Shimano 105 1x Conversion

ctp046

Thinking 1x converting my bike. It's setup with Shimano 105 (5800) stuff.

Just wondering if anyone has experience with this. Any downsides other than the loss of gearing? Biggest concern is that my left brake/brifter (or maybe just the smaller/mover to a smaller chainring shifter) will be "floppy" after I do it (no tension from the cable to hold it in the proper place.

Is there any way to easily (reversibly) remove the smaller (move to smaller chainring) shifter since I don't need it?

antonyfromoz

I have done this with my 9 speed sora setup and there is no floppyness from the brifter. I have a 12 - 32 cassette with a 40 narrow wide raceface chain ring it works well (although I often think about changin to 10 or 11 speed with an mtb set up just because i like changing things). I haven't had any issues with losing the chain even though it is not a clutch gearing system either, and the bike has been used for bridle path bashing and cyclosportives.

skyblue337

I'm about to embark on the same thing. Got a new Superstar Raptor 4 arm asym 110BCD 40T ring (15% off at the moment with a code from their facebook page). I'm thinking of removing the LH 105 shiffter to replace it with a lighter lever (I have a Campag Ergo lever spare which is a bit lighter). I'll see how I get on with the 40-11/32 gearing and if I'm happy I'm thinking I'll go the whole hog and get a clutch rear mech.

For anyone interested the swap of the 105 5800 50/34 rings for the Superstar ring saves 120g

JesseD

Sort of along the same lines, I have been toying with building a cross bike around something like the Bowman Craysfoot F&F or similar and using it as my winter road bike/commuter bike, but also for a bit of cross bike fun off road as a change from normal road riding.

I like the idea of staying with Shimano as I prefer the shifting as opposed to Sram shifting, but I also like the idea of the 1X groupset like the Sram which leads me to ask can you build something similar with Shimano with similar ratios?

Can you mix say a Shimano Deore XT M8000 1 x 11 speed MTB group set but change out the shifters for a set of Shimano ST-RS505 ones?

skyblue337

The cable pull ratio between shim road 11 and mtb 11 is not directly compatible but you get a Shiftmate (model 8 or 8a if you need a barrel adjuster) from sjscycles which should enable road 11 levers with an mtb rear derailleur. Alternatively there is a model which allows shimano 11 to shift a SRAM 11 road rear derailleur with a clutch mech.

oldbazza

I've done similar with my XLS but swapped out the 105 mech for an XT/deore 9-spd as this means I can run a bigger cassette; and didn't need any shift mates.Also use a Hope chainring as I was getting a few chain drops with a standard ring.

Oh and don't notice any 'floppiness' with the left shifter.

JesseD

oldbazza wrote:

I've done similar with my XLS but swapped out the 105 mech for an XT/deore 9-spd as this means I can run a bigger cassette; and didn't need any shift mates.Also use a Hope chainring as I was getting a few chain drops with a standard ring.

Oh and don't notice any 'floppiness' with the left shifter.

I take it your running 9 speed Shimano then and haven't found a magic formula that allows a 9speed Deore mech to work with 10 speed or something like that?

devhads

JesseD wrote:

oldbazza wrote:

I've done similar with my XLS but swapped out the 105 mech for an XT/deore 9-spd as this means I can run a bigger cassette; and didn't need any shift mates.Also use a Hope chainring as I was getting a few chain drops with a standard ring.

Oh and don't notice any 'floppiness' with the left shifter.

I take it your running 9 speed Shimano then and haven't found a magic formula that allows a 9speed Deore mech to work with 10 speed or something like that?

Shimano 10 speed road shifters work with Shimano 9 speed MTB mechs. This is the only combination as far as I know that will work with a mix of MTB and road if you're using Shimano, unless you use a shift mate.

Mototarka

devhads wrote:

Shimano 10 speed road shifters work with Shimano 9 speed MTB mechs. This is the only combination as far as I know that will work with a mix of MTB and road if you're using Shimano, unless you use a shift mate.

This is not completely true. The new Tiagra 4700 doesn't work with 9 speed mechs any more...
My own current setup - compact road cranks, Superstar I/O chainring, tiagra 4700 shifter, 105 5800 mech, 11-40t Sunrace 10sp cassette, Lindarets Roadlink mech hanger extender.

donboogie

I have a 2016 Giant TCX SLR 1 with Shimano 105 brifters and RS500 crankset. I removed the front derailleur and associated bits and installed an AbsoluteBlack CX OVAL 110/4 BCD N/W traction 38T chainring. It worked straightaway. No adjustment of the rear derailleur was necessary, it's quiet and chainline looks good to me. Probably will have a real mechanic look at it at some point but so far so good. No floppiness in the left brifter. The only other change required was I swapped the cassette to a 105 11-36 to give a bit more range.

ravey1981

Mototarka wrote:

devhads wrote:

Shimano 10 speed road shifters work with Shimano 9 speed MTB mechs. This is the only combination as far as I know that will work with a mix of MTB and road if you're using Shimano, unless you use a shift mate.

This is not completely true. The new Tiagra 4700 doesn't work with 9 speed mechs any more...
My own current setup - compact road cranks, Superstar I/O chainring, tiagra 4700 shifter, 105 5800 mech, 11-40t Sunrace 10sp cassette, Lindarets Roadlink mech hanger extender.

Just for completeness 9speed road stuff also works fine with 9spd mtb. I run 9spd Sora shifters with an XT 9spd shadow rear mech, no clutch but never dropped a chain. 11-32 cassette with 38t superstar narrow/wide chainring.

Mototarka

Pity there's no ultrawide 9spd cassette

ravey1981

36 is lowest in 9spd, good enough for most applications.