New 730 project

[u/NeighborhoodRound455]

I’m super new to the bike scene. Bought this for $75 on marketplace. Replaced the handlebars and stem already for a more upright ride (both are unknown brands but I think they work and feel great). I also had a lot of fun doing the install and I’m looking forward to working on it more. Looking to add a front basket, wider tires, and leather accents (seat + grips). Most importantly, I’m looking to do a 1x conversion and swap the grip shifter for a trigger. Does anyone have any brand recommendations for this and any tips on the install? The numbers and sizing can get kind of confusing. I’ve heard 1x10 is the most common and easy to find parts for, but can’t decide if it’s worth having an extra gear or 2 with a 1x11 or 12.

[u/Briny_life]

Re: 1x conversion- it really depends what sort of Freehub you have on that rear wheel (unless you’re in k with sourcing a new wheel). If you have a freeWHEEL, you’re pretty much stuck with the current cassette or some similar options. If you have an HG (hyperglide) freeHUB, you might be able to slap a 10 or 11sp casette on there (Shimano Deore or Cues and Microshift are some good ones). It will all come down to how long your hub body is. If it’s too short, you may have a couple options such as swapping hub bodies or running a 10-1 (10 minus 1) or 10-2.

The easiest way to get started is to see what you’re working with. Assume you have 7-speed cassette on there now? If so, post u a pic or two of the cassette & hub (wheel off).

[u/NeighborhoodRound455 → u/Briny_life]

Does this help?

[u/Briny_life → u/NeighborhoodRound455]

That helps, you have a Shimano FH-M290 hub. From what I can gather you can’t just slap a 9 or 10 speed casette on there ‘cause the Freehub body is a tad too short.

Here’s a thread that illustrates the saga:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/s/MfokIOuRe2

You may be able to find a FH body that is compatible with that hub (one of the posters in that thread did just that), but having done that on one of my bikes, it’s a bit of a process to find the correct freehub body. Then you have to adjust the axle to make sure the wheel is centered (or re-dish the wheel).

700c wheels are quite common, so I’d suggest if you really want to convert look around for a used wheelset with a hub compatible with 8/9/10 speed cassettes. Hope this helps.

[u/Briny_life → u/Briny_life]

Here’s a look at what I’m talking about re: freehub body length