Budget 1×11 convertion

[Andy Moreno]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster, I have a rather rambling advice-seeking question about converting to 1×11.

I have a Giant Trance 2×10 with Sram components, and I’m really keen to get it upgraded to 1×11, but I’m on a tight budget.

I believe my only options would be:

– Shimano SLX
– Sram GX
– Sram NX

But since I have a non-XD hub that throws out GX. And I read that the NX cassette would probably eat up my alloy freehub body due to having so many loose cogs!

Since I’m on a budget I was playing with the idea to keep my pressfit GXP bottom bracket, so that lands me right into the NX camp again.

I would guess my ideal solution would be mainly NX components, perhaps some GX parts thrown in, with a Shimano cassette.

So, let’s line up some questions:

– can I use a Shimano cassette with a NX derailleur?
– which pressfit bottom bracket would I need if I went with SLX? (all listed on SLX site are threaded)
– do you all have any better advice for all this?

Thanks for your time,
/Andy

[Brian87]

I was suspect you will be fine with a shimano cassette and the nx.  I currently use a shimano cassette with my gx derailleur.  As far as the press fit, that I’m not sure on.

[Brock Putman]

I’ve got a giant trance also,  so if you wanna get rid of your 2×10, let me know.  I’m running 3x right now.  Never touch my biggest chain ring

[John Fisch]

One of my bikes is a 3×9.  I use the big ring all the time — as a bash guard 😉

 

[Alvin Mullen]

My question is, how often do you use your lowest gear, and highest gear?

I had a 3×9 with 22/30/40 front gears, and a 11-34 cassette. I almost never used the big ring, and very seldom used the small ring. I pulled the front derailleur, spent $30 on a clamp on front chain guide, switched the front to a 32t narrow/wide with a bash ring, and changed the rear cassette to a 12-36 and just run 1×9 now..

 

If you did the same thing, but got the sunrace 10 speed 11-42 cassette you could run 1×10 with same range as a 1×11.

[Alvin Mullen]

If you got this cassette,  http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/sunrace-mx3-10-speed-shimano-sram-cassette/rp-prod149194?gs=1&gclid=CIzup6X43M0CFQ-raQod1qIAVg&gclsrc=aw.ds    this  guide http://www.jensonusa.com/ORIGIN8-Torqlite-Ul-Chain-Guide?cs=Black  and a 32t front sprocket. You end up 1×10  11-42 for under $200

 

[Alvin Mullen]

And when I say 32t sprocket up front, I mean one that fits the current BB and crank, unless they are wore out, no need to change them. Even if you go 1×11 you current BB and crank should work.

[Gdb49]

1×12 is coming out soon, should get a great price on a used 1×11.

[Andy Moreno]

Hmm, very interesting!

But the chainline would be wrong if I just used my current 2x crank, right? Or are there adapters to slighly move the chainring towards the centerline?

[Alvin Mullen]

Chainline, maybe yes, maybe no,, you can use spacers to correct.. The recommend  straight chainline is to the center of the cassette, but it really makes a difference what gears you use the most where your chainline really should be.  Most average riders tend to ride from low to about 5th or 6th on a 1×10 and very seldom use 9 or 10.

If you mount a bash ring where your current big ring is, and your new drive ring where you current small ring is your chainline will be skewed toward the low gears, if you ride more in lower gears you would be fine.  if you don’t use a bash ring, and mount the new drive ring where the current big ring is, your line will be skewed toward higher gears, in which case you should use spacers to get the line over more toward center.  The caveat to that would be if they used spacers between the crank spider and the big ring on your current setup to align the chainline, then you could remove the spacers, add a bashring and the chainline should be good.

If you chainline is centered, technically with a narrow/wide front you shouldn’t need a chain guide unless you ride pretty hard all the time. I use one just in case.

[Aaron Chamberlain ✓ supporter]

You could always get SRAM GX and buy a Shimano 11 speed cassette. They work just fine together.

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