I’m finding that I use my middle chain ring for 90% of my riding so thinking of moving from the 3×9 to a 1×10 set up on my Boardman Comp which will be lighter and easier to maintain over the winter too. The current set up is;

Chainset – FSA Alpha Drive 44x32x22T
BB – FSA powerdrive cartridge
Cassette – SRAM PG950 9 speed

What parts will I need and how easy is it to convert?

Cheers

if you don’t have ICSG tabs then you need a BB mounted Chain Device.

(replaces 1 spacer in the BB setup)

Have a look round
Budget – Superstar if the site works
Mid Range – Loads
Top End E-13 – SRS/LG etc (love my e-13 stuff has been awesome over the years)

And shifter (SLX), mech (SLX), cassette (Shimano SLX 11-36), 10 speed chain (KMC X10).

So not cheap then, sounds like I’d be better off staying with 3×9! Was expecting to need chain device, cassette and chain but naively forgot about shifter etc.

Just go 1×9, you just need the short chainring bolts and a chain device.

You could go 1×9 with just the Superstar guide (or a few quid more for a good one) and some spacers or narrow chainring bolts. A decent front chainring would be next on the list to keep the chain better (There were Kore ones on CRC the other day for £7).

After that, you can decide on the jump to 10 speed if you need it/like it.

I’d go 1×9 first. 1×10 is a little better but if you can’t handle 1×9 then 1×10 won’t make enough difference to be good enough. Is your cassette an 11-32 or 11-34?

I will have a nice 1×10 set up available next week (getting a second hand enduro and i’m changing it from SRAM to shimano stuff I already have). X9 shifter,xo rear mech,11-36 cassette (not sure what this is,shimano I think), email in profile if your interested.

chiefgrooveguru – Member
I’d go 1×9 first. 1×10 is a little better but if you can’t handle 1×9 then 1×10 won’t make enough difference to be good enough. Is your cassette an 11-32 or 11-34?

I believe its a 11x32T cassette

mikewsmith – Member
if you don’t have ICSG tabs then you need a BB mounted Chain Device.

I have no idea, how can I check?

If that’s the case then going to an 11-34 cassette will be a fractionally bigger change than than going to 11-36 from an 11-34.

11-36 is 10speed muppet.

I believe its a 12x32T cassette

Check that, they’re not too common so double check. If it is, your legs aren’t going to say thanks, but 1:1 is totally ridable. I’d say you need a 32t front chainring designed for single rings. E.g. E.13 Guidering. And a chain device (Superstar XCR if you just ride XC, if you do enduro or lots of techy stuff you’ll need a full guide). And possibly a shorter cage rear mech.

Edited original post continuity and its def 11x32T (Halfords site said 12x32T which prompted me to check).

nickswolves, mikesmith is only half correct, there are other options you can use this chain device. £20 from superstar.
I forgot to mention, you will want to shorten your chain once you drop the other 2 rings.
Just run everything you already have unless its knackered, & when it is time to replace go either 11-34 or 12-36 depending on how you find the riding.

tinsy – Member
nickswolves, mikesmith is only half correct, there are other options you can use this chain device. £20 from superstar.
I forgot to mention, you will want to shorten your chain once you drop the other 2 rings.
Just run everything you already have unless its knackered, & when it is time to replace go either 11-34 or 12-36 depending on how you find the riding.

So to confirm, I could just go 1×9 by removing current front mech and front shifter, removing smallest and largest front rings, leaving the 32T middle ring, then just add SS chain device with seat tube mount and get some short chainring bolts?

[url=http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35810]Something like this[/url]

#edit but the under 36t version
If it’s your first time have a look at a bike with one on, maybe go to your LBS they generally don’t bite.

Also ICSG tabs are around the BB Shell if you don’t see anything there you don’t have any

You really don’t need something like that Blackspire one for most riding. Tinsy’s suggestion will be more than adequate for most.

So to confirm, I could just go 1×9 by removing current front mech and front shifter, removing smallest and largest front rings, leaving the 32T middle ring, then just add SS chain device with seat tube mount and get some short chainring bolts?

Yup, you could dabble with the middle ring moving to where the outer was, see what looks the best chainline,& dont forget to shorten the chain.

