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Converting 2x to 1x

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Converting 2x to 1x

Old 11-05-18, 06:00 AM
  #1  
JohnUSA
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Converting 2x to 1x

I was mountain biking over the weekend and I snapped my derailleur off and bent the derailleur really bad. It’s pretty much ruined, so I need a new derailleur. The thing is, I have a 2x10 drivetrain right now and I want a 1x11, so I figure this would be a good time to upgrade. I found some components online at a good pride, namely a Shimano XT 11sp Rear derailleur, Shimano XT 11sp shifter, and the appropriate 11sp chain and 11-42 cassette. However, my main question lies with the crankset.

Right now, I have a Race Face Ride 2x crankset with 36/22 rings. It came with my 2017 Trek Fuel EX 5. I found a nice Shimano XT 1x boost crankset and a 32t tooth 96mm ring, and while I would love to get a new shiny XT crankset, I’m wondering if I can just use my existing crankarms as 1x.

My main question is: can I take off the 36 and 22 tooth rings on my Race Face Ride 2x crankset and put on a single 32 tooth race face narrow ride chainring? Will this cause a bad chainline? Thanks for your help!
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Old 11-05-18, 06:54 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnUSA
My main question is: can I take off the 36 and 22 tooth rings on my Race Face Ride 2x crankset and put on a single 32 tooth race face narrow ride chainring? Will this cause a bad chainline? Thanks for your help!
They only way to know is to put on the ring and eyeball the chainline. Some friends and I run old, nine-speed cranks in 1x configurations. We use spacers to fine-tune the chainline. I didn't mind buying four bags of spacers in different thicknesses, and I already had a pile of different length bolts to play with.
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Old 11-06-18, 08:59 AM
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You're making this more expensive than it needs to be and your chainline will be fine.

Keep your 10 speed cassette on, remove the derailleur and one of the front chain rings and put a 28, 30 or 32 chainring on the front.

If you feel you don't have a enough low gear with the 28t chainring up front then you can still put on a wide range 10 speed cassette.

https://www.amazon.com/CYSKY-Cassette-Mountain-Bicycle-Shimano/dp/B075ST7NR1/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1541516294&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=sunrace+11-46+10+speed&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/JGbike-Sunrace-Cassette-Shimano-derailleur/dp/B076KRTMWC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541516294&sr=8-3&keywords=sunrace+11-46+10+speed

https://praxiscycles.com/product/10s...ange-cassette/
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Old 11-06-18, 09:11 AM
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The difference in chainline between a typical 2X crank and a dedicated 1X is a few millimeters. I have 10,000+ miles with a RaceFace narrow-wide on an FSA Gossamer 2X crank, running to a 10-42 cassette. Worst case scenario, the chain will have a little more angle at one end of the cassette than the other.

If budget is a concern, you can absolutely just throw a narrow-wide on there and call it a day. But if you want 11-speed, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In cycling, want > need most of the time.

You'll probably end up with that XT crank in the future anyway.
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Old 11-09-18, 09:32 AM
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Just to clarify: You DO need a "narrow-wide" front chainring designed for 1x. I've tried to use my spare chainrings from 2x systems, and it absolutely does not work. Shop around, the prices vary a LOT, and they all perform almost the same.
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Old 11-09-18, 09:48 AM
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USA Made still the way to go for narrow-wide, unless you feel like throwing down RaceFace or Wolftooth money.... or you have a 104BCD (or smaller) crank. In that event, you can get anything. There's a zillion of 'em on eBay for under 15 bucks.
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Old 11-12-18, 02:41 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnUSA
I was mountain biking over the weekend and I snapped my derailleur off and bent the derailleur really bad. It’s pretty much ruined, so I need a new derailleur. The thing is, I have a 2x10 drivetrain right now and I want a 1x11, so I figure this would be a good time to upgrade. I found some components online at a good pride, namely a Shimano XT 11sp Rear derailleur, Shimano XT 11sp shifter, and the appropriate 11sp chain and 11-42 cassette. However, my main question lies with the crankset.

Right now, I have a Race Face Ride 2x crankset with 36/22 rings. It came with my 2017 Trek Fuel EX 5. I found a nice Shimano XT 1x boost crankset and a 32t tooth 96mm ring, and while I would love to get a new shiny XT crankset, I’m wondering if I can just use my existing crankarms as 1x.

My main question is: can I take off the 36 and 22 tooth rings on my Race Face Ride 2x crankset and put on a single 32 tooth race face narrow ride chainring? Will this cause a bad chainline? Thanks for your help!
I just did this on my XC bike. Good chainline and I much prefer the 1x...I used the Raceface Clinch Narrow-wide chainring. Super clean without the spiders...
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Old 11-12-18, 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Reynolds 531
Just to clarify: You DO need a "narrow-wide" front chainring designed for 1x. I've tried to use my spare chainrings from 2x systems, and it absolutely does not work. Shop around, the prices vary a LOT, and they all perform almost the same.
m

Worked for me for years. No clutch RD, either. I did have a bash guard, though and a $10 Ngear Jumpstop. I ran this for several years on a 1x9 setup on HT that I rode on rough terrain. Only lost a chain once, and that was when the Jumpstop got knocked out of adjustment.

That said, If I were doing it now with a clutch RD, I’d get a narrow wide ring before a jumpstop.
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Old 05-30-19, 04:46 PM
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You can do it cheaper if you get a bit resourceful. It won't look good but it will work. I ran part of this for a while. Still have the chain guide to this day.

I took the big chainring of my 2x crank off. Ended up putting a bash guard on that was an old and useless chainring. Since I didn't get a derailleur with a clutch until much later, I went to the local bike coop and got the worst front mountain derailleur I could find. I got the worst because I didn't want to cut up and grind down a usable component. Then I had a chain guard. Ghetto but it worked and it was free since I was a volunteer and the front mech was practically trash anyway.

I did end up getting a clutch rear derailleur. I never did get a narrow wide chainring. My chain will fall off if I don't have the chain guide on. I still have that bike too.

I did this to a 2x10 setup. Converted to 1x10.

I just bought a new bike with trash Sram components 1x11. I hate it so much I'm thinking about taking the 'old' Shimano Zee 1x10 off and putting on my new bike until I decide on the 11 speed gear I want.
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Old 05-30-19, 05:17 PM
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Most NW chainrings have some offset to move them closer to the center. You also can use spacers and longer bolts.

Now is a good time to upgrade. Especially assuming you chain and cassette already have some miles on. You also can use the cheaper SLX RD with the XT shifter. More economical, especially now that you know RD can break :-)

Definitely get the XT shifter, it is worth the added money for instant release and double upshift the SLX lacks.
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Old 05-30-19, 08:13 PM
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solid upgrade to show the Fuel some love, XT and XTR is pretty cheap now.
Not sure your riding needs it, but you may want to consider the 46T cassette plate.
If you find yourself using the smaller chainring from time to time, you may run out of gears with the 42T. Check out the gear inches of the 28x32 to 32x42, I'm too lazy right now to check....Prev
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