ArgoMan

Hey all. I previously posted about switching my 2x9 front chain ring to a 1x. The bike in question is an older aluminum road bike with a Sora FC-3550 group set. I'm looking at a Wolfs Tooth 1x ring. The 9-speed cassette is okay for my needs, but I'm thinking about ditching it for an 11 cassette and then mounting a 105 rear derailleur. I'm thinking that the narrower spacing on an 11 cassette will work better with a 1x. BUT, what I've learned "tinkering" with my bikes - I'm no bike mechanic - is that projects I expect to be fairly straightforward typically turn out to be very challenging. So before I embark on this whole 1x ring/new rear gear setup, is there anything you think that I should know or be weary about? Thanks!

Polaris OBark

Gear ratios.

Russ Roth

You skipped over changing the rear shifter. The job isn't bad, a new set of sti shifters often come with cables and housing but double check. Unless reasonably new so there's no fraying that will jamb in the housing, you'll need to replace the cables, you can move rear ones to the front if there is fraying but expect to replace some if not all of them. New handlebar tape of course, shifters, chain, cassette, and the chainring. Your 9sp chain will not mesh well and using an old chain on a new cassette will just cause premature wear. Check your hub, if its a 8/9/10sp you'll need to made sure you get the rear der that can handle a 34t cassette or bigger, you can fit an 11-34mtb cassette on there to make it work, anything smaller won't fit, your freehub isn't long enough. If you have an 11sp freehub your fine with whatever 11sp cassette you want. Personally I wouldn't do less than an 11-34, even though I never need that 34 anywhere close to where I live, I go visit people and go for a ride and suddenly hills appear that need it.
Tool wise, you need a chain tool, cassette lockring tool, chain whip and a decent set of allen wrenches.

Iride01 

If you like tinkering and all the extra stuff you didn't think of at the time you started is part of the fun for you, then have at it. But personally, I'd buy a bike that is made that way. That way you don't have all those things that don't quite work well and someone that is paid to think of those things figured it out already.

You might find out the the range of gearing you need on the rear with your road RD will be more than it can handle with the single ring up front. And that will mean a search for a RD to handle that range which might put you looking at MTN bike components for a bike with road components. And then the fun might begin for all sorts of specs you'll have to learn.

ArgoMan

Thanks for the replies Iride and Russ. So, I was just looking at my setup (again, an older Sora 2x9) and I saw for the first time that the front chainring has this sort of small guard that covers the exterior of the larger ring (50T). It's made of plastic and screws into the large chainring. I removed it and now both front rings are "exposed", like on every other road bike I think I've ever seen. It would be an easy task to get a shorter set of bolts and remove the smaller ring (34T) and be done with it, as opposed to purchasing a whole new large 50T ring. I understand that many of the 1x front rings come with alternating narrow-wide teeth to ensure that the chain stays on. But honestly, I've been riding the large ring exclusively with the present setup. I never-ever use the small ring. I ride only flat desert surfaces. The chain has never popped off. So do I really need to get one of the 1x rings with the wider teeth? Am I just wasting time and money doing that? What's the advantage of doing that? Can't I just get shorter bolts and remove the small ring and be done with it? What's the downside to my proposal? Thank you!

Fredo76

Shorter bolts, or chainring spacers. There's a set of Campagnolo chainring spacers for running only one chainring on a double crank, on sale on that auction site at the moment, for $16.

Iride01 

Trying to make that 2x crank a 1x crank just by removing the FD and small ring will have your chain line off from what a 1x crank should give you. Essentially you'll be forced to do the "dreaded" x-chain thing no matter what front ring you remove. A proper 1x crank will have the same chain line as that 2x crank. And on the 2x it's measured from the center of the seat tube axis to the center plane between the two rings. On the 1x, it's measured to the center plane of that single ring.

If you had a 3x crank and removed the small and large ring leaving the middle ring, then your chain would be the same as a 1x crank for that bikes given chain line. Chain line is determined by the rear drive train of your bike. Dish, number of gears on the cassette and other things drive that.

