Thursday, December 19, 2013

Road or MTB Components for Dahon / Tern Folding Bikes? - Part 3

For this third and last part of this series, we will discuss the remaining components on a typical folding bike. These are the drivetrain components that are closely interlinked, and must all be compatible in order to work well.

Do check out the first and second parts of this article in order to get the full story!

The drivetrain components are:
3) Crankset + BB
4) Cassette
5) Chain


3) Crankset + BB

The crankset and the BB are integral parts of the bike. The power that you apply through your legs needs to pass through the crankset before it goes to drive your rear wheel. The BB needs to be smooth spinning to minimise resistance. Therefore, choosing a good crankset and a smooth BB is important for efficient power transfer.

For folding bikes, the most commonly used cranksets are road bike sized cranksets. These usually come as a standard front double of 52/39T or compact 50/34T. However, most folding bikes come stock with single chainrings, as they are not designed for speed or touring and don't need a wide gear range. Most well designed 20" folding bikes come with the standard 52 or 53T front chainring. 


Dahon Mu P8 with a standard front single 52T chainring.

Other performance-based folding bikes such as the Dahon Vector X20 or the Tern Verge P18 come stock with a front double road crankset. The chainring sizes are usually a standard 53/39T or the larger 55/44T. The larger chainring offers higher top end speed for stronger riders, while the small chainring gives you the low gears required for steeper slopes. This wide gear range makes the bike a very versatile bike with the ability to go almost anywhere.


Tern Verge P18 with a larger 55/44T chainring to compensate for the smaller 20" wheels.

As you can see by now, Dahon / Tern folding bikes come with either a front single chainring of about 53T, or a front double chainring of 53/39T or 55/44T. Why don't we see MTB cranksets on Dahon / Tern folding bikes?

The answer is because of the gear range. Small wheeled bikes have a natural lower gear range due to their smaller wheel diameter compared to MTB or road bikes. Comparing to road bikes or MTB, even with the same drivetrain setup (cassette and chainring), the gear range will be about 20%-30% lower due to the smaller wheels.

For most riders, using a standard 53/39T crankset with an 11-28T cassette on a 20" folding bike will be sufficient for almost all terrain. Although the gear range is not as high as that on a road bike, it is sufficient because:

1) Most folding bikes don't go as fast as road bikes. In short bursts it is possible, but it cannot be sustained without greater effort than road bikes.
2) Small wheeled bikes are less stable at high speeds (>40km/h), thus the highest gears are seldom used.
3) The top gear combinations on the road bike (53/11 and 53/12 on 700C wheels) are too high for normal* usage anyway.

*My definition of normal refers to an average rider that rides mainly for leisure, with a cruising speed of 35km/h or below on a road bike.


Shimano 105 5700 road crankset, 53/39T. A popular choice for folding bike upgrades due to the affordable price and good performance.

If a MTB crankset is used, the gear range will be quite a bit lower. Using a front triple crankset as an example, the typical Trekking crankset is 48/36/26. The low end gear range is very good, especially on a small wheeled bike. However, the top end gear range will probably not be sufficient. If a Shimano Dynasys MTB crankset is used (optimised for 26/27.5" MTB), the front triple combination of 42/32/24 is definitely not enough for flat ground pedaling.


Deore Trekking crankset, 48/36/26T. Not quite enough top end speed for flat roads or downslopes. Great for touring though.

Deore XT MTB Dynasys crankset. Typically 42/32/24T, good for large wheeled bikes but not enough top end speed for small wheeled bikes.

Due to gearing limitations, road cranksets should be used on Dahon / Tern 20" folding bikes. MTB cranksets will also fit, but the gearing will not be ideal as there are too many lower gears and not enough high gears. The ideal gear range is where all the gears have a chance to be used on normal flat roads and slight up/down slopes. Having too many unused low gears or high gears means a gear range that is not optimized.

Another reason to use road cranksets is to facilitate the installation of a front derailleur (FD) if required. For Dahon / Tern folding bikes, an FD can be installed on the frame, either on the frame FD hanger itself or through the use of an FD adaptor. In either case, the FD type that can be used is only the braze-on type, which needs to be attached to the frame/adaptor directly. Only road FD come in braze-on models; MTB FD don't come with braze-on models, thus MTB FD cannot be installed on Dahon / Tern folding bikes. Since only road FD can be used, naturally only road cranksets should be used if front shifting is desired.

