[Closed] 1x11 groupset upgrade... I'm so confused

Hi, I'm running the new xt m8000 but with race face cranks so no issue. I use a n/w race face chain ring, 34.

I use wtb wheels with sram hubs, and the xt 11-42 cassette. Works seamlessly

Your wheels are compatible. (You're right it's slightly different for the road ones but a spacer sorts that)

You can use a SLX crank. Everything else would need to be shimano mtb 11 speed eg XT 8000 or xtr except the chain which can be any sram or shimano compatible 11 speed one

Why do you want to upgrade ? Is it to improve shifting or improve weight? In either case I wouldn't bother. If it's to have shiny new bits, why mix and match ? For 1x11 you need an 11 spd, a mech 11 spd, an 11 speed chain and a chain ring that can run a 11 spd chain. I don't thimk the new xt or xtr will fit older cranksets as they have asymmetrical holes. You would need to try and find an aftermarket chain ring . Then faff about trying to get it work together and not drop a chain.

You can buy all the bits separately from most places and its worth your while to shop around as there's quite a difference in prices.

Why do I want to change:

Well my existing kit is nearing it worn out stage so I need to send some money anyway but I could just replace chain, cassette and chain-rings

Crank arms are mismatched becuase I destroyed a left hand crank.
Shifting on the back end is not great and the jockey wheels probably need replacing

I have a chain roller becuase I used to drop the chain all the time doing decents, but I find it adds drag and never rolls like it should and is noisy.

Front mech constantly end up dragging and doesn't shift well

I'm hoping with a shadow+ rear mech I can ditch both the front mech and the chain roller.

Plus I'm considering replacing the formula brakes as well to matching XT ones as they've always been a bit poor.

I'm weighing the idea of going for a complete 1x11 upgrade replace my 9x3 (actually running 9x2) 2010 Xt drivetrain...

did that on 2010 Zesty with SRAM, just need a new rear hub, so I went for a whole new wheel but that was the easy option.

Good news everything fitted and works well. My old 3 x 9 was 5 years and well worn out. Gave the bike a whole new lease of life and enjoying many more MTB miles. Im glad I changed too, its simpler and easier and avoided the cost of a new bike.

32t will be fine on 10 x 42

Stll have the Formula brakes they are just working and will reaplce with XT. I have one set of pads to go!

You would need to try and find an aftermarket chain ring . Then faff about trying to get it work together and not drop a chain.

Frankly Bolleux.

Aftermarket chaining options for the OP's 104 BCD cranks are plentiful and cheap. M8000 shifter/mech/cassette and chain should go straight on and he's set, coupled with a clutch mech they work extremely well for chain retention.

Why make out it's any harder than replacing the worn out parts of his current drivetrain when it obviously isn't.

Cheers Pawsy bear,
mines a 2010 spicy so possibly a similar spec.

Its either this or a brand new mondraker dune to keep me happy

You would need to try and find an aftermarket chain ring . Then faff about trying to get it work together and not drop a chain.

The only thing to watch for is the Ispec compatibility if you need to match it up.

11 speed Shimano cassette will fit on an 8/9 speed freehub.
M8000 GS rear mech works perfectly with 10 speed (Shimano - SLX 11-36+40t T-Rex, XT M770-10 shifter, HG54 chain - exactly as I had before with the addition of a Zee wide range mech).
M8000 cassette, mech and shifter works well with a 10 speed HG54 chain.

Will pop the 10 speed cassette back on tonight to see what happens to the shifting.

FWIW, I needed new jockeys for the Zee, and the T-Rex had been paired with 2 cassettes (and XT and the final SLX) and 4/5 chains and was near the end of it'e life. Needed to re-profile the T-rex with a round chainsaw file every chain swap, but I probably should have changed chains sooner 😳

Shifting on 10 speed with the M8000 mech was awesome - probably equivalent or better than a 10 speed mech with a RADr cage.

Replaced the N/W recently as it was so worn the chain kept dropping. Just missed the Superstar 25% off offer by 3 days.

Will SLX be going 11 speed next year

They'll keep it under wraps until the launch pretty much, but I'd expect it within the year.

Yeah, ignore lobby_dosser.

You don't need an 11 speed chainring, any narrow wide will do, plenty out there. I use an Absolute Black oval, not the cheapest, but seems good.

To reiterate you don't need a new hub/wheel with Shimano 11 speed, just SRAM.

