Originally Posted by
mymorningjacket
Will converting to a single 42t front chainring be bad for the gear ranges? Obviously it will drop half my gears, but what i'm wondering is how is a 42 x 11-32 gear ratios? Will that be sufficient or will it be really restricting?
How would we know that? Here's a novel idea - Unless there's a pressing need to change to 1x right now just ride only the 42 tooth for a while and see if it restricts you. Frankly, I don't see the attraction of losing a chainwheel. It's hard to believe that a front derailleur would be very problematic on a bike in that price range, and what you gain in simplicity you lose in extra wear, as you will be riding the small cogs more than before and wearing a single chainring instead of two.