# Upgrade Groupset



## MahatmaAndhi (7 Apr 2019)

Hi all,

I'm curious. What are the limitations (if any) of upgrading the groupset on a folding bike?
Could you, for example, do a 1x10 set up along the lines of a Shimano Deore groupset?

Thanks.


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## StuAff (7 Apr 2019)

MahatmaAndhi said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm curious. What are the limitations (if any) of upgrading the groupset on a folding bike?
> Could you, for example, do a 1x10 set up along the lines of a Shimano Deore groupset?
> ...


Yes. Dahon and Tern both do models with 1x11. Absolutely no problems fitting SRAM Red/DuraAce/AN Other high-end group. Front derailleur mounts for 2x not a problem on models that don't have them already, third parties have filled that gap. Triples would muck up the fold, but not exactly a problem these days. Bromptons are another story.....


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## MahatmaAndhi (7 Apr 2019)

Lovely. Thanks.
I'm very new to the world of foldable bikes and am not ready to splash out for Dahon/Brompton/Tern prices just yet.
I picked up a Raleigh IKEA for next to nothing and I'm seeing how that goes to begin with. It's good just to chuck in the boot of my car along side the kids' bikes, rather than getting the full rack out for an hour down the park.
But the five gears on the back are awful. So I was thinking of upgrading to 10 speed if my penny-pinching ways can find any on the cheap.


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## StuAff (7 Apr 2019)

20" wheels, shouldn't be a problem for clearance. 8/9 speed would probably be cheaper. EG: https://foldingbike.biz/epages/7665...dd604fed2b64/519c3d3f5c440062bab76790d463bd40
Pretty much any road or MTB RD should work, I think....At least some of these Ikea bikes were rebadged Dahons.


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## chriscross1966 (8 Apr 2019)

The other two issues with folding bikes and derailleur systems can be undergearing and the chain trying to jump off the front when shifting at the rear if you have 1x. If you can get an 11-40 cassette and assuming your on 406 rims then a 56t chainring gets you 25-93 gear inch range, which I would suggest is fairly decent, and a 50T ring would give you 23-84, a bit low but it depends on use case i guess. Sunrace make a 9-speed 11-40, in what should be Shimano spacing and I would assume as long as you use a long cage mech with a matched shifter then indexing shouldnt be hard. You'll want to keep an eye on ground clearance on the mech, but ive got a Brompton with skinny tyres and a long cage Campagnolo 8-speed derailleur and while it looks pretty scary it doesn't seem to have a problem. The chain jumping at the front issue (which that bike also has problems with) seems to be a chainline problem and should be fixed by sorting those out and going 2x at the front, the front mech will act as a keeper.


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## MahatmaAndhi (9 Apr 2019)

I've taken a bit of a plunge. More like a toe-dip in the water. I bought a new Shimano C S-HG41 8 speed cassette (11-34t) with a Clarks 7, 8 chain. I found an 8 speed STX shifter and Acera mech in my bike shed. I'm going to pop them all together and see how I get on. Combined with a new pair of grips (as the old ones are naff and won't fit with the new shifter).
I also bought some white outer cables for the brakes and gears. And a new inner cable for the gears. The brake cables look in good nick and I believe they were changed recently. They're currently swapped so the right side is the front brake, but I bought it from a Polish guy and he said that's how they do things over there.
Assuming they all come before I go on holiday this weekend, I'll get cracking.

Total Price: £33.90 Delivered(/Click & Collected)

I also have a new handlebar post on the way, which is a bit of a gamble as it's for a B'Twin fold, but it has the same stem type. If it fits, then that should fix my handlebar issue where the hinge is at such a terrible angle that the handlebars don't sit flush with the tyre at all (see plagiarised image below).


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