After solving the issue of the Di2 battery mount on the Fnhon frame, and modifying the Ultegra R8150 rear derailleur cage to a shorter version, I am almost ready to start assembling the bike.
The drivetrain and shifting components on the Fnhon Ultegra Di2 12 speed folding bike are mostly new, except for the Ultegra R8000 crank arms which will be carried over from the Dahon MuSP. I did not get a new Ultegra R8100 crankset to match the rest of the Ultegra R8100/R8150 groupset, as I only need the crank arms and not the chain rings. Therefore, it is more than good enough to reuse the R8000 crank arms on the new setup.
Let's start with the cassette. A 12 speed road cassette is needed for the Ultegra Di2 12 speed setup, and I can choose between a 11-30T cassette or a 11-34T cassette. On the Specialized Aethos and Focus Paralane, which have front double drivetrains and are dedicated road bikes, I chose the 11-30T cassette for its tighter gear spacing.
However, for this new Ultegra Di2 setup on the Fnhon, it will be a 1x12 speed front single setup. Therefore, the gear range will be decided by the range of the cassette, while the chain ring will shift this gear range higher or lower. I decided to use the wider range 11-34T cassette on the Fnhon Ultegra Di2 12 speed folding bike.
I actually had a Dura-Ace CS-R9200 11-34T 12 speed cassette as a spare, but decided not to use it on this bike. Instead, I decided to get a new Ultegra CS-R8100 11-34T 12 speed cassette, to match the rest of the components and also to do a comparison with the Dura-Ace cassette.
The Ultegra R8100 11-34T cassette has 1 large spider carrying 5 gears, and a smaller spider holding 2 gears. The other 5 gear sprockets are loose parts. All sprockets are made of steel.
Ultegra R8100 11-34T cassette weighs 341 grams, which is a big increase over the 256 grams of the Dura-Ace version.
A Shimano 12 speed chain is recommended for use with Shimano 12 speed drivetrains, to ensure HG+ shifting performance. If you use other cassettes or other chains, you will not get the HG+ shifting feature.
I will be using the Dura-Ace/XTR grade CN-M9100 chain for maximum rust resistance. For new chains, I would be degreasing it completely, before putting on the Tungsten All Weather Wax Lube. This is a drip on type of wax lube that is very effective at keeping the drivetrain clean.
Freshly cleaned chain after going through the whole degreasing process.
Heating and blowing the chain to speed up the drying process, especially from the inside of the chain.
The metal chain gets pretty toasty when blasted with hot air.
Fresh degreased chain, ready to be installed and lubed with wax!
Weight of whole chain, including the quick links, is 226 grams.
Next problem to tackle is to find a compatible narrow wide chain ring for the Shimano 12 speed chain. This chain is different from others, as it has an extended inner plate chamfer for chain retention. Most chain rings will not be compatible to the Shimano 12 speed chain, unless it is specifically designed for it.
The Wolf Tooth 46T Drop Stop chain ring is not compatible to the Shimano 12 speed chain, so I need to get a new chain ring. Problem is, Wolf Tooth does not make a chain ring that is compatible to Shimano road 110 mm BCD crank arms, and also compatible to Shimano 12 speed chain.
Luckily there are other narrow wide chain ring manufacturers, one of which is Stone. They have an extensive range of narrow wide chain rings which are available in nearly every possible combination.
What I need is a narrow wide chain ring with these features:
1) Can be mounted on Shimano road 110 mm BCD crank arms.
2) Compatible with Shimano road 12 speed chains.
3) Available in my preferred chain ring size, which is usually 44T, 46T or 48T for my folding bikes.
While ordering the suitable chain ring from Stone, I was also advised to get the KMC Missing Link to connect the Shimano 12 speed chain, instead of using the original Shimano 12 speed chain quick link. This is apparently because the Shimano 12 speed chain quick link is a bit different from the chain links, which makes it incompatible with some chain rings. This confuses me, as I can't understand how the Shimano 12 speed quick link is compatible to Shimano chain rings, and yet not compatible to other chain rings.
KMC Missing Link for 12 speed chains. Amazingly, it is compatible across different brands.
Shimano quick link on the left, KMC Missing Link on the right. Can you spot any differences?
KMC link on the right has a step in the middle, making it slightly thinner. This is supposed to be the difference that requires the KMC link to be used instead.
Stone narrow wide chain ring in 46T, compatible to Shimano road 110 mm BCD crank arms and Shimano road 12 speed chains.
Shimano 12 speed chain fits well on the Stone chain ring! Although it doesn't say that it is compatible with 12 speed chains, I was assured by the seller that it is.
Small clearances between the teeth of the chain ring and the chain links. This means good chain retention, but may also cause more driving noise.
With this, the drivetrain of the Fnhon Ultegra Di2 12 speed folding bike is settled.
Cassette: Ultegra CS-R8100 11-34T 12 speed
Chain: Dura-Ace/XTR CN-M9100 12 speed
Chain Ring: Stone 46T Narrow Wide, for Shimano road 110 mm BCD crank arms
Crank Arm: Ultegra FC-R8000, 165 mm
Rear Derailleur: Ultegra RD-R8150 with extra short cage from RD-R8000
Nice! How are you liking the 1x chain ring? I was looking for a 1x NW 12-speed compatible ring a while ago, but in the end just went back to 2x.
ReplyDeleteThis chain ring is good, fits all my requirements and works well.
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