After many years of 10-12000 mile averages and succumbing to a mysterious illness in 2019, which prevented any meaningful cycling since. I've purchased a E assist bike a Boardman HYB 8.9E in the hope the 'assistance' will help start/speed up a gradual recovery?
However, being a bit of a happy Luddite and known for favouring old skool bikes (and as a qualified old skool mechanic), it's taking time to adapt to this particular bike's modern set up.
Specificaly, it has 1x10 speed gearing comprising of an 11-42 cassette and a 44 tooth chainring. The cassette has at least 2 awful huge rhythm breaking gaps where one spends a lot of time cruising along on moderately flat or undulating terrain without need for the E assistance.
Having perused what new 10 speed cassettes are available with close enough ratios to suit. I would like to try an 11-36 Shimano HG50 cassette with a 36 tooth chainring. Certainly don't need the current 100" gear combo of 11/44, but would like to maintain a low gear of ~27"-28".
The FSA chainset and its ISIS splined bottom bracket are very limited because of its design regarding the BB "gearbox". But the existing chainline would remain the same. The front shifter and rear derailleur are Shimano M6000.
Is there any reason why replacing the existing 44 chainring (with its outer bashguard) with a "bare" 36 ring would cause any problems? Especially as the new cassette would have a smaller largest sprocket?
ETA: the rear hub is 135mm OLD, not one of the newer wider thru axle types
Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
Current pedalable joys
"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"
"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"
Re: Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
Hi Deliquium,
Welcome back I've noticed you've been quiet recently. I fitted a E.middrive unit to our tandem to address health issues with SWMBO and our increasing age. It's been a boon so far and increased our enjoyment and it now powers us up the hills without me having to get out of the saddle and haul it over the top. One issue we had was the chain bouncing off the single chainwheel and to address this issue ive refitted the front mech as low as possible and using longer screws to adjust the limits and secure it in position.
I can't see any issue with fitting a smaller chainring and cassette. But of course you can't address any unforseen problems until they manifest themselves.
I wish you all the best and hope your recovery goes well and you get your mojo back soon.
Welcome back I've noticed you've been quiet recently. I fitted a E.middrive unit to our tandem to address health issues with SWMBO and our increasing age. It's been a boon so far and increased our enjoyment and it now powers us up the hills without me having to get out of the saddle and haul it over the top. One issue we had was the chain bouncing off the single chainwheel and to address this issue ive refitted the front mech as low as possible and using longer screws to adjust the limits and secure it in position.
I can't see any issue with fitting a smaller chainring and cassette. But of course you can't address any unforseen problems until they manifest themselves.
I wish you all the best and hope your recovery goes well and you get your mojo back soon.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway X2, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840
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Tigerbiten
- Posts: 2503
- Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am
Re: Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
Thinking outside the box to give you a silly answer.
I don't like the look of the 10 speed cassettes, as you say the steps between the gears are wrong.
So go keep your 44t chainring and custom cassette.
Start with the 11-36 cassette, drop the 11t sprocket and replacing it at the other end with the 42t off the old cassette.
With a new lockring to fit the new 13t smallest sprocket, you'll have a 13-42 cassette with narrower steps where you want them, a top gear of just over 90" while keeping your original first gear.
The one thing you may have to be careful of is the clearance between the 13t sprocket and the ends of the chain/seat stays.
Luck .........
I don't like the look of the 10 speed cassettes, as you say the steps between the gears are wrong.
So go keep your 44t chainring and custom cassette.
Start with the 11-36 cassette, drop the 11t sprocket and replacing it at the other end with the 42t off the old cassette.
With a new lockring to fit the new 13t smallest sprocket, you'll have a 13-42 cassette with narrower steps where you want them, a top gear of just over 90" while keeping your original first gear.
The one thing you may have to be careful of is the clearance between the 13t sprocket and the ends of the chain/seat stays.
Luck .........
Re: Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
Many thanks rjb
That's a good idea! Will check out the possibility when the new cassette arrives - and yes good point about the chain/seat stays on modern bikes designed with 11 tooth sprockets as default.Tigerbiten wrote: ↑17 Aug 2022, 10:52pm Thinking outside the box to give you a silly answer.
I don't like the look of the 10 speed cassettes, as you say the steps between the gears are wrong.
So go keep your 44t chainring and custom cassette.
Start with the 11-36 cassette, drop the 11t sprocket and replacing it at the other end with the 42t off the old cassette.
With a new lockring to fit the new 13t smallest sprocket, you'll have a 13-42 cassette with narrower steps where you want them, a top gear of just over 90" while keeping your original first gear.
The one thing you may have to be careful of is the clearance between the 13t sprocket and the ends of the chain/seat stays.
Luck .........
Why it didn't immediately occur to me I don't know - all my other bikes have custom molished 8 speed 13-32 cassettes! Even have 4 spares - as before Brexit was able to purchase Shimano cassettes from Roseversand at silly prices and then dismantle and customise to suit!
Current pedalable joys
"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"
"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"
Re: Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
I built a custom 10 speed 13-42 for a recumbent. I think I used an SRAM PG 1030 11-36 cassette, dispensed with the 11T cog and fitted a 42T expander sprocket at the other end. I had to go through my collection of cassettes to find a lockring which would fit the now 13T smallest. Think I used one from an old Shimano 7sp cluster. Note that the expander sprocket I bought was SRAM specific, presumably because the shaping of the teeth or ramps differs from Shimano clusters. With the PG 1030 all the cogs were separable, they weren't pinned to a spider.
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cycle tramp
- Posts: 3562
- Joined: 5 Aug 2009, 7:22pm
Re: Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
I am sorry to hear the news. I hope your recovery is swift. Viewing your pedal-able joys photographs has always brought me happiness - the proof that although I could nether attain the sense of grace, style and speed that you have brought to the world through your bicycles, there was at least one artist who could.
It is a lost to the world that are not a professional bicycle designer, your bikes are equal in style and quality to those which appear at events like Bespoked
Re: Reducing chainring size on a new 1x10 E bike?
+ many thanks for your kind words cycle tramp
Current pedalable joys
"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"
"you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles"