I am building a 29er and yes I’d like to go SS but where I live gears are needed for the time being.

I am thinking of going 1×10, cassette 11-36 but what chainring should I put up front??

32t will do you for most stuff.

32T for mincing about duties here with 11-36 ont rear

I run a 12-36 9 speed with a 32 tooth up front,and it get’s me around most places although depends on your fitness level and style of riding? at the the mo i’m riding trail centres dalby red, hamsterley, black and the clevelad hills on my 1×9 it does me ok at the mo,
hope this helps

Through the winter i was running mine with a 32 up front & 11-32 on the rear.

I’ve just put 11-36 on the back and find that its so much better.

Having used a 36t rear cassette I wouldn’t go with anything smaller now on a 29er.

cheers all I will give it a go.

Shimano are out of stock of slx/xt ones though until next week and they only have XTR and I am not paying £199 for a cassette 😯

Merlin have SLX 11-36’s, because I’m just about to order one. 🙂
Another £5 off if become a VIP.

ok ta Rustler I’ll take a look

Get a tall toothed ss ring: surly or salsa. The tall teeth will help keep the chain on, where a geary ring will try and throw it off.
I run 34 up front and 11-34 on the back: if you cant get up a hill on 1:1 ratio you must gave legs like dandelions!

ok cheers Charlie – hopefully legs aren’t like dandelions – more like daffodils 😉

will check out you shop, was going to convert a Shimano Deore LX chainset like you have advertised on your web pages I take it the surly/salsa rings will fit on that ok?

Hi. Yeah a salsa or surly ring will be fine on any four arm crank. You will also need some skinny chainring bolts (go for steel rather than alloy)

if you cant get up a hill on 1:1 ratio you must gave legs like dandelions!

LOL, king of the weeds then me with my full 30spd ST setup on my full bounce! 😉

Used to run an Alfine on my old 29er, with a 34/22 gear setup, which gave me a bottom ratio equivalent to that of approximately a 32T chainring with a 38T rear sprocket (if such a thing existed). With a 32T chainring, and an 11-36 cassette, you won’t be much different, and I used to get up most hills ok on that as long as I got out of the saddle and grunted hard.