sd5782 

I see many posts of single speed conversions. I also see many with IGHs and 3 speed conversions of older road bikes. I also see people doing 1X10 etc on some more modern stuff. Is there no love for a 1X6 or 7? it might be pretty easy and cheap. On an old Schwinn, I just needed a freewheel, RD, and shifter to get a gear range of about 38-75 inches which was fine for casual flatland riding for an old guy.



stock 39 front, 14-28 Shimano rear

slick indexing
This bike was 128mm spacing, so it wouldn't have been too hard to put in a 12-28 free hub 7 speed and get about 38-88 gear inche. As it is, nice indexing on the Shimano uniglide 6 speed is a pleasant experience.

tiger1964 

Just posted an update photo of my 1961 Gitane project in my topic on the bike, 1x6. Running much taller gear range than you, however. Looking forward to my 1st ride on it!

BFisher

Nice variety of 1x builds here

My Humber is on page 5 - 1x5 with a Suntour 14-32 freewheel/46 tooth chainwheel. I'll keep it like that for a while, but I plan on converting it to a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub.

Velo Mule

Nice looking Super Sport sd5782 . Contrare. I set my wife's Panasonic mixte as a 1 X 7. The original plan with all the hype around 1 x 10 was to go that way, but when I looked at the project, she really didn't need that big a range and It was simple to go 1 x 7. This also allowed me to install a chainguard and keep the gear selection easy.




I think 1 x less than 10 just doesn't seem that cutting edge, so we don't talk about it in the same excited tones as 1 x 10 or 1 x 11.

cudak888 

I like the combo, but I'm always paranoid about not having a chainguide up front when I build a bike with a single ring and a derailer.

-Kurt

sd5782 

What is your chain guard? I have been trying to figure one out.

sd5782 

Thanks, didn’t see that one. It will be a fun read. The 1X6,7 are nice for a casual ride.

Velo Mule

sd5782 it is a Velo-Orange. I had to cut it down to fit below the intermediate tube.

Velo-Orange Chain guard

79pmooney

Nicely done!

Reynolds 

I was too before trying it, but in real life never had any problems with 1x6 or 1x7. This was on hybrids with long chainstays though and on pavement.

RiddleOfSteel

I was going to say, I've seen plenty of 1x stuff on cruisers, hybrids, cheap bikes, and Dutch bikes. Many bikes have them. Conversions of road bikes from 2x systems to 1x with that number of cogs on the back? Impractical depending on location and desired speed range and riding style, or practical due to location, speed, and riding style. You won't see it from me, personally, as they are incongruous with our extremely varied terrain, road and path system, my personal riding style and goals, and the fact that operating a front derailleur is of no consequence, thus the ease of access to a wider range of gearing is greatly beneficial. A 1x system that covers the desired low and high end of my speed range looks ungainly at best. If I went to an upright position with swept-back bars, then yeah, a 1x or similar system would be swell, and would complete a classy looking bike. But as a drop bar road bike, 1x is not on the table.

sd5782 

Thanks but doesn’t look too compatible with the old school Ashtabula.

3speedslow

1X7
I’ve run that set up here in Flatlandia on one of my Trek 400’s. Did great!

3speedslow

I think the secret to keeping the chain on is to use a straight steel chainring and a rear derailleur with a strong spring.

Velo Mule

Good point, you are right sd5782 . You would have to ditch the original bracket that gets captured by the drive side bearing cup. You will have to make a bracket that would come off the seat tube to attach to the chain guard and a similar bracket that would come off the down tube.

You could also use a chain guard like the one from a Suburban, but you'd have to put a mounting tab on the bottom bracket of the Super Sport. Silver solder maybe?

Maybe someone else has a better idea or did something already on a Super Sport?

nlerner

I had a 1 x 6 setup on a 70s Schwinn Super Sport with SunTour powershifter stem shifters (left side was a dummy). Shifted like buttah.

pcb 

I've got a couple vintage 1xZ projects in the queue, to add to the modern 1x builds I've got.

Where I run into conceptual issues with vintage geared 1x builds is getting a good all-around gear range. If I'm talking vintage, I'm usually looking at a 120mm rear OLN and a 5spd freewheel, so pretty much a 14t smallest cog, and not more than a 34t large cog. A big enough ring for a decent high gear with the 14t means not much climbing gear with the 34t. A small enough ring for a good climbing gear, and the top end lags. So I have to either bias towards higher gears = stay away from the hills or lower gears = lots of coasting downhill. I suppose there's always in-between.

I've got a '72ish Harry Quinn with braze-ons for just a rear derailleur, and I'm planning on changing that from restomod to mostly vintage. And there's a ratty Fuji Touring Series IV frame I'm thinking of making a crappy-weather, fendered beater, where 1x would mean less stuff to clean/dry after crappy weather. I think the Fuji's 126mm in the rear though, so I may sneak on a 128mm cassette wheel and get a 11/12t i/o 14t for the high gear. Or maybe not...

Trakhak

The paradox is that those who go to the trouble and expense of converting a two- or three-chainring bike to 1X do so because they used the front derailleur often enough to tire of it, which means that the multiple-chainring setup was demonstrably useful for them.

I can understand that point of view (i.e., that front derailleurs are useful but not useful enough to outweigh what's annoying about them), but my recently acquired mid-1990s Cannondale H300 hybrid has eliminated any similar urge for simplification for me. It's the first bike I've owned that has a half-step-plus-granny chainring arrangement, and I'm reminded of how delightful that combination is every single time I shift between the large and middle chainrings. A perfect shift every time, and a "How did it know that that's exactly the gear I needed?" experience every time.

Reynolds 

I wouldn't convert a double or triple to 1x, the small "complication" and added weight doesn't bother me. I might build a 1x from zero for relaxed rides on flat terrain, where 6 gears are more than enough for me. Something like a 48 with 14-24 maybe.

clubman 

I feel the same way. My pandemic rides during 'The Year that shall not be Named' have been on very flat ****s this year and a 1 X N would be just right. A short cage with a small front.
Otherwise, an existing double will always be equally, if not more useful.
Stoopid censor..D-y-k-e-l-a-n-d-s

sd5782 

I did get a short cool chain guard at the co-op from a kids 20” bike that would look awesome. I don’t want to alter the frame though on the old SS. I did try some clamps, but a chain guard has to be pretty solid and in exactly the right spot as you surely know. I am using my 45 year old spring steel pant clip instead as with my other bikes. Thanks

the sci guy 

I love the look of a 1x.
Last year I cleaned up and rebuilt a 1999 Cannondale R300 from a sloppy triple to a clean 1x, then changed it to another 1x setup to sell it. It's relatively flat here in Houston so I didn't need a huge range of gears - our biggest hills are a 17mph headwind. It could have been interesting if I had taken a ride out in TX Hill Country - the range may have screwed me then but who knows!

Here's the original setup



Here's the first iteration as fun riser bar street ripper:


Then I changed the crank and bars/stem and sold it like this:



Part of me wishes I hadn't sold it. But now i've been on the lookout for a 1999 R1000 as my biggest want.