Braze-on road double FD mounted on Dahon Boardwalk using a LitePro FD Adaptor

Even for loaded touring on 20" folding bikes, there is no need to use a MTB crankset. A better choice would probably be a road triple crankset. A typical chainring combination for a road triple would be 53/39/30T. The 53T large chainring will give you some speed if required, while the 30T small chainring will get you up most slopes. Any steeper and you are probably better off walking!

4) Cassette
The choice of cassette has a very big impact on the riding characteristics of the folding bike. Cassette sizes can vary greatly, especially between road and MTB cassettes. As stated, there are two types of cassettes, road and MTB.

Road cassettes are characterized by the smaller gear range and closer gear ratios across the whole cassette. The common sizes for a 10 speed road cassette would be: 11-23, 11-25, 11-28, 12-27, 12-30. The advantages of a road cassette would be the smaller difference in gear ratios between the gears, which allows better cadence control. This in turn enables more efficient and comfortable pedaling at the preferred cadence. Another advantage is the lighter weight of a road cassette, due to the smaller sprocket sizes and thus lesser material.

On the other hand, the disadvantage would be the limited gear range. Due to the smaller spread of gear ratios as compared to a MTB cassette, there would be times where you have an insufficiently low gear when going up a steep slope. This is less of a problem on small wheeled bikes, as the smaller wheels already mean a lower gear range.

Shimano 105 CS-5700 12-27T cassette

A MTB cassette is noted for its wide gear range, in order to tackle all sorts of terrain and slopes. MTB cassettes typically have a size of 11-32, 11-34 or 11-36. The advantages of a MTB cassette is definitely the wider gear range, as provided by the large low sprocket of 32, 34 or even 36T. This large sprocket will give you a low gear ratio that can help you climb up steep slopes.

However, the disadvantages are that they are quite a bit heavier than road cassettes. Depending on the actual cassette combination and grade of cassette, a MTB cassette will be about 50% heavier than a road cassette. Another point to take note is the larger steps between gears. Due to the need to achieve a larger spread of gear ratios across the same number of sprockets, the jump between each gear is quite big. This is OK for off-road riding, as there is no steady cadence anyway. However, it will be more difficult to maintain a comfortable cadence on the road, as the next gear is usually too low or too high, making it difficult to find the perfect gear and maintain the optimum cadence.

Shimano XTR CS-M980, 11-36T cassette

Comparing the sprocket sizes for road and MTB cassette:
10 speed road 12-27T: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27
10 speed MTB 11-36T: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36

Using these two cassette sizes for comparison, you can see that the MTB cassette has a larger difference in gear ratios between gears.

 Larger jumps in gear ratios on the MTB cassette. Close ratios on the road cassette is important for cadence control, especially for the higher gears.

 
 The gear steps between each gear on the MTB cassette is larger than the road cassette

From what I have observed, Dahon / Tern bikes with front single chainrings (Eg. 8, 9, 10 speeds) usually use a MTB cassette in order to achieve the gear range required. For example, the Tern Verge X10 uses a wide range 11-36T MTB cassette. This gives it a wide gear range that can cover most terrain. However, it suffers when riding on the road for longer distances, as the big jumps between gears will make it difficult to maintain a comfortable cadence. 

For 8 or 9 speed folding bikes, the gear range will be smaller. For example, the Tern Link D8 uses an 8 speed 12-32T cassette. The gear range is not as large as on the Verge X10, as the gear steps will be too big if we try to achieve 11-36T on an 8 speed cassette.


Tern Verge X10 with 11-36T cassette for a wide 10 speed gear range

As for folding bikes with a front double chainring, such as the Dahon Vitesse P18, they are equipped with a road cassette (11-28T) for better cadence control on the road. Although the cassette itself does not have the super low gear of MTB cassettes, the front double crankset with the small chainring will do the job of providing the lower gears.


Dahon Vitesse P18 with 11-28T road cassette, and front double crankset. Together, they enable better cadence control and also a wide gear range.

For Dahon / Tern folding bikes with a front single chainring, I recommend a MTB cassette for a wider gear range. This will enable the bike to be used even for steeper slopes. Of course, if you have powerful legs, or don't climb slopes, you can probably get by with a close ratio road cassette and a front single chainring.

As for Dahon / Tern folding bikes with a front double chainring, the best option here is to use a close ratio road cassette. The road cassette will give you the optimum gear at all cadences, and the front double crankset will give you the gear range required for flat road or slopes.