Fredo76

Not that it will make one whit of difference. The "dreaded" x-chain thing happens in every cog but the middle one anyway, so there is no need for the OP to be so finicky.

Iride01 

Your definition of cross chaining is a little more persnickety than most other peoples. Most only worry about the more extreme angles when in the small front and 2 smallest rear cogs, or the large front and 1 or 2 largest rear cogs.

Sure it might make a whit of difference. Depends on if the person will be in those gears the put the chain at greater angles often or not. The greater angles that makes for the chain makes both more chain wear and cog wear.

I'm not a anti-cross chainer. But it does help with wear for the longevity of the chain and sprockets if you don't cross chain. Though many don't even know why it's bad they just think it's just because of the noise of the chain rubbing the FD cage.

Maelochs

With most modern drive trains cross-chaining isn't even really a thing any more .... the derailleurs can be set up so every gear combination runs cleanly. Yes, it puts more stress on the chain ... but the chain is a wear item. So what? Sometimes while riding I will get caught at a light, or almost caught, and click all the way down in back while in the top ring and still be there when the light turns green. I just pedal away, no stress. Everything works, and for the few seconds I am in big-small, the bike doesn't explode or snap in half .... and then I am working my way up through the gears to the ranges some of you find "acceptable," and no one knows or cares.

I do not understand this fascination with 1x for road bikes, but if people want to hobble themselves ... not my business. Your bike really won't care either way. Ride on.

choddo

Taking the FD off might make you regret the lack of narrow-wide chainring.


Also, that last post, I wouldn’t want to be in the biggest cog when pushing off. You’re going to stand anyway to get back on the saddle so will have plenty of torque and in a smaller cog (3 or 4) you get more time to clip in from that single half-stroke.

ArgoMan

Okay, thanks for all the replies. I'm going to purchase a Wolf's Tooth ring, which has the "narrow-wide" configuration. I was advised that I need a 5 both 110 BCD for that purpose. My thoughts are to purchase a 50T ring, which is the size of the large ring on my bike currently. It's also the same size at the large ring on my "main" bike. But I'm wondering if I should consider a lower-teeth count, such as a 46T or 48T. I only ride flat surfaces, no hills to speak of. Just some "rise" with light gradients. My routine is to hit these gradients and really pound up them fast. That's basically all I do. I like to go fast. Any suggestions as to the best tooth/teeth size rings for my needs? Thanks.

Maelochs

The question would be, do you regularly spin you your top cog (smallest cog, probably an 11) and if not, how fast do you pedal at your fastest? A smaller chain ring means lower gearing, which means when you go bombing down hills you will need to pedal even faster ..... or if you regularly ride on the flats in 50x11, how high a cadence do you ride?

If you can already climb all the hills you see with your existing large chain ring then there is no point is going smaller .... and if you have an 11-34 or 11-36 cassette that would likely be more useful for your specific routes than a 46 or 48 chain ring ... enough climbing capacity and still the top end you crave.

It is all about Your ride. if you are sure you will never see a hill you cannot climb in your lowest gear then don't go lower.

If you are serious about this project, and are going to change the shifter and cassette to 11-speed, then go for a long-cage derailleur too .... or consider a Wolf's Tooth hanger extender and maybe a 42-tooth ultra-granny.

choddo

52

laxpatrick

I'm a fan - I've got two 1x road setups - my travel bike (Ritchey Breakaway Cross - fits in a box for simple travel) and my "old man" bike (custom Gunnar Sport). Both are 42 t SRAM Force 1x cranks with 11-42 11s cassettes in back and SRAM Force rear ders. I love the low range for hills (traveling and around here - super hilly). The high range would seem limiting but I haven't missed the "big gears" on either bike. The wide range of steps in the rear cassette don't really bother me. My other two bikes are a Gunnar Endurace and Seven Axiom, both with 2x11 Red.

The SRAM Force long cage derailleurs shift exceptionally well and surprisingly even the travel bike with countless assemblies/takedowns almost never needs any adjustment! Make sure you pick up a rear that can handle the range that you decide upon.

Come to think of it I also did a 1x on my mtb and bolted on a wolf tooth ring - very happy with that.

ArgoMan

Okay, update time. I installed a new Wolfs Tooth 110 BCD 1x (50T.) It's a better-built ring than the Shimano Sora 50T. It's beefier, maybe a tad heavier, and just nicer looking. I'm starting to see the advantage of the "narrow-wide" teeth configuration. Having just one ring with no front derailleur really clears things up, visually. It's very clean looking now, and I can see just how much cross-chaining is going on when I switch into the larger rear rings. That's where the narrow-wide teeth shine. But, with the 9-speed cassette, I'm becoming more convinced that I'd have a much smoother time changing gears if I install an 11-cassette and upgrade my rear derailleur for that purpose (105.) I'll probably have my LBS do that for me. Will I need a new chain for that? Thanks!

Maelochs

If you go to 11 from 9, yes I would, because the gears are narrower and the spacing tighter ... 9-speed chain might bind. And if you are going to install a new derailleur and shifter, the chain is an insignificant added cost.

Camilo

Have I missed any mention of needing a new rear 11 speed shifter? That's going to be the most expensive part of the equation, I think.

Sorry if my reading comprehension is off.

A big fwiw: I have 8,9,10 and 12 speed bikes. (no 11s). As long as the gear range is the same, I don't personally have a night and day difference in functionality. Certainly not "smoother" as the OP's comment suggests he's looking for.

Also, I expect he knows this, but the OP's gear range is going to change radically by going from 2x to1x, and he's going to loose all the lower gears he had with the 2x because his 1x = the big ring on the 2x. Evidently it doesn't matter -and it's totally his need for low gears that determines whether this will be good enough. But, he's not going to get any more range with the 11s gearing unless he gets a larger cassette sprocket.

ArgoMan

[QUOTE=Camilo;23142355]Have I missed any mention of needing a new rear 11 speed shifter? That's going to be the most expensive part of the equation, I think.

Sorry if my reading comprehension is off.

A big fwiw: I have 8,9,10 and 12 speed bikes. (no 11s). As long as the gear range is the same, I don't personally have a night and day difference in functionality. Certainly not "smoother" as the OP's comment suggests he's looking for.

Thanks Camilo. But don't expect anything from me, as I'm a newbie compared to most here. The reason I want to switch to an 11-speed with a 105 setup is because that's what I have on my main bike. That bike shifts quite nicely and is not as "clunky" as the 9-speed Sora. The Sora is pretty good, mind you. Works well. I just assume that with the narrower gap between cogs and the more premium 105 setup, the nicer the shifting will be with a 1x. One concern I have is that my rear Sora shifter is quite tight and a little finicky. Another poster suggested that it is not set up correctly and that I should have that checked out before I change the rear mech.

Camilo

Just upgrade your 9 speed derailleur for starts. 9 speed shifts great.

Camilo

Maybe just upgrade your 9 speed derailleur for starts. 9 speed shifts great.

choddo

[QUOTE=ArgoMan;23142534]Definitely get that rear shifter and cable checked.

A 105 shifter isn’t cheap and it looks and feels different enough from Sora that I would want to replace both personally.

Marvelousmarkie

If you have a 9 speed road rear hub, you’ll need a XT 11 speed rear cassette. The 11 speed road cassettes won’t fit.

If you don’t mind bar end shifters, that’d be less expensive than brifters, and you can likely find inexpensive brake levers, too. (I assume you have mechanical brakes.)

delbiker1 

I went to a 1X using 6400 bar end shifter in friction mode, with Tektro road brake levers. I went with a 12 speed, 11-34 cassette, crank is a double with just a 44t narrow-wide ring, 12 speed chain. Everything works great, looks good, and the cost was pretty low. The friction shifting is very forgiving and simplifies getting it all in tune. This would work fine with mechanical disc brakes.

The Shimano 11 speed CS-700 and CS-800 will fit the 9/10 speed hub. They come in only 11-34 and 11-36.

seypat

If OP went with a barend shifter, he should be able to use his curent brifters just for braking. Going that way, all he'd need is a barcon and whatever he has to change in chainrings/derailleurs/cassettes.