Converting to 1x8 on the cheap
TL;DR - Wanting to know the minimum needed to convert my bone stock 2006 Trek 4300 to 1x8 setup.
I have an old 2006 Trek 4300 (disc brake) that I have been riding pretty much daily (during the riding season) since I bought it in 2007. Shortly after I got it I realized that I would mostly ride around town for exercise, wasn't getting on the trails much, so I put some road tires on it, and have used it for daily road/local paved trail rides ever since. I am getting a new MTB to actually get into some actual trail riding soon, but this bike has been and will remain my solid road warrior, mostly just for exercise. But it is in dire need of some parts refresh. Bottom bracket is new as of last year, but honestly that's about it. I did replace the rear cassette once, but that was over 15 years ago. I have no idea how it still runs (and stops) smoothly. I have kept it clean and oiled for the most part but that's about all I've done.
I have a new chain, rear cassette, and brake pads ready to go on. It really could use new forks, derailleur, shifters, all that jazz, but they aren't immediate needs, so one thing at a time. For right now, the drivetrain is the main concern. Had to get a new chain because it is seriously stretched, and started skipping on me under load the other day. (It's the original 20 year old chain).
So my question is, while I'm putting in a new chain and rear cassette, I thought about replacing the front chain rings as well, and am thinking about just going to a 1x8. sticking with 8 on the rear because I don't have the time or money to change out shifters and derailleur right now, and I don't need much more for my use. So I'll probably stick with that for the long term.
Just wondering what's the minimum I can buy to convert this? I'm assuming I'd need to new cranks, probably bb, but if I could find a chain ring that would work with my old cranks that would be awesome. Just wanting some input, as I'd like to simplify this bike to continue through the years as my road warrior. And this is the first of many future refreshes I'll need to do to keep it running.
And yes, I am kicking myself for not doing this during the winter, but just never found the time lol. Thanks!
p.s. I can provide more pics later if needed, but this one was the only one I had on me, from when I swapped the bb last year. Also, there are new tires on it since that pic as well.
I did happen to grab a shot of the current chain ring this morning:
