7 or 8 speed 1992 Cannondale M2000 ?

[jawa]

Hello all,

I have a blue fade Cannondale M2000 frame and pepperoni forks in size 14" (really small)

I would like to set it up for my daughter to use, just for road/light off road use.

Ideally I would like to run a set of short cranks (152 length I think?) and have just one chainring.
I don't have any wheels yet so open to what would be good but I think a 7 or 8 speed rear. So this bike would just have 7 or 8 gears.

Can I do this? If so will the chain stay on the chainset without a front mech?

I have never done a set up like this before and so am looking for advice. regarding anything I need to do to get this to work.

I have an old LX 7 speed shifter I could use for the back.

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[drystonepaul]

Re:

Should be no problem running a single chainring without a front mech if the bike will just be used on the road and light off road.
More bumpy terrain can throw the chain off.

You'll need shorter chainring bolts and/or spacers to fit the chainring and get the chain-line as central as you can get it in relation to the rear cassette.

If you've already got a seven speed shifter then you'd be as well to stick with a seven speed cassette. Pretty much any 6,7,8 or 9 speed rear mech would work (unless you use SRAM which has a different cable pull ratio from the Shimano LX shifter you already have.
Also, a wheel with a freehub designed for an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette would work just as well as one designed for 7 speed. You'd just need to fit a spacer behind the 7 speed cassette.

 

[hamster]

It will all work, your thinking is spot on as most kids struggle to work out gears anyway so there is no point complicating things with three more at the front. You might find that fitting a front mech as a chain guide is worthwhile, usually the time it derails is when the chain is feeding backwards and under no tension.

 

[legrandefromage]

something like this for the front with a double guard. saves greasy troos

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHILD-MTB-SIN ... 4186d67e73

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... lsrc=aw.ds

 

[jawa]

Re:

thank you all for your help, great advice all round, I am feeling more confident now.

Time to get building!

 

[minor_LEGEND]

Good advice above, will be a cool little machine when built, I'm fond of little Cannondales of that era with the pepperoni's. Several of my friends had them bitd.