This post is based on something I did around June 2020. I’m writing it now from the notes and photos I kept.
This Kalkhoff Voyager Pro was the first bike I bought after moving to Germany. I used it for long rides from Buxtehude to Hildesheim and Hannover, and for another trip to Cuxhaven. It was a big part of my first years here.
It had a 3×9 drivetrain, but most of my riding was on flat roads and I rarely used the front gears. When I did use them, the shifting was not always smooth and the chain would occasionally drop.
For the way I rode, the front derailleur was not worth keeping.
The original 3×9 drivetrain.
Converting it to 1×11
The plan was a 1×11 drivetrain, with all shifting handled at the rear. That would leave fewer moving parts and only one shifter to think about while riding.
I wanted to do the conversion myself, partly to learn how the drivetrain worked and partly to keep myself busy during the pandemic. That meant bringing the bike into my apartment, buying a repair stand and a set of bike tools, and ordering the drivetrain parts from bike-components.de.
The main parts were:
- SRAM 11-speed cassette
- SRAM NX rear derailleur
- new chain with a master link
- 32-tooth oval chainring
Once the parts arrived, I removed the old drivetrain and tyres, installed the cassette, took off the front derailleur and shifter, fitted the new chainring and chain, and adjusted the rear derailleur.
For about two weeks, the bike occupied part of my apartment while I worked on it after work. Some parts were slow to arrive during the pandemic, which stretched the project out a little. Chain length and derailleur alignment were the two areas where I had to stop, check the instructions, and measure once more before cutting anything.
Checking the chain length before cutting it.
The result
By mid-July, the bike was ready.
The completed 1×11 drivetrain.
The bike looked cleaner overall, especially at the handlebar with one shifter gone. With all gear changes handled at the rear, shifting also needed less thought while riding, and the chain no longer dropped.
The conversion is still on the bike and working well. Since moving to an e-bike, I use the Kalkhoff less often, but it remains my second bike.
One small compromise
The 32-tooth oval chainring works, although it is a little small for the flat roads I normally ride. When accelerating, I have to click through more rear gears than necessary before reaching cruising speed. A larger front chainring would get me there with fewer shifts.
It is a minor annoyance rather than a problem with the conversion. I have been meaning to replace it for a while, but apparently temporary component choices can last quite a long time.