatibility – spline length varies, I forget the exact numbers. Not all HG ~~freewheel~~ freehub work on 11speed.
OR: Take a look at the Box Prime 9 system. It’s made to fit your freewheel. Nice kit.
Also keep an eye on chainline from the front. Aim to match the middle cog.
Mtb 1×11 is slightly better than 1×10 imo since it takes advantage of the wheel dish for the extra gear, but you wouldn’t be unhappy with the 10
The biggest question is what derailleur are you using? And is the wheel dished for that many gears?
My counter argument is nine is fine.
I put microshift 9 speed on my old trek, got a chinesium crank and chain ring, had to put 4mm spacers on the chainring bolts to get the chain line in the right neighborhood. Works pretty well, though the 34 chainring is a little low for the 11-46 cassette, and I’ll probably up it to 38. The low gears are tractor like but the 11-34 top gear is not really enough, I top out at about 19 mph.
To answer your questions (and not debate the worth of 1x): yea 11s Shimano Mtb fits on any 8/9/10 hub, its only their road cassettes that don’t (with the exception of of the newer 11-34 11s cassette).
Biggest hurdle for me was getting brifters to work nicely with the rear derailleur. But that’s a drop bar issue. For your setup you should just have everything bolt on and work out of the box (with that new wheel at least).
I have a modernized 1995 rockhopper, so really similar to your bike, and everything works perfectly.
Simple. Stay 3×7. It’s actually the superior setup anyhow.
Another note.
If I kept this bike as a 3x then it would be the third bike I’ve owned with a 3x drivetrain. I don’t love them. I really prefer 2x systems but I really don’t wanna swap out the crankset if I can help it.
Just wanna try something new and 1x conversion seems simple to do as far as actually installing parts. I just want info on 11 vs 10 really. Something different you know.
[
Here’s the freehub if it helps](https://imgur.com/a/EBa3Y9O)
The beauty of a 1x is that you can simplify, lighten, and unclutter the bike but still retain a wide enough range of gearing so that you don’t blow out your knees.
If you gotta have both top speed and crawler gear, you are better off with a 2x or 3x set up.
3×7 is 10 speed
1x isn’t as glorious as it’s made out to be. I know it looks cleaner, but on all my rigid steel bikes I prefer a 2x personally. Just make sure you save everything incase you regret it.
That’s a 1991 Bear Valley. I was just working on a 1991 Stinson and had the catalog bookmarked.
[https://www.scribd.com/doc/175321480/1991-Marin-Bikes-Catalog](https://www.scribd.com/doc/175321480/1991-Marin-Bikes-Catalog)
Have you already test fit the new wheel? I may be mistaken, but a 1991 frame will be spaced to 130mm rather than 135. Sometimes its easy to pull the dropouts wider and force it in (I do this on my bridgestone) but some frames can be impossible without cold spreading. just something to check before ordering your parts.
10 or 11 …doesn’t really matter. The extra cog isn’t that noticeable. Got a mix of both on my “fleet” of bikes. Warning. Be wary of deraileurs with big cages. Stay with shorter smaller cage deraileurs. I killed two very expensive SRAM deraileurs in a month because long cages eat sticks.
3×9
Don’t sleep on a 2x. On a 26” wheel, those looooong cages will nearly scrape the ground…. Or come closer to it and all the rocks and debris.
With 11 speed you may have to redish some wheels a few millimeters.
10 speed is painless. 11 is doable. 12 is doable with SRAM only.
Deore 4100 contains the magic you seek. Unless you live in the steeps then 5100 is your jam.
The 5120 derailleur clears a 46t cassette on 10 speed. With a 30 or 32 ring that climbs pretty nicely.
Shimano has a pretty nice chart that explains all.
You know why retro bikes are in?
The new stuff sucks.
Some guy is arguing in the comments. I failed the reply post location. My bad
Anyhow you’re a punk. That’s a Marin HARDTAIL.
what suspension are you referring to?
Clown. That’s a 3×7 bike. Best way to make it climb up hills. 22t
Fin.
Might be an unpopular opinion, but are you sure you need that many gears?
I’ve walked through 3×7 to 1x path (was also thinking about going to 1×10), and in between I’ve spent some time on 3×1 which taught me I don’t need a lot of gears. I’m currently on 1×6 with 36×11-32t gearing and it’s almost spot on. Next move will be a 8 or 7sp cassette, especially when you can get them in wide range options, but for me, going with anything more than 11-36 is excessive.
Less gears – thicker cogs – more durable, and price being half of 10-11sp components is a nice bonus too