Another bicycle question: removing cogs/sprockets..?

[V4]

thought i ask my fellow barfers and be laughed at before i go to a local bicycle shop and be laughed at by strangers...

so i've been riding my mt bike around and realized i don't use the larger crank nor the smallest crank and definitely don't use all the gears in the rear so im thinking about just keeping 1 middle ring in the front and maybe just keeping 5 gears or less in the rear...

is this possible..?

i was thinking about going single speed but not ready to hurt myself yet...

thnx..

 

[two wheel tramp]

Just make sure your socks match your sandals when you go in for a test ride.

 

[RRR70]

Please tell me it's a fixie!

 

[watsgowinon]

thought i ask my fellow barfers and be laughed at before i go to a local bicycle shop and be laughed at by strangers...

so i've been riding my mt bike around and realized i don't use the larger crank nor the smallest crank and definitely don't use all the gears in the rear so im thinking about just keeping 1 middle ring in the front and maybe just keeping 5 gears or less in the rear...

is this possible..?

i was thinking about going single speed but not ready to hurt myself yet...

thnx..

For the front, it's no problem. You just need some spacers (washers) for the chainring bolts.

The rear would be a different story. I don't know if there's a rear derailleur that has long enough limit stop adjustment for 5 gears.

If you want to go single speed (NOT FIXIE), you can get a single speed conversion kit online, and a chain tensioner.

Make sure you cut your chain to proper length after the conversion.

 

[CHUM]

what you are looking for is a 1X9 (1 up front and 9 in the rear)....

don't bother going for 5 in the rear unless you have a zero dish wheel with freehub....which you don't have....

1. remove front shifter and cables/housing
2. remove front derailleur
3. have a beer and rejoice
4. remove driveside crank
5. remove granny ring and sawblade ring
6. have another beer and rejoice
7. depending on what cranks you have you may need a) bashguard, b) shorty chainring bolts
8. remove some links from chain....google to figure out how to measure (it'll prolly be 2 or 3)
9. have yet another beer and rejoice
10. sober up and go ride.....

you will need a 'chain guide' for the front (like a dummy front derailleur)...or you will hurl your soft bits onto your bikes hard bits when you throw a chain on the power stroke. I use this one:
http://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/chain_guide_cc/

there are many more out there.....

if you want detailed instructions (tools used, parts needed, etc...) let me know what cranks you are running and budget....then you can go to your LBS and not feel silly...


EDIT: what bike did you get?

 

[sanjuro]

The big ring is the most frequently removed, replaced with a bash guard of some type. The reason it requires very little adjustment, just adjusting the high limit screw on the front derailleur.

Unless you are a super climber, it sounds like you ride it only on the pavement and mostly on the flats. That small ring is there for anything steep, which there are plenty of hills around here like that. The afternoon you need it and you don't have it...

But the answer is, yes, you can use a single ring and 5 gears in the back. However, it typically is a very specialized application which requires a fair bit of work, parts, and tools to set up, and usually you don't save weight.

Riders who use a 1x5-10 are doing a lot of rough trails, and they want minimize their chances of derailment.

 

[auntiebling]

throw money at it and put a nexus internally geared hub on it

 

[CHUM]

....Riders who use a 1x5-10 are doing a lot of rough trails, and they want minimize their chances of derailment.

not true....

i simply hate derailleurs....they're like magnets.....i don't know how the fuck they work....

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

brah,

whatever your trying to do...stop.
If you dont like the bike you got, sell it on CL and get the bike you want. ....WAAAYYYY CHEAPER and will work WAAAAYYYY BETTER.

You can do custom spacing on your freewheel like on trials bikes to meet requirements. But this is a serious waste of money.

Front gears are called chain rings. The thing that holds them and your crank arms is the crankset.

 

[CHUM]

brah,

whatever your trying to do...stop.
If you dont like the bike you got, sell it on CL and get the bike you want. ....WAAAYYYY CHEAPER and will work WAAAAYYYY BETTER.

You can do custom spacing on your freewheel like on trials bikes to meet requirements. But this is a serious waste of money....

actually....going from a 3X9 to a 1X9 (not a 1X5) is not expensive* and will work more reliably with less maintenance....



* provided you have specialized tool or 2....

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

actually....going from a 3X9 to a 1X9 (not a 1X5) is not expensive* and will work more reliably with less maintenance....



* provided you have specialized tool or 2....

But!!!!

Even with the chain guide, he wont have a FR Der to grind at him when he's cross chaining. Judging by the question, he won't know that he's cross chaining on his own. He will now grind away at his cog teeth and wear out the chain.
The whole thing could bind up at speed and he could rip the thong part on his flip flops when his feet hit the ground....
And nice Rainbow flip flops are worth more than his bike will be after he's done customizing it.

But I still don't understand why one would want to take away the gears the Ders..

 

[CHUM]

But!!!!

Even with the chain guide, he wont have a FR Der to grind at him when he's cross chaining. Judging by the question, he won't know that he's cross chaining on his own. He will now grind away at his cog teeth and wear out the chain.

ya can't cross chain on a 32T ring....ya goof

But I still don't understand why one would want to take away the gears the Ders..

BECAUSE THEY ARE CONFUSING!!!!!! that is why i ss

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

ya can't cross chain on a 32T ring....ya goof



BECAUSE THEY ARE CONFUSING!!!!!! that is why i ss

The chain will not be spinning in a straight line!!!!! do you realizer how many of his precious watts will be wasted?!?!?!

Anyway, the Ders. now have little H and L marking so you know which screws to turn.

Fun stuff to do.
Next time your friend asks you to fix something on his bike. Take off one cog and replace it with a cog that has the same number of teeth as the cog next to it.

Instead of 11-12-13-14-15
Do 11-12-13-13-15

 

[V4]

thanx for the advise...

i'll experiment with the 1x9 combo...

 

[sanjuro]

ya can't cross chain on a 32T ring....ya goof



BECAUSE THEY ARE CONFUSING!!!!!! that is why i ss

Taking it from the expert's perspective, the 1x9/10 is the hot setup around the Bay Area. Popularized by noted hammerhead, Mark Weir, it gives you DH reliability and lighter than a triple crankset. Of course, you have to be able to climb any grade for any distance with a 32x36.

However, the chainguide is usually the catch. All-mountain bikes and some trail bikes are drilled for ISCG adapters, and you can work around it, but it is a big nuisance with fit and chainline.

You could also go ghetto with a small piece of wire as your "chain holder", but I would only ride it on the road. Actually, the wire method is a common setup for prologue bikes.

Finally, I use a single speed regularly. It just saves you a lot of trouble.

 

[V4]

Finally, I use a single speed regularly. It just saves you a lot of trouble.

how do you like the single speed set up around SF..?

i lived in SF, and even then, I didn't use much of the gears around town or in marin...at least not all of them...

nowadays, i got a gravel trail next to my house and often go to rockville in fairfield but i do wanna attempt to ride out to winters or at times napa..

 

[squid vicious]

I'm still wondering why you need to do anything at all...just don't use the other gears

Saves you money and effort.

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

I'm still wondering why you need to do anything at all...just don't use the other gears

Saves you money and effort.

Your kind isn't welcome on BARF!!!

 

[sliverstorm]

I'm still wondering why you need to do anything at all...just don't use the other gears

Saves you money and effort.

My personal theory goes like this:

1) Folks are dying to mod their motorcycles and bicycles

2) Modding motorcycles and bicycles reduces their value

Ergo, folks aren't happy until their motorcycle or bicycle is as worthless as possible

Typically when I hear people talking about it they are worried about extra grams of weight or whether the vehicle looks "clean", and occasionally whether it is "hellaflush". I honestly haven't figured out why. Stock is beautiful. And that 1/2lb hamburger you ate before riding? Guess how many grams that adds...?

One feasible argument I could see is the exposed 3rd cog is ripping up the OP's pant leg or ankle. That said, I'm a big believer in, if it isn't what you want then sell it and buy what you actually want. Modding gets you nowhere.

 

[Blankpage]

Interesting, BARF becoming the source for bicycle info.
Instead of starting a new thread I'll throw a question in here if ya'll don't mind.
I have and ultegra 12-27 cassette and although that should be good enough for climbing. It seems a couple of yrs in flat earth Sacramento hasn't prepared me for now living at the base of the Rocky Mountains.
I was told at a local bike shop that I can't go more than 27 but I feel right now like I need around a 33, if that exists.
So question is change the front to smaller or the back to larger but have to change the derailleur also.
I did a search and someone somewhere wrote about mountain bike gears on the road bike. I want to stick with a road bike so are there larger gear cassettes or do I need to do a few sustanon 250 cycles?