Going 1x10 ... best value NW chainring & cassette expander??

kevinharley

After doing in my outer chainring on a rock the other night (have bent it back - its rideable, but not great), I'm going to change from 2x10 to 1x10. Just a few questions ...

1. Looking at either the On One RingMaster at £24.99, or the Superstar IO at £25.99. Any clear favourite between the two, or are they much of a muchness?

2. Looking at getting a Cassette expander, probably 40t - what's the best value (cheapest!) one around?

3. Have a Deore Cassette, which won't split (so won't allow me to ditch the 17t cog) - does the SLX Cassette split, or do I need to go up to XT?

4. Finally, I'll presumably need shorter chainring bolts; are these actually called 'narrow' bolts?

Thanks

lostboysaint

1. Much of a muchness.

2. Have you worked out what gearing you predominantly use? What size chainring are you going for? Do you need a cassette expander? I run a 29er hardtail with a 32 tooth chainring and an 11-36 cassette and can get up most things despite NOT being a mountain goat. Worth checking out what you actually use first before buying clever bits that you don't actually need.

3. SLX cassette splits.

4. Yes you will. In some places yes they are.

wilberforce

I agree with above.

I am running a 30T On-one chainring on FS with 11-36 cassette and have not felt the need for a 40t sprocket.

I would suggest giving it a go with your current cassette before purchasing an expander.

kevinharley

Thanks!

I use the granny and 24t inner ring occasionally, but probably only because its there! I'm pretty fit and reckon I'd get up most stuff without the extra 40t cog, but wouldn't want to lose out too much.

I'd intended getting a 32t NW chainring, and expanding my cassette to 40t ... but pricing things up, I'd be looking at:
£25 NW chainring / £52 40t expander (OneUp) / £30 XT Cassette (CRC) / £10 Narrow bolts (CRC) / £12 (chain), so coming in at a total of £129, its quite pricey!

So, unless anyone knows of 40t cassette expanders that are no more than £30 (!), then I'll probably just go single at the front for now, seeing as there's plenty of life still left in the cassette and chain, and when these wear out, replace the cassette / chain and get the expander then if I decide I need it.

kevinharley

Right ... about to pull the trigger on an orange Superstar chainring ...

Where's the cheapest short (narrow) chainring bolts I can get?

lostboysaint

So the answer is no, you haven't worked out your current gearing and what you actually use. Or what gears you'd gain/lose over your current set up. So you've no idea what you will "lose out" if you stick with a 30 or 32t chainring and an 11-36 cassette.

And you really want to do the "trendy" thing and put a cassette expander on your bike.

You do realise you'd be able to afford better chainring bolts if you weren't spending cash on a cassette expander?

kevinharley

lostboysaint wrote:

So the answer is no, you haven't worked out your current gearing and what you actually use. Or what gears you'd gain/lose over your current set up. So you've no idea what you will "lose out" if you stick with a 30 or 32t chainring and an 11-36 cassette.

kevinharley wrote:

I use the granny and 24t inner ring occasionally, but probably only because its there! I'm pretty fit and reckon I'd get up most stuff without the extra 40t cog, but wouldn't want to lose out too much.

I know what I use, and over what terrain. I said earlier that I use the granny and the 24t inner occasionally ... but I also use the 11t sprocket at the back and the 36 at the front occasionally. I know that my level of fitness will compensate to a pretty good degree for a loss of gears at the lower end over most of the situations I ride in, and I am prepared to lose some top end too, although not too much. I've run 1x10 on my previous bike (retained the 27t inner ring as the single ring up front), and got up everything, but span out far too easily at the top end. I've also run SS around hilly north Leeds trails for a couple of years, so have a good idea of what I can manage over most of the terrain I ride. 32t up front was a guess ... but a well informed guess based on a lot of experience!

lostboysaint wrote:

And you really want to do the "trendy" thing and put a cassette expander on your bike.

You'll see that I have decided NOT to do the trendy thing and get a cassette expander ... but to stick with the cassette I already have. IF I find that in reality, it doesn't give me the range I need, then I will either revert to 2x10 (I'll hang onto my current chainrings and front mech/shifter) for big trips out into the mountains, or will consider getting an expander when my current cassette and chain wear out ... seems like a sensible rather than trendy thing to do!

