Originally Posted by
mzeffex
Is it possibly to just remove the small chainring and have it work? Of course I'd need to adjust the shifter. The front derailleur says 105 triple on it. And would this throw off the chainline or anything? I wouldn't think so. Finally, would the current bolts work or would I need shorter ones? Thanks.
Yes it is possible to do. You have to adjust the hi-low screws on the derailleurs both front and back and generally re-tune the shifting again. The chainline doesn't change, so that isn't a problem. You don't need new chain ring bolts since the small chain ring just uses single chain ring bolts directly attached to the crank arm:
http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830646645.pdf
But you do need to take of the crank arm to remove the small chain ring. There are special tools to counter-hold the chain ring bolts when removing them, but a lot of people just get by by using a flat head screwdriver.
All in all it does take some effort. There are some small advantages in avoiding annoying wrong downshifts and make it easier to adjust the front derailleur when changing cables. It is also possible to reattach the small chain ring if your needs ever changes again. So if you like to tinker and spend some time learning something, then why not.
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Regards