raybo

My Bike Friday New World Tourist (folding touring bike) has a trashed rear wheel. The bicycle parts shortage is preventing my getting any replacement parts. A bike mechanic suggested that a drive train based on 1x10 gearing might be more available than the Bike Friday's 3x8, should I ever be able to find a 20-inch rear wheel.

Anyone running 1x10 on a Bike Friday or have any thoughts or ideas about this?

I only use this bike for touring.

Tourist in MSN

Regarding your question, I do not have Bike Friday experience, however my 8 speed folder with 24 inch wheels has short chainstays. When I stop at a stop light, if I backpedal when I am on the largest sprocket my chain comes off my chainring and plops down onto the bottom bracket shell. If your chainstays are even shorter given your wheel radius would be a couple inches shorter, the sideways angle of the chain could be quite sharp when you are running a 1X.

That said, when I built up my Lynskey four years ago I bought a 10 speed hub and I am running 8 speed cassette on it. If you can get a replacement wheel that can take a 10 speed cassette, why can't you put an 8 speed cassette in it? My lyskey is 135mm dropout, I am using a - Shimano XT M756A Rear Disc Hub. If your Bike Friday has a rim brake, you could certainly use an disc hub if you can't find a rim brake hub anywhere.

All my bikes with 8 speed cassettes (four bikes) are 11/32, I always buy the Sram 850, usually I buy when REI has a 20 percent off coupon.
https://www.rei.com/product/698250/s...speed-cassette

bikemig 

I know parts are hard to find but I'd look hard and long for a replacement rim and stick with 3 x 8 gearing. That's a good set up for touring.

HTupolev

Do you know what the mechanic is specifically referring to? Aside from Campagnolo, nearly all "10-speed" freehubs are compatible with 8-speed cassettes, so a rear wheel for a "1x10" drivetrain will tend to work fine on a 3x8 drivetrain as well.

raybo

The mechanic was referring exactly to this fact, namely that 1x10 fits on 3x8 hubs. He didn't mention the opposite, but I'll ask. I wonder if anyone makes a 20 inch wheel with 1x10 gearing?

HTupolev

That's not what I was saying. I was saying that 3x8 will almost certainly work with a 10-speed wheel. (The reverse is also true.)

My point is that if you want a 1x10 drivetrain, you'll have to do everything that you'd need to do to make your 3x8 drivetrain work, plus additional steps like modifying or replacing your crankset and buying a new rear shifter. Unless there's a lot more broken about your bike than just the rear wheel, it's unclear to me how a 1x10 is "more available" or in any way an easier solution.

Tourist in MSN

That is exactly what one of my points was too.

staehpj1

So what exactly is broken in the old wheel? Hub? spokes? rim? Can you really not find the parts to rebuild the wheel? Ebay? Used? NOS? If not that raises the question of what you would do on tour if the wheel taco-ed.

saddlesores

doesn't seem to be a shortage of bike stuff on ebay.
strange that a parts shortage prevents fixing a wheel,
yet still allows a drivetrain conversion.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27457942623...8AAOSwmQdfrB3R

what 'zackly is wrong with the wheel?

djb

Hey raybo, we have a friend who we ride with and her full size bike has a 1x10, and just want to mention that the chain line on it looks terrible. I don't know if it was how her bike was setup, but riding behind her when she is in the two smallest cogs,it nearly has a straight chain line, so in the mid to largest cogs the cross chaining is pretty significant.
This aspect of 1x systems bugs me, but maybe stuff doesn't wear out like it used to....?

a recent article pointed out that a new shimano group set of 1x stuff, 10, 11, has new cassettes that shimano claims lasts 300% longer for wear compared to the previous versions---look this up, could be worth it. I recall the whole 1x10 group set was very well priced, just under $300 , 280? maybe.
non compatible with certain older chains or something..... check it out

djb

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/shiman...rivetrain.html

ya, is specific to itself, so could be an issue replacing a busted part traveling....or at least could pose problems with errors in regular shops if rare.

raybo

Thanks for the comments. It was a suggestion from the shop owner where I took the bike to be repaired.

My plan was to keep the Bike Friday in the UK, stored with a relative, and use it for bike tours in Europe. I was there for 3.5 months over Christmas, 2020 and rode it in the wet, grit and muck. I tried to keep it clean but, apparently, the drive train got too worn down to the point that the chain skipped completely when riding up a small rise. It got so bad, I had to borrow a bike just to keep riding around.

The bike is several years old and has several thousand miles on it. While I'm not sure exactly what the problem is with the wheel (I think the cassette can't be removed from the wheel) as it is in the shop and that is the conclusion of the shop's mechanic, whom I trust. The shop owner says that his suppliers don't have a replacement 20 inch rear wheel or other needed parts. I've reached out to Bike Friday, but they have the same supply problems. The switch to 1x10 was suggested by the shop owner as a possible solution, though, he wasn't sure the parts were available.

The Bike Friday is an "extra" bike here in the US. So, I don't need it repaired anytime soon. I'm happy to wait out the supply problems.

I have an S&S coupled bike that I used to fly with but flying with the Bike Friday is so much easier. Leaving it in the UK allowed me to make the trip there without the heavy bike box (I have relatives there and visit once or twice a year). While I doubt a bike tour is in my near future, should the opportunity arise, I can travel with the other bike.

timdow

If you need a new wheel, either an 8,9 or 10 speed cassette will fit.
If you got to the point where the chain is skipping no matter how you adjust it, you probably have a worn-out drivetrain including rings.
Is the bike mechanic merely suggesting that you take the opportunity to upgrade?
8-speed cassettes and chains are readily available. Rings are a bit more difficult, but still are available.
Unless there is a really good reason to change from 3X8 (shifters are worn out or cranks no good) I personally would stick with 8-speed.
Reasons: Wider range of gearing, cost to change to 10 speed, better chainline.

Tourist in MSN

Maybe being a small wheel bike, it might have been fitted with one of those extra small cassettes?
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/capreo.html

In that case I can understand why the shop may have difficulty with it, especially if they had never seen one before.

Do you have the paperwork on the bike from when you bought it? That might specify some of the components.

If it is one of those and you decide to switch to "normal" components like a cassette that has 11T for the smallest sprocket, you might find you wish you had higher gears, thus you might want a bigger chainring.

I suspect you are looking at a new wheel and new cassette, and of course new chain. And maybe a bigger chainring.

Keep the 3X8 if you can, that gives you a nice range and you already have the shifters for it.