Ok, so I'm going 2*9 as currently my big ring does nothing other than act as an expensive bash ring.
So, I'm thinking of a 11-34t cassette and 22/36 up front.
I realise the front has a big jump and shifting won't be great.
What are you peeps using? My bike is a true do-it-all machine - xc, trails, light DH etc
22/36 will be absolutely fine up front, just takes a bit of getting used to, that is what I am runnin on my slx cranks with a 11-32t cassette, all depends on how fit you feel you are 
Bash guard means that there is no chance of putting your calf through the big chain ring which is why I changed.
I'm not particularly fit so the 34t at the back sounds appealing!
I'm also getting a chain device as am totally fed up with my chain bouncing off on mince-core DH days..
Yeh chain device would be good, I have got a blackspire dewlie but never got round to fitting it, am tempted to change it for a stinger as they are much lighter.
I have an MRP long range patrol on the way (halfords let me order it as an accessory for my C2W bike! 
)
Hmm, well I'm hoping 36 up front will be OK - a few years ago I did have a 38t up front and it never felt right somehow..
Nice, most people tend to run 36t up front so I am sure that will be cool, but if its not, you just have to change the chain ring.
Cheers, anyone else?
Yes, just gone from 32t to 36t at front and it's better - and shifting fine even in current filthy conditions.
Not very fit either but want to get fitter and trying to climb more stuff in the 36t ring may help that.
11-30 cassette with 22/36 rings...
works well for most stuff...
11-34 gives you the crawler gear just in case you ever need it but also a wider spread of gears on the bigger ring, cuts down shifts a bit. It's a big gap from 22 to 36 but nothing the hardware can't handle, you just need to plan it slightly because you'll be doing more recovery shifts usually.
TBH I reckon 2x9 should be the default now on most mountain bikes, 27 speed has its place and some folks like it but I reckon it should be like 1x9, a minority thing for them that want it.
Been running 36/22 and 11-32 for almost a couple of years now. Works great. Do races, holidays on it, the works. Never really run out of gears off-road. Only very occasionally on-road.
36/22 11:32. works ace. mix of XT and deore kit. only thing that is different is the front mech set up. set it higher than normal - the 36 is now the middle ring.
I may have missed something in the above posts but as I've been on a sort of amatuerish journey with this recently - bear with me.
I did try to convert a 3x to a 2x with bash and ran into trouble with chainring bolts. I dont remember the exact details (I'd bought an SLX bashguard on here but the existing bolts wouldnt hold the chainring anymore) but charlie the bike monger sold me some bits which helped. Although I couldnt get it to work 100%.
The end-game is that after I destroyed an XT triple crank recently I've got an SLX 22-36 double chainset with a 34 cassette (ie a "proper" posh-like slx double/bash but for silly cheap euros).
This shifts with my existing 3x shifter / mech no problems. The bash seems to stop (so far) any dropped chains.
So there will probably be someone along shortly who can explain a simple cheap solution to the chainring bolts problem. It's just not me!
On the other hand my 1x9 is easy! I dropped chains all the time til I fitted a superstar chainguide.
#Edit - forgot to say all I do is mince about in GT / Inners really. Proper mincing though!
Some bashrings need longer bolts. Some don't... Some have extra parts as well, the SLX bash has wee inserts in the plastic as well. Best bet is just to see what the manufacturer of your bashring recommends. Both of mine use standard bolts now but my old Blackspire needed mahoosive bolts and my Superlite needed short ones.
I was runnimg 42/27 up front and 11/34 on the back and was good but now on 1x9 36x34/11 .
Cheers guys, it seems 36t is the way to go then really..
I've just got to now get over the entirely psychological issue of adding 200g of bash ring and chain device to my bike after having just made it a pound or so lighter through upgrades...
(I'm really not going to notice, it's a Tracer with lyriks and I'm a light 15 stone myself..)
Why add a bash and chain device then if you don't currently need them with your triple? I run 2x9 without either, no problems though I have a SLX double front mech.