Note that the choice of rear derailleur (RD) needs to match the type of cassette used. A road cassette should use a road RD for best shifting performance. A MTB RD will work with a road cassette, but the shifting performance will suffer.

On the other hand, a MTB cassette must use a MTB RD. A road RD cannot reach the larger sprockets of a MTB cassette and thus cannot be used.

Indirectly, this also affects the choice of shifter, as MTB RD should go with MTB shifter, and road RD should go with road shifters...which brings us back to Part 1 of this article.

5) Chain

Lastly, the chain! The only purpose of the chain is to transmit the rotation of the crankset to the rear cassette. Although the role of the chain may seem simple, it is at the heart of the whole drivetrain! Without the chain, the bike is practically useless.

There are many different chains out there, but the main difference is the width of the chain. 8 speed chains are wider than 9 speed chains, which are again wider than 10 speed and 11 speed chains. Chains should always match the speed of the cassette and chainring, in order for rear or front shifting to work properly.

Even for chains of the same speed, there are also road and MTB chains. The differences are minor, which means that using a MTB chain on road drivetrain components or vice versa is likely to work normally.

The differences are the shape of the chain links, such as the chamfers on the edges of the links. The surface finishing of the chain links are also different. Road chains are normally more shiny due to the plating on the surface, while MTB chains are usually less shiny. High end chains are also differentiated from normal chains by the use of cutouts in the chain links for weight savings.

Of course, whenever possible, use road chains on road drivetrains, and MTB chains on MTB drivetrains for best shifting performance.

Dura-Ace CN-7900, with cutouts in the chain links for weight savings. It is also very shiny and corrosion resistant due to the Ni plating.

CN-HG73, a normal 9 speed chain. No cutouts in chain links or Ni plating.

For Dahon / Tern folding bikes, there is nothing special to take note for the chain. Just ensure that the correct speed of chain is used and the shifting should work fine.

Conclusion

Now that we have come to the end of the 3-part article, let me summarize the key points:

Shifter + RD/FD
- For front single folding bikes, either road or MTB components (shifter + RD) will work equally well.
- If you want to use MTB shifters and MTB RD on your folding bike, I would suggest using a short cage RD, such as a Shimano Saint or Zee RD.
- Avoid mixing road and MTB shifters + RD.
- For a folding bike with a front double drivetrain setup, a road setup is the only way to go.
- Only road double FD will fit on Dahon / Tern folding bikes.
- If you want to have a front double drivetrain for your Dahon / Tern folding bike, use standard road double components.


Brake Calipers + Brake Levers 



Crankset + BB
- Due to gearing limitations, road cranksets should be used on Dahon / Tern 20" folding bikes.
- The ideal gear range is where all the gears have a chance to be used on normal flat roads and slight up/down slopes. Having too many unused low gears or high gears means a gear range that is not optimized.
- Only road cranksets should be used if front shifting is desired.

Cassette / Chain
- For Dahon / Tern folding bikes with a front single chainring, I recommend a MTB cassette for a wider gear range.
- For Dahon / Tern folding bikes with a front double chainring, the best option here is to use a close ratio road cassette.
- The choice of rear derailleur (RD) needs to match the type of cassette used.
- Chains should always match the speed of the cassette and chainring, in order for rear or front shifting to work properly.
- Using a MTB chain on road drivetrain components or vice versa is OK.

With this knowledge, you should now be able to choose the correct type of road or MTB components for upgrading your folding bike!

88 comments:

  1. Hi Steve
    Do u know where can get crank bolts for single crank usage on ultegra 6700 10spd?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmm I believe you can just use a normal single chainring bolt for the outer chainring. Not very sure about the length and thread size, you just got to give it a try.

      Delete
  2. Hi

    Any idea what speed chain is required of the Litepro 47t Crankset? I tried putting on a SRAM Omnium and the stock chain of my Dahon Mu Uno doesn't even fit. Makes me wonder if the stock chain is even a single speed chain...

    Btw, do you have an email or something in case I have any other questions you can help with? Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Sram omnium is a track crankset with a thicker chainring. It needs to be used with a true single speed chain that is wider. I think the Mu Uno doesn't come with a single speed chain.

      The LitePro chain should work with all chains. Just select the chain that matches the number of speeds on your rear cassette.

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    2. Thanks Steve.

