Going 1 X 10 on my Felt Virtue 50 (2015)

Nik Gnashers

Decided to go 1 X 10, because I have never used the granny ring, and only used the large chainring twice since I got the bike at xmas !
The original Chainset is a Shimano Deore Hollowtech II with 42/32/24T ...
The cassette is a Shimano 10-speed 11-36T ....
So, I have decided to try a RaceFace narrow-wide 34T and see how I get on without a chain guide. If I drop the chain at all, I will fit a direct mount guide, but I have heard of many riders being fine with the RaceFace chainrings without a guide, so we shall see !
Got carried away ordering, and got myself a RaceFace 38T to convert my work bike (a Carrera Subway, which only gets ridden on the road).
Got some shorter chainset bolts, and a KMC split link too. Roll on the weekend, to test it out at Sherwood Pines (been going once a week, loving the place).

The Rookie

I'm running 1x9 (so no damped mech) on my Niota with just a narrow wide, no dropped chains at all yet, on an old chain as well.

John Wh

Yep, run a N/W an a 1x10 Zee and used to do the same on a 1x9 Alivio with no dropped chains in nearly a year. Once you got 1x you never go back

Nik Gnashers

Well,
I got cracking tonight when I got in from work. Was easy to do, but a couple of issues.
The chainring bolts I got from wheelies, even though I specifically asked for steel ones, they sent me frikkin alloy ones, but I thought oh well they are all I have so I will use them. Well, the bolts were still too long lol, so I had to put some washers on the back of the chainring to get them to tighten, seems fine though, except one of the alloy bolts snapped when tightening.....
Good job there were 5 in the pack !
I will replace with steel ones later.
Also, the KMC missing link I put on the chain, was an absolute biatch to fit, I eventually got the pins to pop into the holes by putting my weight on one pedal whilst holding the front brake on.

Looks neat, and the bars are less cluttered without the front shifter & cable :P





Will keep this updated after a few rides at Sherwood Pines, and report back on any dropped chain issues or any other points worth telling.
Roll on Saturday, Kitchener here I come

The Rookie

Alloy chainring bolts should be fine, not sure why you have such an aversion, lighter than steel as well!

Its not unusual with a new powerlink to need to use some 'oomph' to get it to close, I've had to do that a few times.

The Kitchenor shouldn't be an issue really, last time I was there a guy was riding it with a child seat (occupied) on the back of his bike.

Nik Gnashers

The Rookie wrote:

Alloy chainring bolts should be fine, not sure why you have such an aversion, lighter than steel as well!<br abp="1436"><br abp="1437">Its not unusual with a new powerlink to need to use some 'oomph' to get it to close, I've had to do that a few times.<br abp="1438"><br abp="1439">The Kitchenor shouldn't be an issue really, last time I was there a guy was riding it with a child seat (occupied) on the back of his bike.

I have such an aversion because they are not as strong, which was proven when one of the stupid things snapped when I tightened it up !
As for the bloke with the occupied child seat on the Kitchener, well that's just very silly indeed, poor kid could be badly hurt should he lose control of the bike. I know it's a very tame red route, and probably only really a blue route, but for heavens sake it's not suitable for children to have rides round in child seats, I would definitely have made him aware of his stupidity !

daniel_owen_uk

34-36 should be fine for Kitchener, I have rode it a few times with a 34-40 (expander), but could have easily done it without the expander.

The Rookie

Alloy bolts are more than strong enough, millions of bikes have them with no issue, as for snapping one, well anything can be defective I guess. I like the Truvativ ones that come with an Allen key hex on both male and female and they get done up pretty tight.

On the basis you could loose control and the child get hurt, logically you would advocate no-one should ever use a child seat then? Seemed fine to me, I wouldn't on a proper red trail, but most of the Kitchenor is just a widish blue singletrack and he was avoiding the harder stuff like the small rock garden - I could see no issue.

Nik Gnashers

The Rookie wrote:

Alloy bolts are more than strong enough, millions of bikes have them with no issue, as for snapping one, well anything can be defective I guess. I like the Truvativ ones that come with an Allen key hex on both male and female and they get done up pretty tight.

On the basis you could loose control and the child get hurt, logically you would advocate no-one should ever use a child seat then? Seemed fine to me, I wouldn't on a proper red trail, but most of the Kitchenor is just a widish blue singletrack and he was avoiding the harder stuff like the small rock garden - I could see no issue.

I will check out the Truativ ones, thanks for the heads-up

Sorry to disagree, but the Kitchener is the best / most challenging trail there, even though it is not as extreme as other centres. With that in mind, the most proficient riders are going to use it, and go round pretty quickly. I do not want to see an accident involving a small child sat in a child seat, or be part of an accident involving one. He should not be on any red route with a child in a child seat, the bloke was a tool.

Back on topic,
The RaceFace chainring was superb, not even a hint of a chain-drop, even on the rock garden section, and the really rutted bit's where I deliberately pedalled through trying to make the chain come off.
Very impressed, and I will not be buying a chain guide anytime soon !

The Rookie

The fact it's the hardest trail of a bunch of very easy ones isn't relevant, and no one should be going faster than they can reasonably see or you could crash into anything/one!

Nik Gnashers

The Rookie wrote:

The fact it's the hardest trail of a bunch of very easy ones isn't relevant, and no one should be going faster than they can reasonably see or you could crash into anything/one!

I'm not stupid, please stop trolling my thread with off topic opinions on unrelated matters.
Riders will go round a red route as fast as they can, me included, and I don't think it is suitable to ride carefully around with a small child in a child seat, when it is very likely somebody will come thrashing down the trail a lot faster.
Are bike child seats designed for off roading ??? No they are not, so please stop trying to win an argument that is impossible to win.
If you have any views on the 1 X 10 setup I have installed, then please by all means share them, after all, it's what the thread is about ........

The Rookie

I've already won, he did it, no-one died and the kid loved it (met up with the guy again in the car park later), if you hadn't kept arguing it would only have been mentioned in one post, it's you trolling your own thread you dufus! You also don't know how fast he was going, which was certainly no slower than (and a bit faster a fair few) a lot of the 'solo' riders that day.

The point (valid) is that the Kitchenor isn't really much of a test of anything and that was an example that showed it, I wouldn't be suggesting anyone goes round the dog/monkey like that, but the Kitchenor is fine.

As for 1x10, you have it fitted now, as long as the chainline is sensible, get out and ride!

Nik Gnashers

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19620766#p19620766]The Rookie[/url] wrote:

I've already won, he did it, no-one died and the kid loved it (met up with the guy again in the car park later), if you hadn't kept arguing it would only have been mentioned in one post, it's you trolling your own thread you dufus! You also don't know how fast he was going, which was certainly no slower than (and a bit faster a fair few) a lot of the 'solo' riders that day.

The point (valid) is that the Kitchenor isn't really much of a test of anything and that was an example that showed it, I wouldn't be suggesting anyone goes round the dog/monkey like that, but the Kitchenor is fine.

As for 1x10, you have it fitted now, as long as the chainline is sensible, get out and ride!

You won nothing troll.
It was a stupid thing to do, and your stupid for encouraging it.
Child bike seats are not designed for off roading, fact.
You obviously want to make this personal, so why don't you PM me somewhere to meet up, and we will see if your brave enough to call me a dufus to my face...

The Rookie

That's it keep trolling your own thread on the subject, well done.

My post count suggests I'm not a Troll.

The whole point is that the Kitchenor is little more than a narrow fire road, so everything worked just fine, still if you think it's an extreme test for you, that is fine.

cooldad

Better watch out Rookie. He does Bruce Lee stuff.