Chain Reaction Cycles are having a bit of a sale on their XT 1x11’s, I decided to pull the trigger and get one. I was planning to go 1x10 with a cassette and chainring upgrade to avoid having to replace everything, but this deal seemed to good to pass up.
But now the big question for me: how do I know if I can squeeze an 11-speed drivetrain onto my existing wheel/hub? I currently have 10-speed, and am hoping it’s not too much trouble to get an 11-speed on there. Worst case scenario is new rear wheel?
If you already have a Shimano 10-speed cassette, the 11-speed will fit with no problem.
I swapped one of my bikes from 3x10 to 1x11 last week. I went with a mix of components (XT derailleur, SLX shifter, KMC chain, Sunrace cassette, Absolute Black oval chainring) and used my existing cranks to keep the cost down. I’m loving it so far. Shifts are great. I like it a lot more than the SRAM 1x11 on my other bike.
11/42T cassette? Once you’ve got everything installed try pedaling backwards on the biggest cog and see if the chain drops. It does for me with this drivetrain and some others within a 1/4 and 1/2 turn. Just something to keep in mind while riding! Mostly affects me if I get stopped on a steep climb in granny gear and try adjusting my pedal position to get clipped in.
My chain doesn’t drop on SLX 1x11 but just cranking reverse when I am off the bike results in some autoshifting off the 42T into the smaller cogs. Haven’t noticed a big problem on trail yet but the drive train is pretty new so it might need some adjustment anyway.