Just completed pretty much identical upgrade (raceface n/w 32 onto slx cranks, 11-42 cassette replacing 9 speed cassette on i9 hub) plus shifter and new d/r without any hassle. I didn't go ispec because I didn't want to change my current brakes ( the inter-generational adaptor not due for a couple of months)
I got everything through Evans because it was all in stock at Gatwick and most other vendors were quoting late september/October for the cassette I wanted at the time

Used to have a 2x9 set up (actually was 3x9 but changed the 44t to a bash) that was basically knackered and fancied going one by. I dismissed the new XT 11spd because I stupidly thought it'd cost to much so ordered a nw chainring, 10spd XT chain, 10spd slx mech and shifter along with a 11/36 XT cassette and a hope 40t T. rex. It was only after fitting and using it that I realised it would've only cost me £7 more to of gone 11speed. 👿

Replaced the N/W recently as it was so worn the chain kept dropping. Just missed the Superstar 25% off offer by 3 days.

It's on til end of month. Ordered a NW ring and expander myself today for £41.

I've got a decent stock of 10sp cassettes and chains so may as well stick with that until next year.

Weighing up a similar decision here. Is the general consensus that Shimano will release significantly cheaper SLX 11 speed gear and/or a cassette with a bit more range in the next few months? M8000 came out this summer so am I right in guessing the next won't be till next summer? If so I might as well buy now.

I'm on pretty well worn 2x9 as well, also with a chain device I'd like to lose. I'd probably be fine with 11-42 but I'm unfit enough that a bit more cassette range would be nice.

(Sorry for the hijack!)

I'd bet my house that they [b]won't[/b] release a wider range cassette than 11-42t.

There is a 45t extender....

Happily waiting for my 10-42 to arrive this week

Yep, any 9 or 10 Speed chainring / crank will work fine.

The only reason Sram need a different freehub is they took the opportunity to go for a 10t top while they were at it.

Shimano have been very aggressive with SLX lately due to the focus on midrange bikes where full XT is never going to happen. They might surprise us, but it's a bit late for 2016 now. A quick Google round and it looks like we're staying M67x which isn't a bad thing, it's very good stuff.

An 11-45 cassette in Shimano would make a lot of sense. I imagine it's coming.

Unless they're a bit knackered, Formula RXs shouldn't be significantly worse than XT M785's. I've got both, and current SLX's. I'd probably buy the SLX's for price performance if rebuying. The only paper difference between them and the XT's is an adjuster that no one can get to do anything other than muck up bleeds...
Disclaimer : I'm still 26/38 11-34 2x...

chakaping - Member
I'd bet my house that they won't release a wider range cassette than 11-42t.

Interesting. Why? Jumps between gears? An 11-45 or similar would near enough match SRAM's 1x11 range, or a typical older 2x range, without new hub parts. Quite a seller I'd have thought.

The new hub parts thing will die off, all decent hubs come new with the option and like me once you go to xd you are there or others a bike will come with it.

What's the SS code?

EDIT Found it.

Do you reckon I'll get away with going from 32 x 11-36 to 30 x 11-40 without altering chain length?

You would need to try and find an aftermarket chain ring . Then faff about trying to get it work together and not drop a chain.
Frankly Bolleux.

Why make out it's any harder than replacing the worn out parts of his current drivetrain when it obviously isn't.

Maybe it's just my mechanical numptiness as I'm still faffing about trying to get my XT 11 spd running well. I have no experience with non-shimano chianrings with shimano, so I'm suprised that they you say there's no trial and error getting it running sweetly. However I'll take your word for it and would welcome any tips how to get running sweetly. Cokeaa and Njee20, did your XT 11 spd set up go with no faffing then?

thegreatape - Member

Do you reckon I'll get away with going from 32 x 11-36 to 30 x 11-40 without altering chain length?

2 extra links (ish) required. Maybe your chain has some extra length in it?

Might do, only put it on a couple of weeks ago but can't really recall. I'll go and have a look at half time.

There's an Andriod app for calculating chain length - based on chain stay, biggest ring and biggest sprocket. That reckons 52 links for 30x 40 and the same for 32 x 36. And if you use that 'the chain only wraps round half the chainring' reasoning then it's 1 less at the front, 2 more at the back, so 1 more tooth overall. Maybe I'll get away with it!

Interesting. Why? Jumps between gears?

Yes they're real sticklers on this.

And they've only just set their stall out with 11-42 - so that's it for the next three years at least IMO.

I've been informed that the current xt/slx cranks can only be used if you're going to run an after market narrow wide chainring thats 104bcd, as the new 11speed xt is not 104.

Hmm. 51 links in mine. I suppose it doesn't matter if you have a couple of joining pins close together does it if an extra link is needed.

I'm thinking about this too. Could i just buy a narrow/wide 104mm bcd single chainring and bolt it onto my current 3x9 xt m770 crankset or am I better off selling those and buying the new M8000 single ring cranks?

Not sure if the chainline would be correct if i used my current chainset?

It should be correct enough, I'm running 3x9 cranks on both my 1x9 commuter as well as my 1x11 hardtail.
The 30t rings are already spaced to the correct chainline, for the 32+ you need to add some spacers under the chainring to push it inboard.