      Thing is, I don't have a cassette. Its a single speed coaster brake. Kinda confusing...

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    3. In this case just get a single speed chain. To be sure, bring your bike or chainring or sprocket to the shop when you buy the chain, to confirm that it will fit.

      Delete
  3. Hi Steve, I'm upgrading the crank on my Tern Link D8 to a Tiagra crank set. Though it's designed to be used with a 10-speed chain, I'm wondering if it's OK to continue using my 8-speed chain since I will be removing the smaller chain ring anyway. So it's single speed up front.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It should be fine. You may still need a bashguard fixed to the outside of the chainring to prevent chain drop.

      Delete
  4. Hello Steve,
    It's me again. I remember you posted before that triple cranksets don't fit on Dahon and Tern bikes. I noticed you posted about a triple crank set here, so I wanted to ask - is this still the case? If it isn't, do you know anyone who's installed a road triple on a Dahon or Tern? My bike's a 2013 Vitesse.

    Also, I finally managed to score Tiagra SL-4600 + SL-4603 flatbar shifters. As per Shimano nomenclature, the SL-4603 is meant for a triple crankset. Would you be aware of a method to lock out the third chainring setting if I were to use this lever with a road double crank? I had read about fiddling with the limit screws and cable pull to effectively disable the third position for the third, smallest chainring.

    Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know of anyone who installed a road triple on a Dahon or Tern. Usually on small wheeled bikes, the small chainring of a triple crankset is not needed as the gearing may be too low.

      I believe that a triple crankset can fit on a Dahon or Tern, but the tricky part is fixing on the FD. If your bike has a welded on FD hanger (such as Tern Verge P18), then it may be possible. However, if you are using an FD adaptor such as LitePro, the adaptor itself will block the FD from going to the smallest chainring.

      Not sure why you went to get a left triple shifter, as it should be used with a road triple crankset.

      However, you could try something like this to make it work with a road double. Not recommended but may work.

      Basically you want to use gear 2 and 3 as your front double settings. Gear 2 on the shifter will correspond to your front low gear (39T). Gear 3 on the shifter will be your front top gear (53T).

      Fiddle with the cable tension, so that when you are in Gear 2, the chain will be on the small chainring. Adjust the limit screws as required. If you got the cable tension correct, shifting to gear 3 will put the chain on the large chainring. This adjustment will be complicated by the trimming clicks on the left triple shifter.

      Delete
  5. Thanks Steve for the input. After a bit of looking, apparently there are quite a lot of people where I come from (the Philippines) that already do the unofficial triple-shifter-to-double-crankset fixing procedure you outlined. If I do proceed with upgrading the front gearing I now have more confidence that it works.

    Cheers and happy riding!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Steve, i intend to upgrade my 8 speed folding bike to a 10 speed and double crankset though will have to use a litepro adaptor, my question is which 105 cassette size should i get? thank you. your website is very helpful for those who want to diy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would suggest either 11-28T or 12-27T. Both have a low enough range for slopes. The cassette with 11T has a higher top gear for down slope pedaling, while the other cassette has a 16T sprocket which I personally like, as it is at a comfortable Cadence for me.

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    2. Thank you Steve for your advice and have a good weekend. :)

      Delete
  7. Can you please suggest an exact Hollowtech crankset that will fit my Tern Verge P9? Which would be comparable to 55t (or even 56t)? I think I read you suggested the 105 to someone but I only have 9 gears so…would I just put the chain on the outermost right and not use the inner chain ring? Would that be the 105 5750 or 5700? Would I get the hollowtech crankwheel and just swap out the chainring by adding my own 55t chainring to it or…? I’m confused. Sorry. I want to upgrade to hollowtech but I just want to make sure I am buying the right thing. Thanks for any help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shimano 105 5750 is a compact crankset 50/34T), with 110mm BCD. The one you need is the standard crankset 5700, 53/39T, with 130mm BCD.

      Yes you will just mount the 55T chainring on the outer side.

      You will also need a compatible Hollowtech 2 road BB. 68mm, English thread.

      Delete
  8. hi , i have a peerless firebird having a 52t on front and sram x7 (8 speed). i just to know if i upgrade my crankset to tiagra 4600 (52t ,39t) will fit to the rear gear and chain. thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it should be fine. Note that you need to change to a compatible BB also.

