1998 Lava Dome going to single up front

[Berserker]

My old trusty 1998 Kona Lava Dome is in need of some attention. Wire to the front derailer is frayed, so I' m naturally concluding that I need to change to a single up front and a new rear casette , shifter, clutch derailer etc. Any way to keep the current cranks and find one of the newfangled thin/fat rings to mount on the existing 94 BCD (middle position)? I can't see a ten speed cassette fitting on the back, but maybe a nine, anyone know?

BTW, it's not just the wire that's gone, it's the chain, teeth on the rings etc, but BB feels nice and smooth, and the cranks are nice.

 

[Mindmap3]

What cranks are they?

As far a I know the thick thin rings are only available in 104bcd to replace the middle / large ring. They work really well....I'm totally sold.

The clutch mechs are a revlution. I have both a Sram and a Shimano one and the Shimano one is more effective. The Sram one works well enough but I still get sine chain slap and mech clatter iced great rough stuff.

If you can run a 9 speed set up a 10 speed set up will fit. There is a way that yo can run a clutch mech on a 9 speed set up but it is a bit of a bodge. Sram 9 speed shifters will work with a 10 speed Zee clutch mech if you add 6mm of spacers under the cable where it clamps.

 

[Reluctant]

A nice green '98 Lava Dome? Cool bikes!
The oe crank is a 5 arm CPi which you can't get a NW ring for, so you'll need to change the crankset and maybe BB.
Clutch type mechs are only available for 10 speed systems. If you still have the original wheels, they'll be seven speed with and Acera rear hub. So you'd need to change the rear wheel or at least the freehub body.
You'll need a ten speed shifter, cassette,chain and rear mech too. Expensive.
There might be cheaper ways to do what you want depending on what you use the bike for. For street use, I'd go 1 x 7 and use a chain device to keep things tidy at the front.

 

[Mindmap3]

Clutch mechs are worth the investment to cut down on the noise. My Zee mech was only £40 and makes my Stanton much nicer to ride. The shifter was only £20 so it doesn't have to cost a fortune to upgrade. I dud use the old cassette and chain from my Rune though.

 

[hamster]

I don't see why you need a thicker chainring. There are plenty of replacement 5-arm rings from Stronglight and TA which will outlast three Shimano rings. Try Spa Cyles for a huge selection.
Add in some single ring (thin) chainring bolts for around a fiver and you are sorted.

 

[Mindmap3]

I don't see why you need a thicker chainring. There are plenty of replacement 5-arm rings from Stronglight and TA which will outlast three Shimano rings. Try Spa Cyles for a huge selection.
Add in some single ring (thin) chainring bolts for around a fiver and you are sorted.

It's the profile of the teeth - they alternate thick and thin to match the chain. The benefit is no chain guide needed if you run a single ring. My Race Face ring has almost been flawless even at places like Antur Stiniog.

 

[hamster]

I understand the point of it, but a huge spiral of swapping out stuff simply to get a thick / thin ring seems pointless to me. Turn the front mech stop screw to use it as a chain guide, add a decent replacement ring and off you go...

 

[Mindmap3]

Fair enough.

The big thing for me is no chain guide needed which helps to keep noise down. No matter how much you fiddle with chain guides, you often end up with some rubbing in the most extreme gears. Not so with a thick thin ring.

If you were going to go 10 speed it'd be a no brainer for me but going 10 speed just for this does seem a lot of expense.

 

[Berserker]

I appreciate all the input - fantastic. Your opinions are all perfectly valid. I'm not keen on getting a new rear wheel and was thinking that a newer cassette might fit. The current rear mech might live to fight another day, but not without some parts and attention - the path of least resistance seems to be a new 7 speed cassette, rear mech, chain, middle ring, and chain "keeper".

One really good question was, what do I use the bike for? Well, I use it for the daily cycle path commute (includes paved 20 degree climb, gradual paved slope with speed bump "obstacles"/"ramps", flat gravel path etc, and I use the bike for trips around Oxford (flat and muddy), and Chilterns (steep hills, muddy and clay). I bought a cheap commuter bike but proceeded to destroy the BB, pedals, wear out the brakes, tyres and pretty much everything else (all within a year) which is why the Kona has to serve double duty - the experience has clearly shown me that good quality isn't just more fun, it can also be cheaper, so now I'm approaching the Kona project in this mind frame, but, regrettably, not with an unlimited budget!

More info: I easily do the commute climb out of the saddle using the large ring without hitting the big sprocket on the back - I can climb in the saddle using the largest sprocket; I rev out (90/100 rpm I'm guessing) on flat road sections; climbing off road it'd be good to stay in the saddle and have a better ratio than the current big ring/large sprocket combo. I can tell I'll be looking at compromises (or hoping for dry weather so I can do all ascents standing)!

 

[wookiee]

Clutch mechs are worth the investment to cut down on the noise. My Zee mech was only £40 and makes my Stanton much nicer to ride. The shifter was only £20 so it doesn't have to cost a fortune to upgrade. I dud use the old cassette and chain from my Rune though.

+1 for the Shimano Clutch or "Plus" as they like to call it! I had the M985 which was a beautiful mech, faultless...the a branch got caught in it and it exploded 2 weeks ago! Couldn't justify a new XTR one so I've gone with the M786 XT version with the clutch. Have to say that it functions every bit as well as the XTR...just looks less bling