 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Ok, I'm a luddite still running 3x9 but want to ditch the big ring on my SLX triple and replace the middle ring with a 36t. The thing is, I don't want to add a bash - is this possible? I've been told not but I can't believe it's beyond the whit of the STW to find a way around it.
Any suggestions / pics would be very nice thank you (I would normally say awesome at this point but some grumpy people don't like it).
Stop saying awesome. That goes for all of you.
You can, you'll need shorter chainring bolts, and or spacers/washers to make it fit. Someone had one in the classifieds a day or two ago. Looked crap. Why no bash? They're awesome.
Edit. This One. Perhaps Naffa can explain himself.
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/slx-crankset-1
Just need shorter bolts. I don't really understand why it would look any worse than the current crop of 2x10 SRAM or Shimano offerings. Apart from being able to see the spider which is hardly a deal-breaker. It does look a bit silly with 32 /22 though. 36 will be fine.
Superficial, you had several opportunities to slip in an "awesome" or two there, but have failed.
Thanks all, thought it was odd that I'd be told it couldn't be done.
The thing I'm now wondering about is if I'll be able to use the full cassette with a 36t up front. At the moment, as per the original instructions, when setting the front mech up I have to choose between the chain rubbing on the front mech at the top or the bottom of the cassette, it won't run smoothly across all of them.
Any ideas?
You can use all the cassette on a 36 in the normal middle ring position. Mine works fine like that. It doesn't like small small though:P
Glad it's not just me! I can use all of them but it gets a bit noisy when using the 11t at the back. Wouldn't be an issue if I still had thumbies...
I recently ditched the 44t and fitted a 36th middle on a 3x9.
Not an slx crank though,.
It works fine - I can use the whole cassette with the 36t and actually use the 22t a lot less than I thought I would.
However, the FD is quite fiddly to get exactly right. Limit screws and FD height had to be precise. Even now I get a tiny bit of chain rub on the FD cage when in 36x11, but I can live with it. I also drop the chain from time to time but I think I left it one link too long.
It looks ok (i ended up with red alloy chainring bolts as they were the cheapest short ones) the FD looks too high, as there's no big ring, but it's not so bad that I need to buy an m665 FD.
Edit: forgot to mention that 2x9 is in fact awesome, but typing on a phone is not.
I've moved from phone to iPad, so can now type that I fitted a double specific SLX front mech which works much better with the 36/22 setup, clearing the bash by a few millimetres and as it has a capacity of 14 teeth suits a 36/22 nicely, so no cage rub in the 36 ring.
Space the bb out a little for better awesome chain line and all combinations are fine - everything from big-big to small-small. That's one of the awesome benefits of a double set-up, reduce duplication but use every single awesome combination.
Seriously, it is awesome!
Please note 'Awesome' is not the only superlative. Other superlatives are available from all good dictionaries and thesauruses.
I am going to go 2X9 no bash because I lost one bolt during an awesome ride and the bash guard washers are nigh on impossible to find (most shops have been an awesome amount of help). I am sure the performance will still be awesome.
to be honest i'm still not convinced about upping the 32 to 36. the 32 is an awesomely versatile ring and if you don't use the big ring, why do you need a compromise?
you need an awesome bash guard. we all do.
changed my mind. the 36 is cool. fit one. you'll love it, it's a way of life.