Crazy impulse buy.. ORBIT something,,, What is it? and WHY??

[randomdan]

Cheers guys, Everything working well so far. Couple of commutes, and it seems to ride nice.

Bonus: I can cut down on padlocks when chaining it up outside work. Nice enough to ride, but not a magnet for the random scrotes that frequent the area (so there's the logic in the mudguards and the colour )

@ Weeman_mtb
1x7 seems pretty sweet for gearing - Front is 42t and I put a new SRAM 12-34 on the back. Thing is the SRAM goes 12-28 for the first 6, then 34 for the last, so this is like only one climbing gear. That said It is plenty enough to get me up the steepest tarmac I can find around here.

Only one niggle, the chain dropped once when I chucked it off a high curb on the way back from town, so I think I need to bodge or buy a chain guide to stop this happening or stop using the pavements (but this is Sheffield so no chance)

 

[weeman_mtb]

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Cheers for the feedback on the 1x7 setup, my only concern is dropping the chain like yourself. I've got the front chainring lining up bang in the middle of the rear cassette and I'm going to run a bashring on the outside to keep the chain on and oil off my trousers. If I still end up dropping the chain off the inside then I'll bodge up some sort of chainguide, they're so expensive to buy for what they are.

 

[NeilM]

Re: Re:

If I still end up dropping the chain off the inside then I'll bodge up some sort of chainguide, they're so expensive to buy for what they are.

A very large (9mm) cable tie around the seat tube will do. That is what my son uses on his commuter road bike.

 

[weeman_mtb]

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Thanks for the tip Neil, that's a nice simple solution.

That's actually given me an idea if the gap between the frame and the chainring is a little too large for a cable tie. I'm thinking that it would be pretty easy to adapt one of those Zefal style pump brackets to do a similar job.

Anyway, hijack over, sorry dude, back to the Orbit.

 

[randomdan]

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Its no problem we were on that subject so no hyjack was committed at all

Have been scratching my head with this one I must say (and keep admiring the blackspire chain device on my brother-in-laws 4x bike)

Anyhow, my bodge. I had a couple of front mechs lying around including an old pitted suntour LTD that I'd scavinged bolts from for another, so hacksawed away the end and bent the two plates together in the vice until they were a touch wider than the chain, fit then adjust to position using the stop bolts.

Looks like it ought to work, the chain certainly can't drop from the top anymore although it could still come off the lower side of the cog if I backpedal - I haven't had the chance to try it yet, to busy today getting mud on my clockwork

 

[weeman_mtb]

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Just the job .

By complete chance I picked up a Roox chain device at the car boot today for £2!

 

[randomdan]

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Top job, can't go far wrong for £2.

What sort is it? Is it a top guide that clamps onto the seat tube or a BB bracket one with a roller?

 

[weeman_mtb]

Re: Re:

Top job, can't go far wrong for £2.

What sort is it? Is it a top guide that clamps onto the seat tube or a BB bracket one with a roller?

It's just a guide that clamps onto the seat tube, the cage is adjustable for the chainline. It's a really neat job but it's not going to do anything different to your solution, couldn't knock it back for £2 though .

 

[randomdan]

Re: Re:

It's just a guide that clamps onto the seat tube, the cage is adjustable for the chainline. It's a really neat job but it's not going to do anything different to your solution, couldn't knock it back for £2 though .

Yeah, I'd have paid that, and then some...

Mine might just end up being a temp fix till I wait until I can find the proper guide at the right price. Then again, if it works, plenty of my bodges do end up being permanent :roll:

 

[xerxes]

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If I still end up dropping the chain off the inside then I'll bodge up some sort of chainguide, they're so expensive to buy for what they are.

I've been running a 1x7 setup for years without a chain guide and have never had any issues with the chain coming off. Prior to the invention of double and triple chainsets bikes were set up like this anyway.