      Delete
  9. You can change a mtb cassette with a road cassette as the spacing between gears are the same.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi

    I have a Tern Verge P18, I would like to convert it to single speed with the least cost. Any recommendations? Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a zero cost method, which is to not shift the gears. This will give you a single speed bike.

      If you want to change out the components to be single speed, here is what you will need.

      1) Remove both shifters and shifting cables.
      2) Remove front derailleur.
      3) Remove inner chainring from crankset, this leaves you with a single large chainring up front. Buy shorter chainring bolts.
      4) Remove the cassette, and leave only 1 piece in your preferred gear size. Use spacers (need to find at bike shops) to set the single sprocket at the correct position on the freehub body, such that you get a chainline that matches the front chainring.
      5) Leave the RD on the bike, as you will need the RD to maintain chain tension, since there is no horizontal dropout or eccentric BB to maintain chain tension.
      6) Cut a small section of shifter inner cable, such that the cast head on one end is in the cable adjust barrel on the RD, and the free end is clamped by the RD cable clamp nut. Adjust the clamping of the inner cable so that the RD can be fixed in the position that matches the position of your gear sprocket.

      The only cost incurred is buying the spacers for the freehub body, and the shorter chainring bolts for single chainring. However, you do need some technical skills to align the single sprocket and set the RD position properly.

      Delete
  11. Hi Steve
    I have a tern p24h. Do you think its feasible to change my cassete to 11-28t and the internal gear hub can act as FD (sorry im new to biking and loving it :) ) can i still climb steep hills with that set up? Thankx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The internal hub gear does have the function of an FD, which is to lower or increase the gear ratio for different terrain.
      Changing from 11-32T cassette to 11-28T cassette will increase the minimum gearing, making it a little harder to climb hills, since the lowest gear is now not as low.
      The advantage is that you get closer gear steps, allowing better cadence control.

      Delete
  12. Hi

    I have a Tern C7 and I upgrade to the Shimano 105 Crank and during fast changing gear the chain sometimes falls off. Any tips on this?
    Thks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get the Tern Main Stay Chain Guide.
      http://www.ternbicycles.com/features/mainstay-chain-guide

      Delete
  13. HI ,
    I am riding a Tern D8.
    I am upgrading my ride to a 10-speed Tiagra. Which cassette should i go for?
    11-25T: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25
    12-28T: 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28
    12-30T: 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30

    And if i want to upgrade my front to a double crankset, Which brand/model should i go for?

    My ride are for mainly 80% Flat road & 20% uphill.\

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not sure of your fitness level, but assuming you ride at least once a week, and have above average cycling fitness, here is my recommendation.

      12-28T cassette would cover a good range. Together with a front double crankset, such as a Shimano 105 5700 crankset with 53/39T, the range would be great for almost any terrain.

      Delete
  14. Hi Steve,
    I just bought a Tern Verge D9 and I am finding the gaps between the gears uncomfortable; it is simply geared too high for my 60-year old legs! I ride every day and don't own a car. I had the idea that simply changing the chainring would give me more of a bottom end (right now I ride in 3rd and sometimes 4th gear; 5 thru 9 are way too high!). Any advice?

    Thanks, in advance!
    Lisa,

    Cambridge UK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seems that there are 2 issues here.

      1) Large gaps between gears would be due to the big jumps in number of teeth between gears. The solution is to use a closer ratio cassette as compared to the stock 11-32T cassette.
      2) Changing to a smaller chain ring would shift the entire gear range downwards, making it possible to use the higher gears.

      Delete
  15. Hi there. I'm wondering whether the FSA Gossamer is compatible with a Dahon Speed P8? Kindly enlighten. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is compatible as long as you get the correct 68mm bb to fit the crank and the frame.

      Delete
  16. Hi, cool blog! Got some great tips for my folder.
    Was wandering if you could suggest a compatible bb and crank setup for my dahon vybe c7. I've been looking at octalink stuff but am a little out of depth Re. Gearing

    Cheers, T

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are looking at a new crankset, I suggest a Hollowtech II crankset. Tiagra cranksets are affordable, and are available in 53/39T, which is suitable for small wheeled bike gearing. Need to get a Hollowtech II, 68mm English threaded BB to fit this crankset onto the frame.

