3x8 to 1x8 Conversion

Spencerr

Bit of a beginner here, particularly when it comes to the technical/maintenance side of things.
Currently I have a Shimano Acera 3x8 Drivetrain, and would like to upgrade to a 1x but don't really want to fork up the $250+ for an entire new groupset. (Cranks, derailleurs, chainrings, shifters etc.)
Could I simply buy a 36t, or similair, and install that with my current setup, obviously ensuring that my current cranks are compatible, and simply remove the front derailleur, shifter and cabling.

cooldad

Remove the small and large rings and you have 1x8. Leave the front mech on, adjust the limit screws so it sits over the remaining ring and you have a chain guide.

Cost = zero.

Or buy a narrow wide ring and you can probably do without the mech.

cougie

Just don't use the front mech ?

The Rookie

Without a shifter and a cable it would be hard to, those should be removed as well.

Uber_Pod

It's not an 'upgrade' as such, but it makes it simpler. Should save around 0.5kg in weight too.
I swapped as I found I wasn't using anything other than the one ring.

As said already,
buy a compatible narrow wide chainring (I got mine new for £20 from works components)
remove the front shifter, front mech, rings and cable
work out best alignment for the new nw ring and bolt it on
start pedalling!

02gf74

Removing two chain rings will reduce the gear range get.

You need to sit down a different work out which gears you can afford to lose. If you ride on mostly flat ground it it the small gears to lose, else on hilly ground it is the big gears.

A cassette with wider range will help but ultimately you will be somewhat compromised.

davee128

This isn't really an upgrade. If you ever ride up or down hills you will probably want the range of gears that having three rings offers you. 1x drive chains can only offer a reasonable range of gears with a wide range cassette. 8 speed cassettes aren't available with very wide ranges and if they did the gaps between gears would be annoyingly big. I have an 8s cassette with 11-34 and one of the gaps is big and very annoying. 11-34 isn't enough range for a 1x drive chain unless you ride at a rather narrow range of speeds.

My advice would be to enjoy riding your 3x8. I have ridden some pretty serious rides on 3x8 including the SDW in one day, and it's fine.

davee128

Oh, and you won't get benefits of clutch mech and narrow-wide chainring. So you'd be getting all the drawbacks of 1x with very few of the benefits.

The Rookie

Having run a 1x9 as my first 1x, it started as 3x9, then I dropped the large ring as not needed (or at least so rarely it wasn't worth having) and then dropped the granny for the same reason, all on 11:34.
None of my 1x have had a clutch mech (inc my 1x10, but I still get the weight loss, reduced complexity (and some other freedoms on parts/fitment) and easier (on the brain) shifting benefits.

Why would he not have a narrow wide?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I converted my Voodoo to 1x8 for just over a year before recently going back to 2x8, by simply replacing the 104BCD 38T chainring with a 34T On One Ringmaster https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CROOTHTH/ ... -chainring , keeping the front shifter/mech/granny ring in place.

The default cassette was 11-34, but I really disliked the final jump from 26T to 34T, buying and fitting an 11-30 on my 29er wheelset.

Until I discovered Dell Road in September https://veloviewer.com/segment/2558982, as a convenient local hill rep segment, 1x8 with 34T chainring and 11-30T cassette worked fine. I could just about grind up Dell Road a handful of times, but my knees would be sore post-ride.
Given I am a sucker for hill climbing, I swapped back to the original 38T chainring which increased my potential top speed, it also allows me to switch to the 24T granny ring to ascend Dell Road using any of the 20/23/26/30T sprockets (depending upon how sadistic at feel) and my middle-aged knees don't complain in the evening.

The 11-30 cassette isn't too bad a compromise in terms of both range and tooth jumps between gears (11/13/15/17/20/23/26/30), it's only slight weakness is the big increase in effort to switch to the 11T sprocket, but on 2x8 I could make the shifting jumps smaller by using say a 12-25.

jimb7174

Similar question and thought I would ask here rather than create a new thread - hope that is ok for the OP.

3x9 to a 2x9 perhaps even to a 1x9.

I have simply removed the large front cog for the moment by unbolting it from the crank (Suntour XCM 44/30/22T on Shimano Altus M371 - this is on the Voodoo Bantu).

The question, there is now a space between the crank and the middle ring and the bolts are not long enough to reach, is there some sort of spacer here that I need to actually remove the crank and do it properly rather than just unbolting the big ring in situ?

I am quite keen on getting a dropper seat post (was looking at the brand x on chain reaction cycles as it has good reviews) as well and it doesn't appear that the Bantu has stealth cabling set up, can anyone confirm this?

Sorry am very much a newbie to real mods on MTB - just thought this would be a quick and easy solution as rarely is ever use the large cog, and at the moment if I don't like it I can always revert back!

thanks
Jim

The Rookie

The bolts will be too long without the outer ring, you either need the shorter single ring bolts, washers to replicate the removed ring or a think metal bash for the same purpose.

kirkee

cougie wrote:

Just don't use the front mech ?

Exactly. Why reduce your gear choice to 8? Because its the latest fad, is the only reason I can think of. It realy is BS

The Rookie

Lighter weight is BS? Reduced complexity is BS? Less worries when shifting (staying in sensible combinations) is BS? Its not necessarily for all, but its most certainly NOT BS.