Marin Bobcat 3 MTB Upgrades: 1x Microshift Acolyte Drivetrain for less than $150
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- Опубликовано: 22 сен 2024
- We continue our upgrades to our 2021/2022 Marin Bobcat Trail 3. In the last Bobcat upgrade video we put a new fork on and went with a Rockshox Judy Silver TK 27.5 120mm travel air fork. It shed some weight and made a big difference on the overall performance of the bike.
Next up for us was the drivetrain. We wanted to see if we could do it for $150 total for parts and we chose to use the newish entry level Microshift Acolyte system which with a KMC 8 speed chain runs around $100 which is great. We went with an inexpensive crankset for around $50. If you are in Houston and want to do some upgrades, let us know! If you want to upgrade your own bike and support the channel, click on some links below and we'll get a small commission. If you have any questions, please comment on the video and we'll do our best to answer. Thanks for your support!
#bikingroots, #marinbobcatupgrades, #microshiftacolyte
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@BikingRoots
Microshift Acolyte 8 speed Shifter
amzn.to/3H2kZMu
Microshift Acolyte 8 speed 12-42t cassette
amzn.to/3nY37cH
** not many Acolyte products on Amazon right now, will update as they become available... Sorry!
What 1x Drivetrain did you do choose for your bike? If you have any questions on upgrade decisions, comment below and I'll try and answer!
Could I use the stock shifter and derailer with this cassette just to save money?
@@danielstalans2108 no they're incompatible. Stock derailleur doesn't have enough reach for the wider range cassette and if it did somehow fit it would cause many chain drops on the trail
Just bought a Marin Bobcat 3, this was the perfect video for what I was looking for. Planning on swapping to 1X ASAP
Thanks, glad you found it useful. Good luck with the 1x swap, you’ll love it!
A my bike shop FnA Outdoors I sell Acolyte mixed with Advent/Advent X or Shimano Deor shifters and cassettes. The HG driver is still alive for many on a budget. I install them for $225 out the door. (parts and labor) Microshift parts properly sourced will be less than $130 shipped
Nice, where are you guys located?
Awesome trail, picking up my first bob cat later today 😊
Oh nice congrats! Which color did you get?
I have 2 hardtails. The cheaper if the 2 is a 2019 Trek Marlin 5. I converted to a single speed (my GT is a 1x9 that I bought that way), used a Bucklos crank and JG Bike 32 tooth narrow/wide chainring. Works great, although my BB sounds like it needs service.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve used the bucklos cranks before too and they worked well. Hope the BB issue gets resolved… may just need to be cleaned out. Take care!
I've been running that same setup for a while now and I love it. Less gears less problems honestly. The 46t is fine for climbing especially down here in the south where we aren't doing hour long climbs up mountain terrain. My 1x is a 34 tooth with ixf crankset. It has taken a beating and it's still working. I'm 6"4 210 pounds and I jump so that says a lot for a 50 dollar 1x
Thanks for sharing and glad it has held up to your riding style! Yeah for the price, it is tough to beat. I did end up after this video going to a different crankset in the video. Much better now. Have fun with the bobcat!
Thanks for the video. I just got a microshift cassette on my road bike. Its every bit as good as shimano.
Oh right on! Glad, you did and hope it works out well for you
Thanks for the video Evin!
No problem! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you for these videos i have the same bike and will probably do similar upgrades! My drive train is already failing me
thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear about the drive train but good luck with the upgrades!
Absolutely nothing wrong with square taper, I still use them and never had a problem. Just check the bolts are tight periodically.
Thanks for your comment. That’s good you’ve never had an issue. I think it depends on the type of crank you have. Other than the weight penalty, the square taper design is very robust. The issues usually start when they develop play usually caused by cheap and weak cranks. This is what we see come through my shop all the time. They start to wear away at the cranks, which develops play, which then if not tightened, just gets worse and worse until it falls off.
@@BikingRoots For the last couple of years I have used an Action crank with a Sunrace BBS15 square taper bottom bracket. I run Box 4 drive train and never had a problem.
@@BikingRoots do you know what bottom bracket it exactly is? Mine has started making a clicking sound and I'm thinking of replacing it. There is no play or anything it just clicks.