      Delete
  17. Hi! Thank you for this very informative website, im Mark from the Philippines, the use of folding bikes have gone up for the past couple of years due to unbearable traffic scenarios. I hope you continue in informing your readers how folding bikes can be beneficial to everyone's life. Got a question regarding crank and gear options, i'm planning to get a 56T chainring with a 11-36 cassette, would this be effective rather than getting a shimano 105 with 11-32 cogs? Thank you and have a great day bikers!
    Mark C.
    UFB Philippines
    Share the Road

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It will work, but because of the large cassette, you will need to use a long cage mtb rd. This would put the rd cage quite close to the tires or the ground which is not ideal.

      Delete
  18. Hi,

    I have a Tern Link D8 and would like to upgrade my crankset. I am looking to keep the single speed in the front. I typically ride flat ground but do have uphill climbs when riding through bridges (I use my bike to commute in NY). I also plan on keeping my flat handlebars. Would you recommend purchasing an entire groupset? or should I just switch out the crankset, cassette and chain. Both options will end require me to go 10 speed. Would love your advice on this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What is the purpose of your upgrade? To save weight? To get wider gearing for climbing?

      Delete
  19. I want to reduce weight but I also am someone who loves doing upgrades. I was considering getting a tiagra group set but the brake levers wouldn't work on my flat bar. So I'm thinking just buying a crankset, cassette, and chain. May be leave my shifter alone since I barely switch gears(my link d8 is stock and I only ever use 5th and 6th gear). Can my stock 8 speed shifters still work on a 10 speed crankset upgrade? Also, a product recommendation would be great. I have been shopping for crankset and it honestly feels overwhelming even after reading your guides haha.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are getting 10 speed crankset and chain, might as well get the full 10 speed system. Get the cassette, Rd and shifter too. Can check out the new Tiagra 4700 components.

      Delete
    2. Hi Steve, thanks for the useful info re upgrade for Tern D8.
      I am gg to upgrade to 10 Speed with 1 x chainring set up for losing weight and smoother gear change), ride 80 flat/ 20 upslope).
      Planned configurations: Tiagra 11-32 cassette, Tiagra long leg RD.
      Question: Is there a recommended single chainring crankset ?
      Tiagra minimally has 2x10 speed crankset.

      Delete
    3. I usually get a Wolf Tooth narrow wide chain ring for a front single setup. Check out how it is done on the Dahon MuSP, Dahon MuEX or the Fnhon DB11.

      Delete
    4. Hi Steve
      Tks for the prompt reply. I will proceed with the wolftooth as advised. For the crankset, do i procure the Tiagra and discard the double chainring or is there any recommendation for the BB (for my Tern D8) and crankarms (my height 174cm) ?

      Delete
    5. What I do is to replace the double chain ring with the single narrow wide chain ring. But the chain ring might cost more than the Tiagra crankset...

      Delete
  20. Hi. I have a folding bike with a Shimano 11-34T Megarange cassette (7-speed) and 52T single chainring. I am happy with the 34T for climbing but I observe that I can't go as fast as I could with the current the 7-speed configuration. I am thinking to replace the single chainring with a double chainring. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you already spinning out (cadence >100) with the top gear of 11T on the cassette? The top combination of front 52T with rear 11T is a high gearing, so unlikely that the lack of high gear is the issue.
      Changing to a double chainring will not make you faster, it gives you a smaller chainring that will give you a lower low gear.

      Delete
  21. Thanks love your knowledge sharing, its kinda hard to find good information about folding bike, so many mtb n rb. Looking forward for tern verge n8.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wondering if you could give opinion, I'm going for tern verge n8, 1x8 speed, is it good choice for Funride, could it be upgradeable to shimano sora or double chainring.?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hello Steve,

    I am currently on tiagra 4600 groupset single chain ring on my Tyrell fx, and looking to upgrade to double chain. Just to confirm I just need to get a 5700 double chainset and FD, without the need to change the BB right? Thank you so much in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes you can use the same bb. Need to get left side double shifter too.

      Delete
  24. Hi,

    I have a Tern D8. Plan to upgrade to 2 x 10 speed. I ride to work everyday and sometimes weekend long rides with uphill. I plan to change to drop bar as well. Need your advice for options. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go for the new Tiagra 4700 groupset. 2x10 speed.

      Delete
    2. Would there be a problem installing caliper brakes on tern d8? For RD/FD what adaptor is do i need? Thanks

      Delete
    3. I would recommend using 451 sized wheels with caliper brakes. Else the brake caliper cannot reach the rims of normal 406 sized wheels.
      I think the D8 can mount rd without additional adaptor, but will need the Litepro fd adapter.

