I've been reading and reading, trying to become accustomed to the world of singlespeed MTBs after my recent venture into the arena.

I am confused beyond belief at the crankset options. Spiderless or not, what size BCD, convert a double or triple, etc. I have a bike with a regular english threaded BB. Looking for a 32T chainring. Would like to find a light, inexpensive crankset option...preferably that will work with the 32t chainring and bashguard I have.

Thoughts? Reading materials?

You are over-thinking it... This is not a difficult problem. I think you read too much. What's the BCD of your current chainring? Get a crankset to match.. Decent choices would be Shimano XT, or SRAM X.0 or X.9.

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Unless you'll be getting serious airtime on the bike, I think something like the Truvativ Stylo is not too heavy at a fair price.

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Practically every triple will do the job, just remove the rings and fit your new single specific ring in the middle, bash in the outer and sell your unused rings!

Shimano HT2, Deore through SLX through XT depending on budget, buy used to save even more money.

Unless you KNOW the BB shell has been faced, get it done!

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Impoverished weight weenie wanna-be!
Budget 26" HT build viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110956

Thanks, gents.

It's 104BCD, so that means we're probably limited to a triple.

Truvativ Stylo 1.1 has a 104 BCD, as have many other single speed chainsets.

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I just use a XT with mine. I picked up a deal on Ebay with bottom bracket and no rings new. Not the lightest but it was cheap and very functional.

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I use a old shimano Exage triple with a square taper. That really cheap and surprisingly not that heavy. also the square taper BB last forever.

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I'm using a Middleburn RS7 Uno setup with a Raceface Titanium Taperlock Bottom bracket.

Have found Middleburns to be faultless throughout a decade of riding.The Uno setup is really nice too as you can simplify the look of a crankset but losing the spider for a spider mount chainring.

Like this...

http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/579 ... eburn2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pick up some XT or XTR cranks used via fleaBay, MTBR classifieds, etc. and stick a 104 bcd ring on there (non-ramped) with the correct bolts and you are styling. Be sure to lube those bolts too!

If I were building a single speed now I see only one crankset choice. SRAM XX1. It won't use your 104bcd chainring or bashguard but it will provide the best chain retention possible with the proprietry ring design.

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I even use a standard chainrings on mine and I have never had a chain drop off. Un ramped chainrings make sense if you have to buy new rings but if you have rings and teeth are not super short then use use them.

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Picked up a used XTR M960 a couple of years ago. Cut the mounting arms down, removed both large and small rings. Then sent to Shawneebikes and had him work his magic.



Mounted a custom 32t ring from Homebrewedcompontents (you take your chances if you order anything form the guy now days)


Sent it out to have it smoothed out and ceramic coated!



Installed on my current ride: Vassago Jabberwocky



Couldn't be happier...well actually, I wish the BCD was a more standard size, 104 vs the 102 as finding rings is somewhat difficult since HBC has become unreliable at best IMO.

Don't over think it! You can covert darn near any crank into SS. If money is an issue then running a Truvativ is fine. Personally, I wouldn't mind trying the new Sram X1 crank (supposed to be for 1x10 set up or something like that) I am thinking it will have some wacked out BCD as well (could be wrong...haven't done any research, just saw a single picture of it once).

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Pointless as chain retention on an SS is just about matching the chain length to distance between centres!

Budget option would be a square taper BB and something like a Stronglight track chainset (which is what I use on my 1x9 commuter) cheap and light.

Otherwise just get any decent chainset and run a single specific ring in the middle or outer (depending on how and where the ring is at the back), my 1x9 MTB is using an XT HT2 with an E13 ring in the middle location.

In my case as it's 1x9 I'm using a bash and guide ring (home made) as chain retention.

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Impoverished weight weenie wanna-be!
Budget 26" HT build viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110956

Ditto this. You don't even NEED a SS specific ring.

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