Ok cheers. I think I’ll try a couple of rides just in the middle ring to confirm before going ahead as got a trip to peaks soon which could prove interesting without small and large rings.

The seat-tube mounted Superstar device is shit, get the less shit BB mount one.

You save very little losing the 2 rings & a shifter, been there tried it, it looks cool, thats it, the bikes more usable everywhere with all three, and front mechs last years.

I would go to the pub with the chain device money personally.

11-36 is 10speed muppet.

Was this addressed at me? If so, two points:

1. I was illustrating that going from 11-32 (9 speed) to 11-34 (9 speed) would be a bigger change than going from 11-34 (9 speed) to 11-36 (10 speed), therefore if you’re happy with 11-32 you may as well stick with 9 speed, as many of those extolling the virtues of 10 speed were already on 11-34 9 speed. Understand?

2. As you failed to understand my original post, who exactly is the muppet? If I wasn’t such a polite and calm individual I’d say, “Joseph you muppet, go **** yourself and think about what you’re typing before you type it. Maybe consider if you’d talk to me like that in the real world.”

The seat-tube mounted Superstar device is shit, get the less shit BB mount one.

That’s a newer, and significantly more substantial Superstar XCR seat tube mount one, which looks like it will work. The older one was indeed shit.

ive just gone 1×9 as i couldnt justify the extra cost of going 10 speed. i needed a new chain and cassete anyway so got a deore 11-34 cassette and sram pc951 chain all for £32 from merlin, put a 32 tooth chainring on the front and using a superstar plasma chain device which is better than the e13 one i have –

just completed a 6 hour ride in the lakes and got up every hill no problem and that includes some rather steep tech stuff where you would think a granny gear is needed.

having a granny gear makes riding up most hills a long, drawn out affair – 1×9 is much faster

1×10 is great – if you have the legs to use it (if not it will make you stronger)

current setup = xtr shadow plus (clutch mech), e13 xcx Seat tube front top guide (expensive but a quality and nice looking bit of kit, the superstar would suffice looking at the pic!)

and thats it! running this setup in the rockiest of stuff in the peaks and im quite an adequate rider, unless you are running proper downhill stuff all the time the setup above or very similar will be plenty for the have a go heroes on here!

GW will tell you otherwise, but mines is tried and tested on pretty much all of the peak classic routes! and i mean all of them cheeky or otherwise, ive not once dropped the chain!

I went 1×9 a month ago. Wanted to go 1×10 with a 11-36 cassette but I already have some nice XT/XTR bits so don’t want to sell at a loss and buy lower tier 10 speed bits just now. Setup is a 32T E13 Guidering with an 12-34 XTR cassette, XT Shadow mech, E13 XCX (BB mount) and an XTR 9 speed chain. I really like the setup and rarely miss the granny. When it’s time for 1×10 the 36T cog will provide a little bit more oomph on the steepest of hills. The only time I ever really use the big ring up front is on the road on the way to the trails.

Just thought I’d point out that the boardman probably came with a cartridge type BB, not the external cups, so a BB mounted chain device might not work too well, if at all.

njee20 – Member

The seat-tube mounted Superstar device is shit, get the less shit BB mount one.

That’s a newer, and significantly more substantial Superstar XCR seat tube mount one, which looks like it will work. The older one was indeed shit.

Its weak point is that it uses a single tiny grub screw to stop the entire guide from rotating in relation to the seat-tube clamp.
If thats a new one then it looks like it still uses the same system…ergo, S**t.
(and thats from a bit of a Superstar fanboi..)

As you failed to understand my original post, who exactly is the muppet? If I wasn’t such a polite and calm individual I’d say, “Joseph you muppet, go **** yourself and think about what you’re typing before you type it. Maybe consider if you’d talk to me like that in the real world.”

You take things on the internet way too seriously.

Also I’m flattered that you clicked on my profile to find out more about me before you replied.

You take things on the internet way too seriously.

The conduit of communication should have no bearing on manners – we’re still a group of humans interacting.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/our-forum

Its weak point is that it uses a single tiny grub screw to stop the entire guide from rotating in relation to the seat-tube clamp.
If thats a new one then it looks like it still uses the same system…ergo, S**t.
(and thats from a bit of a Superstar fanboi..)

I could be wrong, but all I see are 3 reasonable bolts, M5 or sommat. The grub screw seems to have gone