      Delete
    4. Is it ok to use medium cage for RD?

      Delete
    5. No issue, but short cage will look neater. You only need medium cage for triple road crankset.

      Delete
  25. hello, I am from Argentina, I bought a Link D8 2016, and after using it for a few months and enyoying it a lot, I've decide to upgrade some parts, first was Ergon Grips, Brooks B17, MKS pedals, and Shimano Deore breaks, now I would like to upgrade the drive train to ULTEGRA 6800, WHAT would you suggest? which rear wheel do I need? for the 11 speeds... also, any other suggestion? I use my bike for commuting, but also for touring , that is why I thought upgrading and saving some weight could be the way to go... thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In Singapore, a popular 11 speed rear wheel is Wheelsport and Controltech. See if you can get it online from Thorusa.

      Delete
    2. Thank you so much Steve! your blog is so interesting and helpful for people like me living in countries with not that much easy access to the folding bike industry...!

      Delete
  26. Hi,

    I have a Tern Link P24h for touring purpose. I am thinking if it is worth upgrade the stock 11-32T 8 speed cassette to 11-34T 8 speed cassette for easier uphill riding. I don't want to upgrade to 9 speed because that will cost a lot more to replace all related components.

    Would you recommend me to switch from 11-32T to 11-34T? Will that actually make a significant difference? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think there would be much of a difference since it is only 2 teeth difference. Might be better idea to use a 10 speed cassette with 11-36T. Of course you also need to change shifter, rd and chain.

      Delete
    2. Thanks and let me reconsider if I should really change to 10 speed :)

      Delete
    3. I am thinking to replace my cranksets to Shimano Alfine FC-S500.

      http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/city---comfort1/drivetrain/cranksets/fc-s500.html

      I found that there are 2 variants. One with chain line 42.7mm while another one with chain line 49.2mm. I checked some articles such as the one below and it seems that 42.7mm is more suitable.

      http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/chainline-concepts#article-section-5

      However, I also found a answer in Q&A mentioned that "Using this crankset with a conventional cassette is not recommended as the chainline for an Alfine hub is direct and this is not the case with a cassette".

      http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/hk/en/shimano-alfine-s500-chainset-inc-chain-guard/rp-prod35113

      I am not quite sure which chain line I should take for upgrade. I tried to measure the chain line of my current bicycle too but I just not sure if my measurement is correct.

      In your experience, should 42.7mm chain line more likely to be the one used on Tern bicycle?

      PS: After consideration I guess I won't upgrade to 10 speeds at the moment because I will have another long touring soon. Seems risky to upgrade without enough riding test.

      Delete
    4. The 42.7 chain line should be better as it is close to the standard front double chain line of 43.5mm.

      Delete
    5. Great, thanks for your quick response.
      I am going to order the part right the way :D

      Delete
  27. Hi, im looking for a replacement crankset, bb for my Dahon Dream D6. Can you recommend?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Steve,
    I enjoy reading your blog. Great content!
    Not sure if you are still active, but it would be great if you can help me with my query.

    Wondering if I can change my current cassette of 11-32T to shimano capreo 9-26T which out changing wheel, rear derailleur, chain and other components?

    Cheers :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You need to change to a Capreo rear hub, which is hard to find nowadays. Other components may still be compatible.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Steve for the fast reply.
      I believe this is a very good deal - https://buy.ternbicycles.com/collections/parts-components/products/kinetix-pro-x-capreo-aero-wheelset

      With that I just need to find the cassette, am I right?

      Delete
    3. Sorry, if I am looking to increase speed, should I be changing my wheelset to 451 or should I try 9-26T cassette? Currently using chainring of 55T.

      Delete
    4. Note that the frame needs to have 74 mm front and 135 mm rear OLD, which is not common. Normally 135 mm OLD is for frames with disc brakes.

      Delete
  29. Oh crap.. That was a close call.
    Guess I have to drop the idea of getting capreo hub. Thanks man!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Steve, always enjoyed reading your post. Great content!
    I have Tern Verge p20 and planning to replace crankset to Sram gxp rival 53/39. Current stock is fsa vero 55/42.
    Is the gxp rival compatible? And the gxp bb can fit to my bike?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure about that, SRAM BB comes in many different specs. Basically need to match BB to the bike, and match the crankset to the BB.

