mainstreetexile 

I've been playing around with the gear calculator on Sheldon Brown's site a lot lately. It looks like if I use a modern wheelset with a wide-range cassette (11-28, 11-32, maybe even 11-34), I may be able to cover most of the gearing I need on a light road bike for a lot of riding conditions (including San Diego hills) with a single chainring instead of using a 42/52 road double.

I would probably be using a single bar-con for the rear, so I thought it might look strange.

Is it possible to build a 1x8 or 1x9 roadbike using a vintage frame without it looking strangely asymmetrical and ugly? Anyone have any photo evidence of nice looking road bikes with 1x drivetrains?

Or, has anyone gone to a 1x drivetrain and found it didn't work for them? As another option, I'm also considering an ultra compact crank like the 50.4bcd VO Grand Cru 30/46.

due ruote 

There's a thread somewhere with lots of pics.

I have a Trek Multitrack with porteur bars, a big basket, and a 1 x 6 drivetrain (44; 13-21) run with a thumb shifter. It works fine for my flatland errands. Sounds like you have in mind something more, um, elegant.

For hills it seems like a double makes a certain amount of sense, hence its existence.

jdefran

Pop a rear/side view mirror in the other end of the handlebar

mainstreetexile 

My google-fu must be failing me, I couldn't find much other than this one with no pictures: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-)-drivetrains

A 42/52 with an 11-28 cassette (or freewheel) would give me 40-126 gear inches. Just the 42 would give me 40-102 and I could easily sacrifice some off the top end there for lower climbing gears.

I have a 130bcd 39t chainring here that I could use. If I used that with an 11-32 cassette (and a long cage rear derailleur), that would give me 32-95 gear inches, which seems like a pretty good range for a light-ish road bike.

Not a bad idea for balancing stuff out a bit! I actually have two mirrycle and cateye bar-end mirrors sitting in my parts box. I never get to use them since I have (dual) bar-cons on my other bikes.

Puget Pounder

first search on google: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ics-pics-pics)

"show us 1x bikeforum"

Didn't feel snarky enough to do a LMGTFY

spacemanz

I had my Cannondale set up as a 1x8 for awhile last summer, with an XTR thumb shifter & cassette & RD. It actually worked out pretty good, except those few times when I wanted to get going quickly, going downhill in traffic. That's where you'll really miss the double crank.

mainstreetexile 

That's it, I'm retiring from the internet.

Thought I remembered something like that but I couldn't find it. Thanks.

Puget Pounder

I am pretty sure someone did this a few months ago and then the Colonel did the ol' LMGTFY on them.

rhm

Who cares? It's just an excuse to post the same old photos again, right? I'm up for that! Here's my 1954 Drysdale.



Originally set up as a three speed (14-16-18 freewheel, 48 chain ring) but now a five speed (14-16-18-21-24 freewheel, 46 chain ring).

Orrery

Quick snap, still working on the saddle position (and need to swap out the rear tire to match the front). *Weird* frankenmercian. Using I think a 44 or 46t Campy ring on a IRD Defiant track crank. Gearing is mostly OK for tooling around Boston, the NR derailleur is working fine with the 28t cog in this configuration. Using a single clamp-on Simplex Retrofriction shifter which is like butter.

Got the frame from a fellow member here; really enjoying the ride of the bike. Hoping to save money for a refinish in a year or two, which it quite needs, although it looks ok from 5ft.

Velognome 

1x5 Hercules

AZORCH

1 x 5 1974 Raleigh Sprite



Don't see these nice, tall ones very often, either.

mainstreetexile 

Nice, I'd love to own a Mercian one day! Do you have any larger photos of it?

Thanks for sharing, everybody!

mikemowbz

^ Love the Mercian! Even matches the labels on those Mavic rims.

My 1x6: An Apollo Imperial (Japanese-built by Kuwahara, distributed by Fred Deeley Cycles of Vancouver, BC), currently set up with a 48 ring in front and 12-24 cluster in back. Parts-bin 'around town' bike.

It works pretty well for darting around in the city, though I didn't really put much thought into it (the ring was on the crank when I acquired it, the wheels my only spare set I don't mind getting grimy and locking up downtown). Hilly terrain around here, but I've always been a masher. It works, though I wouldn't take it up any of the local mountains.

Excuse the cockpit, which is arguably an eyesore (or don't ):

whatwolf

Happy to oblige again

1x7 Colner

drisee

Hi guys. Considering a similar conversion to a 1x6. Was there any issue with the chain line? Any adjustments you needed to make to keep from dropping the chain or was it pretty straightforward?

Thx.

Lascauxcaveman 

My Bianchi Limited, shortly before I had Gugie build the custom rear deck on it. Still messing with it, to make sure I've got all the mechanical bits and fender clearance worked out before I give it the Celeste PC treatment.



I think as shown, that's 40/36 low of 29.7 gear inches. That's good enough for me @drisee, the chain line isn't great at the extremes, and I've had the chain drop off a few times shifting to the smallest cog. Which means I either need to get that chainring a little more outside, shorten the chain adjust, the B-Screw for better tension or some combination of the three. But again, this is a 1x9. On a 1x6, without such a big range in cogs, I don't think I'd have any problems.

drisee

Ya i'm thinking with a tighter range of 1x6 i should be ok but that's good to know about your setup. Thanks for sharing the info, much appreciated.

RobbieTunes

1x10 Douglas Motive. Picked up on CL for the 2x9 DA 7700 that was on it, plus a VeloMax Circuit wheelset I still use. I pieced together the SRAM 1x10 with a Rival R shifter, simple SRAM L brake lever, X.7 RD (clutched) and an 11-34 cassette found used. I went with a "normal" used crankset and a Race Face 48t narrow-wide chain ring. I can't remember where I got the Spox wheels. I think from someone here on BF C&V. I learned quickly to keep your hands out of the way when you release the cable or chain on that RD, but it never threw the chain. I ran 700x25's but it had room for 28's, and the current owner has 28's on it. I've actually mentioned to bike to folks in Raleigh (50 miles from my house) and they've seen the guy riding it, which makes me feel good.


I plan to build another setup like that on a Wraith Paycheck frame, but would prefer Campy's new group.

iab

1x3 Frejus

_MG_8990 by iabisdb, on Flickr



1x4 Pecorari

Pecorari 00 by iabisdb, on Flickr



1x3 Bianchi

Bianchi Sport 099 by iabisdb, on Flickr



1x10 Umberto Dei

Umberto Dei 01 by iabisdb, on Flickr



1x4 Frejus

1948 Frejus 004 by iabisdb, on Flickr



1x3 Torpado

Torpado1 by iabisdb, on Flickr

St33lWh33ls

If somebody told me ahead of time they were going to put Speedplay pedals on that bike I would say they were crazy, but that just works for some reason. They look great with that awesome looking crankset.

Reynolds 

What derailleur is that?

squirtdad

Not a road bike per se, more a city bike 1x8 with simple cheapie thumb shifters. They work great with a modern ramped cassette.

and yes I know i am torturing the chain....some day I will fix it but it is working great

iab

OMAC Cambio Sport. Neat in theory. Never got it to shift while riding.

Cambio Sport by iabisdb, on Flickr

1948 Frejus 061 by iabisdb, on Flickr

1948 Frejus 039 by iabisdb, on Flickr

1948 Frejus 146 by iabisdb, on Flickr

1948 Frejus 058 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Reynolds 

Thanks iab, never seen one of these before.