Video is a lifesaver. Looking to upgrade my bobcat 3 to 1x. My issue currently is I am unable to pull the cranks/chainring off, probably due to corrosion. Any tips for removing?
Sorry for the delayed response! Were you able to get them off? With the right puller, the crank arms should come right off. If corrosion than maybe some liquid wrench in there and let it sit overnight then try again. Good luck!
@@BikingRoots yes managed to get them off after a while! Got the 1x on going to see how it’s like with the factory cassette. I’m in north Texas so most of what I ride is pretty flat.
@@pdiddyfu Oh nice! Yeah, try it and see. May be fine, then later on go for the bigger cassette and clutch derailleur
thought give update on my micro shift 9 advent conversion over a year with it thru just minor trail riding nothing above medium rated trail mud snow flooded trails the bike and the advent performed well the lock ring did fail on cassette about year in after 4 thousand miles i'm able to get 14 to 16 mph i did hit 18.4 but that was with 200 ft decent great bike we sank in lot mud mid winter noob mistake i should put winter tires on it i did after that mistake but just like in recent video that followed this time to let the marin go fighting over a fuji nevada or bighorn and may a communal sure i butchered is meta ht origin just not feeling SRAM sx . any hoot put 6 k miles on it so ya its a solid starter bike for low impact rides the Marin will hold up amazed many Trek owners who spent much more than me and few santa cruz owners not enough to trade bikes thou they just see me pounding the trail with them like a pro take care keep posting
Thanks for the update! Glad it has worked relatively well it sounds like over a good amount of miles! Appreciate the info and good luck in the future!
can we put an EXT fork on it next time? Maybe hayes dominion a4 brakes? Possibly onyx hubs we are one rims as well?
Wow, I can’t believe we didn’t do that?! What were we thinking?! Haha, maybe next build…
Hello, would the advent 9 or advent x work on this bike by any chance, thanks
Hello, thanks for the question. Yep, no problem. You could put an advent 9 or the x on there without any issues. Good luck!
Just picked up this bike, not a fan of the 2x. Will Shimano Deore 11 speed groupset with a sun race 11-51T work on this frame?
Oh nice, congrats. Yeah, we are not either, wish it didn’t come with one, maybe next year all bobcats will be 1x. As we have not done that Deore combination with the Sunrace yet on a bobcat, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t work. We’ve put a 12 speed Eagle drivetrain on one before and it was fine. I believe the freehub body should have enough space for the sunrace 11-51t cassette
I'm looking at the Sram NX Eagle for my upgrade. Do you know which choice I need, the 170 or 175mm?
Ok, nice, yes that group set would work well on the bobcat. Unless you are on an XL frame, I’d recommend a shorter 170mm crankset. Good luck!
Great vid! Link to crank set or part number?
Thanks for the question, so unfortunately after that video, we had a couple of those cranks fail (the aluminum was too weak and it rounded out where it bolts). I've been recommending this one which I've used in the past with good success and reliability amzn.to/3qcmX9u. I should have used that one for this video but I was trying to make it as simple as possible. The link crankset comes with a better and lighter bottom bracket to install (so you do need an additional tool) but if you can find one or someone help you, a good upgrade! Good luck!
@@BikingRoots Thanks for the reply really appreciate it. I have a Trek Marlin 5 gen 2 and I did the micoshift acolyte drive train with a shimano m361 crank. Unfortunately with the shinamo m361 crank the chain line is so bad that after 2 pedal strokes I lose the chain on the front chain ring.I even mounted the single chain ring on the inside of the crank to get the best chain line possible.
@@108Hawke ah bummer, sorry to hear that. Yeah with square tapered bottom brackets, sometimes cranks can have weird chain lines. In addition, you don’t have a narrow wide chain ring, so more chances of falling off. I’d recommend (if possible) just buying a new narrow wide crankset and bottom bracket and it will get you going. Good luck
I have the same bike, the cranks suck and want to go to a 1x12 drivetrain with a through axle. I'll be getting the same derailleur and rear drivetrain but changing the front cranks to a more expensive setup and through axle.
Frame unfortunately is for quick release only so a thru axle would not work. You can put a 12 speed drivetrain on it though as long as it is an HG driver.
Hi, what is the maximum speed for the cassette for the bobcat trail 3, can i use 10 or 11 speed? Thanks
You can actually go to a 12 speed NX eagle drivetrain if you wanted (we’ve done one on the bobcat before). You need to use a non boost crankset though. Speeds and range totally depend on where you ride and your preferences. So yeah you can use 8-12 speed on that HG shimano freehub body
Are square taper cranks universal? I bought some from amazon but they don't slide on the square axle as far as the original cranks. I also have a Marin bobcat trail 3
Spindle lengths can vary, but you should be able to put it on, then start screwing in the bolt (which is what actually pushes it on the spindle). That’s why you need a special tool to remove them off of the spindle. They shouldn’t just slide on or off. If they do, then they are usually rounded out and need replacement. Hope that helps!
After a few dif cranks I found the IXF crank arms go on the spindle much further than other Amazon brands. I found there's ISO & JIS spindles which don't seem to be interchangeable. Works great, loving the new drive train. Thanks for the videos
@@tylercarpenter4329 Glad to hear. Yeah, we've used them on various bikes over the years and seem to work fine for a low cost option. Hope it works well for you! Take care
Can you use a Shimano 8 speed shifter and the Microshift derailleur?
Sorry for the delay. No unfortunately not. Microshift has a different pull ratio so it won't work right
Having trouble locating that sun race crank set. Could you drop the link :)
Sorry for the delayed response. Yeah they are tough to find however since this video we’ve had a couple quality issues with them so I’m actually not happy with them right now! I have a generic alternative that I could potentially recommend. I’ll update it in a bit in the comment section of the video
@@BikingRoots Is there an alternative crankset you can recommend for this conversion?
@@worldismyoyster I’ve used these in the past and work pretty well. You just need an additional tool (bottom bracket removal tool) to remove and install. Here is the link amzn.to/3pBIS9C
Where is that entrance to that trail? I wanna check it out
At the beginning of the video or at the jump section?
@@BikingRoots 9:06
What is the total cost of getting 1x installed. My bike is a gt aggressor pro
hey man, sorry just responding. I believe we spoke on the phone today. If it wasn’t you let me know! Thanks
Is 1 x 36T chainring good for this frame?
Hmm, I haven’t tried it on this frame. It may be a bit big to go to a 36T and still have the chain line that you need. I probably wouldn’t go bigger than 34T.
Where to in México?
Oaxaca Bike Expeditions. Looks fun! Some day
How much travel for the Rockshox Judy?
In the straight steerer and quick release versions you have 2 travel options for 27.5 bikes (100 or 120mm). In the 29” version you have 1 option (100mm). Good luck!
@@BikingRoots mine is bobcat 5, and am planning to upgrade to 140mm fork as I normally rides on technical trail with jumps. What is your advice?
Dude... For that price get the IXF cranset. Much better.
Yeah agreed. We’ve used those on other bikes. For this one we were just trying to do an inexpensive tapered crank that had a name brand without needing to remove the bottom bracket for those that don’t have all the tools. But yes, I agree there are other better options out there!
For $154.00 the SHIMANO Deore M5100 11 speed with 11-52 cassette is a better option than Micro shift. Going form Shimano to Micro shift is a downgrade.
Thanks for the other option. I was going for the least expensive to get it to $150 (w/ a crankset). The shimano would be more than that. The advent x from micrshift is pretty nice and their cassettes are lighter than shimano and ive had a lot of issues at our shop with 11 speed deore derailleurs breaking. Just from my observations
Not really. Microshift Avdent X has equally spaced cassette cogs weighs less and costs less.
If we wanted to go a bit more expensive, what would you suggest
If you wanted to go with more gears/more expensive, the Microshift Advent 9 or the Advent X is a bit higher end and more gears. You may also be able to get an inexpensive Shimano Deore 10 speed or 11 speed kit. SRAM Eagle 12 speed kits are also available if you need more range (not much better though, just more range). Hope that helps. We’ve been impressed with the reliability of the Microshift systems even at their pricepoint
Stupid spikey vine? Poison ivy?
Ha! I don’t think it’s poison ivy but something awful