      Delete
    2. I'm not sure about that, SRAM BB comes in many different specs. Basically need to match BB to the bike, and match the crankset to the BB.

      Delete
  31. Thanks for the reply 👍.
    As the verge p20 comes with stock sram x5 shifter and x7 derailluer, would be glad if I can replace crankset with sram too so that the whole groupset is Sram. There are many shimano crankset that are compatible with the bike.
    Such a waste if any sram crankset cannot fit in.I need to do more research then.
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Steve, I just went back to riding my Tern Link P9 (totally original) recently and thought of zhng-ing my bike to make uphill riding easier. Was searching online for tips and saw your post! So super helpful to noobs like me!

    Understand that changing to a double road crankset will help me for uphill riding. And I will need a FD for that. May I check with you on some stuff pls:

    1. The existing Tern Link P9 setup can only allow me to change to 10 speed? I will have to change my wheelset if I want to change to 11 speed?
    2. What size should I choose for my crankset and cassette? Should I stick to 53T for the larger chainring or can I go for bigger chainring?
    3. Do I have to change the RD if I upgrade to 10 speed?
    4. Any idea where can I get the Tern RD adapter? I tried Carousell, Togoparts, MyBikeShop, Tern global store but to no avail.

    Thank you in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes your existing wheel can only go up to 10 speed.
      A large chain ring is not needed. For me, 48T is actually enough.
      RD, cassette, shifter and chain all need to be same speed.
      Seems that RD adapter is hard to find. In that case almost impossible to upgrade.

      Delete
  33. Yup. Super hard to find. Shall see if this upgrade is meant to be then. Is it possible to just change to double road crankset and shifter without changing the rest of the stuff?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cannot, you can't even put a front derailleur without finding a suitable mount. A rear derailleur with more chain capacity is also needed for a front double drivetrain.
      Do you use all the gears, even the top few? If not, you can just use a smaller chain ring to lower the whole gear range.
      On a 406 wheel bike, I find that front 48T chainring and rear 11T top gear is high enough for me. I also use a 11-32T cassette, although it is 11 speed. Check out my Dahon MuEX https://handsonbike.blogspot.com/p/dahon-muex.html

      Delete
    2. Hey Steve, I will take your suggestion to use smaller chainring. Thank you so much for your advice! And I found the similar adaptor on Taobao (by Litepro). Thank god! Time to zhng my bike!

      Delete
    3. Hi Steve, I have all these ready to swap out from my Tern Link P9:
      1) Shimano R460 2x10 speed crankset
      2) Tiagra SL 4700 FD, RD and Shifters
      3) Litepro Seatpost
      4) Litepro Handlebar
      5) Litepro Front Adapter
      6) Dahon Rear Adapter
      7) SRAM 10 speed 11-28T cassette
      8)Deore HG54 10 Speed Chain
      9) Litepro double kickstand

      May I check if you have any blogposts that provide a guide on which component to remove or install first? And what are the things I should look out for? Thank you!

      Delete
    4. Sorry no guide on how to do it on my blog. I would first remove all the existing components that I will replace.
      Chain would be the after the drivetrain is setup.
      Seat post and kickstand cam be done separately.

      Delete
  34. Hi Steve, for the last 3 months I have been riding a 2021 Dahon Mariner D8, but finding it difficult on some of the hills on my commute where I am in gears 1~5 for probably 90% of the time.
    1. So I am thinking to change the existing 52T chainring to Shimano FC-M311 and installing only the 48T chainring, or maybe the 42T version?
    2. While inspecting the bike, I notice the Dahon derailleur is marked as 9-speed?! while the shifter is 8-speed. So would it be better to get the Shimano CS-HG400 11-36 cassette and a compatible shifter?
    3. The other idea is to go 10-speed 11-36 but that is getting a bit costly.

    Which option or other ideas do you suggest and can you recommend a suitable shifter for the 9-speed Dahon derailleur?

    Thanks, Leo from Australia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you able to change to a normal rear derailleur? Using a standard hanger instead of using the proprietary mounting of the Dahon rear derailleur. That would allow many more options.

      You can't remove the chain rings individually from FCM311. If you want a smaller chain ring, best to get a crankset with a narrow wide chain ring to prevent chain drop.

      If you use the Dahon rear derailleur, you can use a Shimano 9 speed MTB shifter, such as SLM2010 or SLM3100.

      Delete

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