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1x tooth count

Old 04-29-21, 09:41 AM
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Ryno317
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1x tooth count

Hi everyone. My son picked up a Norco Storm 7.1 to go riding with me, but it's used and abused. The front derailleur was bent and wouldn't shift properly. So I removed it and took off the big ring on the 3x and just made it a 2x with no derailleur, with the chain on the middle ring. The previous owner upgraded the cranks to Shimano Alivio 3x9, FC-M4050, 40-30-22T, which allows us to remove the remaining chainrings and get a proper 1x(when he replenishes his bike funds). But he's confused on which tooth count he should get. The rear cassette is 11/34 9spd.
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Old 04-29-21, 09:51 AM
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You won't have a 'proper' 1X with an 11-34. Nor will you have a 'proper' 1X w/ a non clutch rear derailleur. Current 1X gearing is 10-5X in back and a 28 up to a 34 or even 36 in front depending on how fit you are and where you ride.
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Old 04-29-21, 10:20 AM
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He's a teenager, that normally rides a BMX with his friends, so fitness shouldn't be much of an issue. What would be the most common size then?

What size rear cassette would you recommend and we can added it to the future upgrade list?
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Old 04-29-21, 10:32 AM
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I’d replace the front derailleur and run it as a 2x. The rear derailleur may accommodate a wider range cassette. Not as big as found for 1Xs. I run an 11-34 cassette with 24 and 36 rings. It works for my hilly area and chain rings for my very very old Sugino crank are cheap on Amazon. Forget the name but they claim US made.

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Old 04-29-21, 11:49 AM
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32 front with 11-34 is a fine setup. That is what is on my pugsley.
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Old 04-29-21, 11:52 AM
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This is a Microshift 11-46 cassette.
The caveat is your current derailleur may not have the ability to reach the largest cogs with out a Wolftooth link or similar.

You still have to keep in mind the derailleurs capacity needs to accomodate at least a 35 teeth for the 11-46 to work. This likely means that doubles & triples are out.

As far as which chainring to run in the front, it depends on how/where the bike is ridden. If he can climb hills with ease & is frustrated with flatland speed, then a larger chainring may be in order. Similarly, if the hills are hard & there is still a cog or 2 on the small end of the cassette that are unused, a smaller front ring may be the way to go. I see 28's & 34's mostly around where I ride. This is probably a buy & try type situation.

Narrow/wide chainrings are what you want. They retain the chain much better. Whereas "standard" rings benefit from the presence of a derailleur to reduce the liklihood of a chain-off, narrow/wide rings have alternating squared teeth to fit the chain links tighter.

You don't need a derailleur with a clutch, but it does generally help the situation. I suggest waiting to see if one proves necessary.

FWIW: 1x are a compromise in many directions for a variety of design reasons, not the least of which is the difficulty of locating a front derailleur on a full-suspension bike. You will have a much easier time getting a better total range of gears with a double or triple drivetrain. Albeit at more complexity.

Last edited by base2; 04-29-21 at 01:50 PM.
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Old 04-29-21, 12:33 PM
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Without a narrow/wide chain ring and clutched derailleur you will have chain slap and/or the chain will fall off.
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Old 04-29-21, 01:05 PM
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I converted my 2001 aluminum 4300 Trek mountain bike into a 1x8 Mullet bike. The original cassette was an 11x30T. The new cassette is a 11x42T with a 38T wide/narrow chain ring. I used a Zsling Extra Long Rear Derailleur Hanger Extender between the stock derailleur and the frame so the derailleur could reach the largest, 42 tooth rear sprocket of the new cassette. I set this bike up for my gravel drive, short hills and rough paved roads in my neighborhood. If I was going to use it strictly on the public roads, I would gear it up one gear with a 42T chain ring to increase my top gear from 87 gear inches to 97 gear inches.

If you can get a 11-42 nine speed cassette and an extender, you could move your 40T chain ring to the middle position and then decide what wide/narrow chain ring you really want.

I've put about 200 miles on this rig and am quite pleased with the bike's fit to me and my terrain.

Fred

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Old 04-29-21, 02:34 PM
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That 22,30 / 11-34 setup has the same range as a 30 / 11-46 1x10, to within 1%. So, if your son goes for a few rides, stopping to finger-shift at the front when necessary, he'll be oriented to what that range feels like & can judge whether it's high, low, or just right.
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Old 04-30-21, 08:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Ryno317
He's a teenager, that normally rides a BMX with his friends, so fitness shouldn't be much of an issue. What would be the most common size then?

What size rear cassette would you recommend and we can added it to the future upgrade list?
There is no "typical" size in this case. How is he liking it with the current 30? If it had a high enough and low enough gear for him, then stick with that size.

If you want to get into a more typical, modern "proper" 1x setup with a wide range cassette, you are likely looking at a new rear derailleur and shifter.

Another relatively cheap option is to work with what you have is to just get a new (or used) FD and a BBG Bashguard (~$20 shipped, Google it) and run this 2x9. If you go used on the FD, I'll bet the whole thing runs something like $40.
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