Converting to single front cog

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Maherees

Über Member
Location
Northampton
Hello all,
I am thinking of converting my double to a single. Other than buying a new rear cog and front and removing the gear set up, is there much else involved I have not thought of?
Thanks
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
So you're converting to SS?
You'll need to dish the rear wheel too to get the chain line correct. Hub spacing may need adjusting.. Here's a good video by RJ.


View: https://youtu.be/nkNCXx10NqY
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Do you mean single chainset and keep the gears at the rear?

Quite simple. Remove the front mech and cables. Decide how many teeth on the front. I went for a 40t.

Probably best to put it on the inner location so you know it will be good alignment on the lower gears.

You will need shorter chainwheel bolts and use a narrow wide chainring. Helps to stop derailing the chain. And optimise the chain length and away you go.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
I am thinking of converting my double to a single. Other than buying a new rear cog and front and removing the gear set up, is there much else involved I have not thought of?
Recommend you research this yourself (from your post it's not clear what you have now (assume 2x8) or where you want to end up) and then ask any questions informed by that foundation of knowledge. What have you thought of so far? You can be sure that @Sharky thought this through carefully before doing his conversion (to (say) 1 x 10).
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
1 x 10 (or whatever) setups sometimes have a propensity to dump the chain when shifting from a larger to smaller sprocket at the rear. A narrow-wide chainring, a rear mech with a stronger spring (current Shimano road mechs are usually ok) or a cyclo-cross chain catcher may be needed.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Yes, the bike in question was my commute 2x9 campag and I got fed up commuting in the dark with my favourite gear was bang in the middle of the cross over area, meaning that you had to change up/down at rear and down/upvat the front. The change to 1x9 meant it was just a single click to go up down.

Since swapped the sram levers from another bike and now 1x10.

Wasnt worried about losing the 34t inner as one of my other bikes is a ss running 46x17, so I knew I could get up most hills on my regular routes with a 40x25 and some of these hills have been used for club hill climbs.
 
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