Microshift Acolyte 1 x 8 group set first impressions...

 

You may be like myself and a keen off-road cyclist of natural and local trails to where you live which for myself includes the coast and it`s enviroment, and who has tried a lot of different bike designs over the years which includes the latest must have set up for xc trails (Im not really interested in Enduro/UK trail centre stuff and the bollocks that mountain bike magazines promote to justify their jobs...) and you maybe too have prob realised that what is ideal for most xc trails has already been done and is readily available, new off the shelf, and also available at sensible secondhand prices. 

You may also be like myself and agree that the price of the latest new bikes that roll out for every year (usually the previous Autumn) and latest parts is a total marketing rip off, 

So when something at an affordable price comes out that should have been done a while ago at a very sensible price you have to sit up and take notice...

So after seeing the release of the Microshift Acolyte 1 x 8 group set, I finally managed to get all three components via the USA after they're all sold out as soon as they came into the UK, as a lot of bike parts this now. I paid for doing so though with the import tax with an extra £45 over UK prices, but i was itching to get this set up to try out having read great reviews about it and some good YouTube reviews. 

The greatest thing is the cost; the ED coated steed 42t cassette is £30,  the clutch mech is £30, and the trigger shifter is only £13,  now that's under half the price for a similar 10 or 11 speed Shimano or SRAM group set, 

But what shines for me is this groupset which Microshift say its aimed at entry riders and budget conscious riders is the possible durability for beachriding, The cassette is steel and ED coated - that's what Surly use to treat their steel frames inside. And the mech is pressed steel so should last a few chain lives. Add a £10 KMC X8 nickel plated chain, and a stainless chain ring and your in for a bomber set up that is way cheaper than anything else...

Being 8 speed there will of course be more of a gap between gears, this is why I had found nothing more than 10 speed to be much of an advantage on bikes as you end up often doing double changes as the gaps are too close, 10 speed really is ideal for trails, esp if set up 1 x 10 with a stealth 22t inner chainring for real steep stuff.

Back to beachriding and in an environment which destroys bike parts a cheap strong drive chain is priority and if its cheap then all the better. The gap between the 8 speed gears would I found after a short ride along side G on the 1 x 10 speed Moonlander not really be an issue due to the plodding nature of a lot of beachriding conditions...

I soon had the group set mounted onto my large Mk 1 Surly Pugsley, though I had to scrap the idea of using a Surly stainless chain ring as it kept throwing the chain, this I can only imagine is because they are for single speed/ Internal hub gears, so I fitted an alloy narrow wide 30t SNAIL £15 chainring in the meantime...

The chain skipped a bit on first gear until I tightend the cable a few turns and also realised the chain was touching the tyre when under load due to 6psi low pressure, and fitting a slightly wider square taper bottom bracket before riding it cured this and we were ready to go...

Out with G on the Moonlander we went a short cycle around town then along to JMCP...

The gears shifted smoothly with a reassuring clunk...

The gear gaps as I said were not really an issue and keeping the coast of this set up in my head running several beach bikes I can live with it...

So far so good, the hunt is on for a cheap riced narrow wide 30t steel chainring for the set up. I can buy stainless narrow wide 30t rings made by Wolf Tooth but there not cheap at £65, I have one ordered for the second new Pugsley 2.0 frame set I bought before they sold out and will build up as an ECR style build 29+, but that's another post...

Wee film, song is `Business or Pleasure` by Phontaine,

More soon...