38/28x11-34, with proper slx double front, though still a 3x shifter. No bash.
Works fine, though the 28 has no ramps for changing up, so have to be low down the cassette and a bit patient at times if the ride has been a bit grubby... but no real drama.
Next set up will be proper 2x10 though. See no reason not to after running 2x9 for the last year. Would be 1x10 in truth, if I didn't have so much road to get to the trails...
Clubber - well as per my earlier post I really do need a chain device!
Also I can't fit a 2*9 setup to my cranks without a bashring taking place of the outer ring..
Also I can't fit a 2*9 setup to my cranks without a bashring taking place of the outer ring..
just buy shorter bolts then? you don't need a bash ring.
you can buy chainring spacers. will probably end up cheaper than a set of short chainring bolts.
been 36-22 for ages and its fine. no chain devise and rarely lose the chain. just gone 1x9 32f 34larges rear and it seems just as good. i need to man up a bit on the hills but seems fine.
I Have to say (and of course feel free to disagree with me) having thought about it I can’t really see the need to fit an 11-34 or 11-32 Cassette with a 22t Granny.
I mean if you get to the point where you are spinning away with that 22-34 ratio you’d probably be quicker on foot…
I thought the whole point of Big top ended Cassettes was to let Racers run bigger 1 and 2 ring setups, XX for instance; the smallest “Granny” you can have on an XX double is a 28t isn’t it (Obviously to match the 36t on the cassette) …
I can remember the “Bad old Days” and having a 28/38/48 Triple (Biopace too) with an 11-28 7 speed Cassette, the strange thing is, people still got up hills then, on what was effectively the drive train from a tourer…
All I can see these big range Cassettes being used with 22t Granny rings doing is encouraging people to dump a loads of gears at the base of every climb and spin furiously in order to keep climbing at a tired snails pace, Why bother?
I just took the big ring off a standard SLX chainset and left the 32-11 cassette at the back. I find it absolutely fine for all types of riding.
I try this before buying chainrings and cassettes.
Been running 22/36 SLX with 11/34 for about 18 months. Never noticed any issue changing between the chainrings. Don't do much roadwork so never missed the higher gears. Try it without a chain device first. With the bashring and a decently tensioned mid cage rear mech you should be fine.
Now that 2x10 is becoming available you could go 24/39 with 11/36 to give yourself the same crawler gear but a higher top end.
All I can see these big range Cassettes being used with 22t Granny rings doing is encouraging people to dump a loads of gears at the base of every climb and spin furiously in order to keep climbing at a tired snails pace, Why bother?
RopeyReignRider - Member
Clubber - well as per my earlier post I really do need a chain device!Also I can't fit a 2*9 setup to my cranks without a bashring taking place of the outer ring..
Sorry, still not sure where you said you need a chain device (other than saying you're getting the MRP) but if you want one then obviously that's fine.
You can just get narrower chainring bolts though if you don't run a big ring so no need for a bashring just to space it out.
cookeaa - Member
All I can see these big range Cassettes being used with 22t Granny rings doing is encouraging people to dump a loads of gears at the base of every climb and spin furiously in order to keep climbing at a tired snails pace, Why bother?
And if that's true, so what, that's every rider's choice. FWIW, these days I quite often find myself using 24/34 on longer climbs and if I had 22/34, I'd probably use that too. Previously I could no doubt have managed fine with just a 36 and 11-32 on the back. As to spinning furiously, well not really furiously but some of us have a nice spin 
Fair Enough maybe I need to ride Some Steeper longer Climbs to appreciate the need, I top out at 22-30 on my current setup, and I find that perhaps a little too low and Spinny at times though…
I’d definitely consider an 11-34 Cassette for a 1x9 setup, But given the big gap between my Granny and Big rings (22/36) I’m still not convinced
16.8 Gear inches from a 22-34 ratio
19.1 From My Current 22-30…
Hmmm…
Dunno, may give it a whirl next time I need a new cassette, better to consider all options, how much of a Jump is it to the Bailout Gear?
If you come up to Scotland and do some of my local trails or classics like Carn Ban Mor, Torridon etc any normally fit person absolutely needs 11/34
But there only classics because they have been ridden, and 20 years ago 28/28 was a normal bottom gear, people coped then.
I would suggest what may have changed is the demographic of riders, it is less about riding and more about being seen.
mrmo - Member
"I would suggest what may have changed is the demographic of riders, it is less about riding and more about being seen."
What on earth does that mean? Is there some subsection of riders that's only out there on the hope the paps get them?
Crawler gears aren't always useful but if they get you up a climb you'd have pushed, or burned yourself out on, then why not? the 22/34 lowest gear on mine doesn't see that much use but when it does, I'm glad it's there.
And for others, it's all about accessability. Some people don't like that mtbing has become more accessible but, frankly, balls to them.
"I would suggest what may have changed is the demographic of riders, it is less about riding and more about being seen."
Or more sensibly, that you don't have to be someone who trains all the time to enjoy mtbing whereas in the past it tended to attract only the more fit and serious types (who were often grumpy sods )
I'm also getting a chain device as am totally fed up with my chain bouncing off on mince-core DH days..
POSTED 23 HOURS AGO #
So, to recap I do actually want a chain device and bashring for my occasional DH and fast, rocky Peaks descents.
I'm certainly a DH-biased trail rider if you know what I mean (and I don't just mean overweight!)
Northwind and clubber, i see more riders now who go somewhere to have a chat, who park up take photos of their bikes spend their time talking about how niche their bike is and talk a good ride. Yes there have always been all the kit no idea types about, there just seem to be more now. I can remember going back 20years ago and knowing a few people who were "downhillers" the reality was they were unfit, they were crap down, as in out of control but fast, they were crap going up but could talk the talk, they could spec up some ridiculously light bikes, speed controllers, SRP bolt kits, Topline cranks, Ringle hubs, Paul's mechs etc. Their bikes had far too much purple on them and they were the riders who would always be faffing because the light stuff was by and large crap.
These people were the first to jump on to full suspension bikes, so they could go faster downhill and used the crap suspension as an excuse why they had to walk up every climb.
One example slightly to one side, saw a bloke walk into a bikeshop a month or so back with a c£3k Look 986 MTB and was complaining it wasn't as fast as his mates Colnago road bike on the road! There is alot more money than in the past, but as you say alot less time actually spent riding.
As for crawler gears In the past if you couldn't ride up a hill you MTFU and got fitter, there is actually a point at which it gets gearing gets silly. Having ridden with people in the past who saw a climb and automatically selected the lowest gear possible it can actually get annoying when your out for a ride. I have no problem riding with less fit riders and i am far from the fittest, it is just nice to see people actually try to ride up a hill rather than give up before they have started and in the middle of winter the last thing you want to do is spend half an hour waiting in a gale.
And how small a gear do you want, i know shimano has released a 36 sprocket so how about a 20x36 is that small enough?
I really have to get a job!!!!
mrmo - Member
"Northwind and clubber, i see more riders now who go somewhere to have a chat, who park up take photos of their bikes spend their time talking about how niche their bike is and talk a good ride."
How awful for you 
"As for crawler gears In the past if you couldn't ride up a hill you MTFU and got fitter"
Thing is, that isn't actually all that practical in the middle of a ride. And riding up a hill in a low gear gets you fitter, whereas not riding up the hill at all doesn't. And if people go the other way, and choose to use lower gears than they need just to make it easier... So what?
I really have to get a job!!!!
After that rant, maybe you should open a bike shop?
In order to complete the stereotyping:
I own an expensive 6" full sus bike and work in IT
But there only classics because they have been ridden, and 20 years ago 28/28 was a normal bottom gear, people coped then.I would suggest what may have changed is the demographic of riders, it is less about riding and more about being seen.
And how small a gear do you want, i know shimano has released a 36 sprocket so how about a 20x36 is that small enough?
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