3 chainring to 1 chainring

[Ty G]

Is it a common thing for any of you to go from 3 front chainrings to just one?

[hjknox]

A lot of people do it. Front ders are a pain in the backside, and most of the time one in front is more than enough. I, for instance, am not a super strong rider, and I ride a 1X in southwest Colorado. Tons of climbing and it does just fine. I only ever miss the bigger ring on my way to a trailhead when i'm spinning out on a downhill. The simplicity is way worth it in my opinion. And, if your rear der breaks, and you have a quick link, you can shorten your chain and singlespeed it pretty easily and efficiently.

[joeydurango]

I'm with Knox.  I ride a 1x10 about half the time.  The other half is on my singlespeed - after riding one gear only for years, having ten of them is amazing!  I find that the speed at which most people spin along in their small chainring is pretty much the same speed at which I can walk my bike... and that gives me a break from riding, too, which is important for big days in the saddle.

[nick]

I like the idea of 1 ring in the front but it seems so limiting, you just cant get the gear range. Singlespeed, well that's an other story,  only the really crazy guys do it here. I find it's just to slow, derailleurs are really not that complicated.

[jhl99]

Really don't understand why the orignal poster calls front derailures a pain.
The only time they touch the chain is when shifting, so they basically don't wear out.
They don't get sucked into the spokes.
They don't tension the chain.
They are fairly well protected from rocks and sticks.
With 2 or 3 chainrings, you nominally spread the wear accross the chain rings, improving their lives.
I've gone through maybe 15 rear derailures to one of the front, and the front is still going strong.
Where is the downside? 


OK, the cable/mechanism can freeze, but at least in some conditions, you can reach down and give them a little help.

[joeydurango]

All good points.  That said, as a lifelong rider, mechanic, World Cup wrench, and now shop owner, front derailleurs are still my least favorite part of the drivetrain.  I think a lot of people feel the same way, hence the popularity of 1x drivetrains... of course, over-hyped marketing shouldn't be discounted, either.

[sherpaxc]

I'm a 1x9 rider (been a SS rider for 10+ years).  I just leave it in my normal SS gear on the trails but use the shifter for riding to the trails.  It's been nice.
My question with all this is, I have a 32 front ring on SLX cranks.  How small of a front ring can I go?  I'm sitting here thinking of the last time I did the Colorado Trail and how much I was in the granny ring.  What is the smallest possible front ring?

[joeydurango]

Get a Wolftooth skinny/wide 1x ring and you can go down to a 28t!

[bartspedden]

I went from 3 to 1 about 4 years ago and have had a good experience. It was a bit a mental jump to be honest. When I first tried it I just removed my front derailleur and big/small chainring and went for a ride. I picked a very techy route to see how I felt. It was a 32T chain ring and I forget the rear, but it was a 9 speed. The chain came off a number of times, but I was hooked. I went out on a smoother loop and felt like a hero after cleaning all the climbs (all small for a total of about 1600'). I kept riding all my normal trails and it all felt new.  Each ride was more fun. I was spending more time riding, less time shifting. I got a straight tooth chain ring and a chain guide, and I stopped dropping my chain. So, when it came time to build up a new bike in 2010 I went 1x10 and still love it!

It is a mental hurdle though, but in the end, I'm not sure what I was so scared of. It's just a hill/mountain. I'm gonna work hard regardless. I did get stronger. But now I don't really care much about how much vert a climb is, I just pick my pace and chug through it.