A number of folding bikes use a single chainring and an 8 or 9 speed cassette. This can provide a fairly decent range of gears for riding in not too hilly terrain. It also has the advantage of simplicity, saves a little weight, and avoids unusable gear combinations. Bike Friday is promoting a line of "minimalist" folding road bikes with this setup.
I've also seen low end comfort bikes with just a 7 speed cassette and one chain ring. These
Just out of curiosity, does anyone use this setup on an ordinary (non-folding)road bike? How does it work for you?
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Just out of curiosity, does anyone use this setup on an ordinary (non-folding)road bike? How does it work for you?
I tried it, but with not such great success. The problem is that the chain is somewhat more prone to coming off the chainring if no derailleur is present. Most of the single-chainring setups you mentioned have "guide" rings (also functioning to protect pants cuffs from the chain) to keep the chain from coming off. But, IMO, if you are going to need either two extra chainrings w/o teeth, or a front derailleur, anyway, you might as well have the gears. Perhaps a "chain watcher" would be enough, but I haven't tried that.
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David L. Johnson
__o | Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I can _`\(,_ | assure you that mine are all greater. -- A. Einstein (_)/ (_) |