Shame - your first bit of advice was pretty helpful; your second post spoiled it by being somewhat patronising and dismissive ... :roll:

Ferrals

Fwiw I think the cassete expanded are bloody brilliant. I run the one up 42t with a 34 up front. Works great on trail centres, long xc romps and still enough grunt for spinning along the road when necessary. The other thing is one-up were shipping a free 16t with every 42t so you get better spacing.

It maybe trendy but it's also very good!

lostboysaint

kevinharley wrote:

Shame - your first bit of advice was pretty helpful; your second post spoiled it by being somewhat patronising and dismissive ... :roll:

I owe you an apology, I skim read your reply and missed the bit about skipping the expander. I'm sorry. It's a bit of a touchy subject as I've been through this with a few people recently and they've found it almost redundant - a bit like your "I use it 'cos it's there" comment - and I didn't want you to waste your time or money.

Sorry about that and good luck with the new set up. (I assume you've got a decent clutch mech as that all but eliminates the need for chain retention.)

supersonic

I just got these bolts:

http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/ison-s ... oCC33w_wcB

Are doing the job!Also got a superstar 34t ring.

kevinharley

lostboysaint wrote:

kevinharley wrote:

Shame - your first bit of advice was pretty helpful; your second post spoiled it by being somewhat patronising and dismissive ... :roll:

I owe you an apology, I skim read your reply and missed the bit about skipping the expander. I'm sorry. It's a bit of a touchy subject as I've been through this with a few people recently and they've found it almost redundant - a bit like your "I use it 'cos it's there" comment - and I didn't want you to waste your time or money.

Sorry about that and good luck with the new set up. (I assume you've got a decent clutch mech as that all but eliminates the need for chain retention.)

Cheers mate - appreciate that.

Yes, I've got a deore mech with clutch, so good to go! Had been planning to run 1x10 since I first got the bike back in February, but kept it 2x10 up until now, partly due to lack of cash, and partly never really got round to it. The damage to the outer ring is a good reason / excuse to get it done now ... looking forward to losing a bit of weight and clutter off the bike!

Thanks SS - will get some ordered.

WindyG

Good choice not going with the expander to start with, you may find your fitness will improve a lot as you won't have the option of a granny ring. I have a Superstar ring on one of my bike and so far it's been fine, seems quieter than the Raceface one. I used Onza chainring bolts on mine about £5 from ebay, I have used the ID bolts as well but they went rusty.

supersonic

Tried my SS ring today - total abject failure! The chain would just not stay on. And I mean riding slowly over flat ground! Just constantly clunked then derailed it.

The Rookie

Have you inspected the ring for defects, even a plain ring keeps the chain on when riding normally in one gear, mine only derailed when changing gear as the chain 'snaked' (I could look down and see it!) due to the lateral movement at the rear during the shift.

WindyG

Surprised by that as my Superstar ring hasn't dropped once and it has been over various terrain at flat out speed.

rockmonkeysc

Im using a Superstar 34t n/w ring and a One Up 40t with 16t intermediate in the cassette.
I used to run 32t with a standard 36t cassette and could get up anything but was spinning out too often. The 34t gives me better gearing for flat and down but with the 40t on the back I can still get up anything. With the 16t as well there are no noticeable steps in the gear ratios.

supersonic

I'm thinking I have a slightly stiff chain link somewhere.

rockmonkeysc

Either a dodgy link or maybe a machining fault on one or two teeth.

supersonic

The machining is not good, the flanges in the bolt hole recesses are markedly off centre.

poah

can't use a cassette expander with the SLX cassette unless you break it apart. need to use an XT one.

and use a search engine to find which is the cheapest.

rockmonkeysc

supersonic wrote:

The machining is not good, the flanges in the bolt hole recesses are markedly off centre.

Send it back. They should be within a few hundredths of a millimeter unless something has gone wrong in the machining or setting process.
Mine is pretty good, I work with CNC machine shops a lot so I see the full range from crap to very good and I would say my Superstar chainring is towards the higher end of that range (not the best but perfectly good)

supersonic

I'll put a pic up later, see what you reckon.

kevinharley

Just fitted mine tonight ... seemed spot on in terms of alignment, but not ridden it yet. Will report back when I've given it a run out.