Hey all. I just bought a used Trek 3700 and put a new rear derailluer on there (well, the LBS put it on, after I spent about a day failing). The front has 3 chainrings, but no derailluer. I want to go down to just one chain ring in the front (I believe it is 48 tooth), with an 8 speed cassette in the back.

What, if anything, would I need to worry about when doing this? It seems like that set up would create stress on the chain.. but maybe it would be fine. Could I put a front derailleur on there, simply to help guide the chain straight onto the front chain ring? I'm trying to tackle very small mechanical projects, cause larger ones have always left me frustrated and sulking up to the bike shop.