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  • 2×10 set up
  • DickBarton
    Full Member

    Hi,

    I have a SRAM X9 2×10 setup and it works but the shifters feel awful…nothing positive about the thumb trigger. I was thinking of changing the shifters but have managed to convince myself to change to Shimano…so I’m going to be getting myself some new shifters, rear mech and a new cassette and chain (chain and cassette worn anyway).

    So looking at Shimano, XTR rear mech, it comes in a medium cage for 2×10 but I’m not sure XT does? I hate a long rear mech, aesthetically and in my head functionally it just doesn’t work as well as a shorter cage. I’m wanted a short cage but not so short I can’t use the 20 gears on my bike (Whyte 146). Also do Shimano do a rapidrise rear mech for 10 spd? This to me makes perfect sense and is what I’d be after.

    I can’t work out if I was a low normal or not…

    So X9 chain set and front mech, XT or XTR shifters and mech…but which ones? Price wise I’m sure XTR is a waste, I don’t race and if I’m lucky I ride 4 times a week but that is hardly ever these days…XT I’m sure is going to be perfectly acceptable but does the mech work with an 11-36 cassette and does it come in rapidrise?

    I’m stuck at work and can’t call my lbs, sending this from the toilet so can’t speak either!!!

    Cheers.

    mboy
    Free Member

    Lots of questions for someone busy teasing out a Richard III…

    Anyway… XT mechs are available in medium cage yes, and will work fine with a 2×10 setup running an 11-36 cassette. So no problems there.

    As for the shifters, well only you can decide… Personally I’d just get XT and keep the extra dosh in your pocket these days.

    nickdavies
    Full Member

    No short cage as such but they do the medium ‘GS’ cage in XT. Sits in-between the medium and short cage mechs from Sram.

    I think the SGS long cage is 45 T and the GS med cage is 33t, you don’t mention the front ratios but assuming they are standard i’d worked out you’d need 37T – so longer cage.

    That’s my understanding of it anyway, and why I stuck to long cage – I never tried the medium cage to see if it would have worked, others might say it’s no problem.

    tk46hal
    Free Member

    Mboy,
    Your a great writer of description! 😯

    Stick with XT unless your wealthy and then go for XTR.

    ginga
    Free Member

    I’ve been running sram 2×10 with xt shifters, rear mech (gs) and slx front mech since Nov. All good so far apart from life of sram chain rings.

    Ginga

    mboy
    Free Member

    Mboy,
    Your a great writer of description!

    I was emulating the OP as I too was sat on the throne having a Richard whilst replying to his thread on my iPhone… 😉

    njee20
    Free Member

    No rapid rise on 10 speed either.

    As folk have said; there’s a GS cage XT, apart from Saint it’s the shortest cage they ever do on MTB mechs, road mechs come in SS or GS, but won’t work with 10 speed MTB shifters.

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Thanks for opinions. XT sounds like it the way. I thought the capacity was difference from smallest to largest cassette cog (so an 11-36 cassette was fine)? My chainset is X9 and 26/39 rings. I assumed the medium cage would work. Looking at the xtr Mech it recommends medium for a 2×10 set up. Shame we can no longer get proper short mechs but given the gear ratios I suspect they’d be totally impractical…medium is fine, I just don’t want a massively long mech if it isn’t needed.

    A but closer to what I’m after, thanks.

    mboy
    Free Member

    I thought the capacity was difference from smallest to largest cassette cog?

    Capacity is the difference from smallest to largest cogs PLUS difference from smallest to largest chainring. If you run an 11-36 with your 26/39 setup you will get…

    (36-11)+(39-26) = 25+13 = 38

    And 38 puts you into needing a long cage mech actually by the look of it… Would you get away with an 11-34 cassette? If so, then I think you’d probably just get away with a medium cage mech with your setup.

    How big an issue is chain growth on your Whyte anyway? If its got much chain growth, you’d probably be better off with a long cage anyway to keep the tension in the chain… That or just ditch the 2 rings and go for a single as you know you should really! 😉

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Haha…if I had the ability and the fitness I’d go 1×10 – but I don’t…I’m kidding myself thinking 2×10 is more me than 3×9 – however, on a 3×9 I’m using a selection of gears and not all of them…on the 2×10, I’m using all the gears so it works very well (in my opinion).

    It hasn’t improved my riding (actually just riding more would!) but I’m happy with the fact I’m now using all 20 gears instead of 14 out of a possible 27.

    I suspect I could just about manage with a 34 – certainly wouldn’t be an issue with a bit more riding so I’ll do that and go medium.

    Absolutely no idea about chain growth – I’m sure it has some but how would I measure it?

    mboy
    Free Member

    As far as chain growth is concerned, not ultimately scientific but if you measure where you bottom jockey wheel is when the bike is static with suspension fully extended, then let all the air out of the rear shock and fully compress it and then measure where the bottom jockey wheel is now in relation to where it was. Not the easiest thing to do, but you’ll kinda know even without a tape measure if it’s a small amount or a lot. Don’t think you’ll have too much chain growth on a Whyte to be fair, whereas bikes like the Santa Cruz Bullit and Orange 222/3/4 (ie. old school high single pivots) have a lot of chain growth when suspension is compressed.

    on the 2×10 vs 3×9 front, you’ll find you have almost entirely the same gear range anyway. You’ll lose the tiniest bit off your top end, and the bottom end, but we’re talking a very small amount here, but that’s it. If you were to go further and drop to a 1×10 (say 11-36 with a 32T ring) you’d lose out on maybe the equivalent of a gear or two at the top end, and one at the bottom, that would be all. 1×10 isn’t about fitness or ability, it’s about just getting on with riding up the hills rather than going straight for the granny and twiddling away. My first ever MTB had a 28/38/48 chainset on, and 12-28 cassette, which gave me a 1:1 bottom gear. My current 1×10 hardtail with 32T chainring and 11-36 cassette gives me a 0.875:1 bottom gear! And people still managed to ride up the hills too in the early/mid 90’s…

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Thanks for the tips on the chain growth…will have a play tonight.

    I guess, just go big-big and then get the suspension moving as every other gear combo won’t use as much stretch on chain or gears…with that in mind, I should makes sure the chain length is long enough when the chain growth is at it’s fullest and that should cover off any potential chain growth issues.

    mboy
    Free Member

    Yes

    BUT… The limitation of a short or medium cage mech is they can’t deal with the physical difference in teeth that a long cage mech can. You might set it up well as described above, but if you’ve got too many teeth gap from top to bottom, when you’re in your 26T ring and 11T cog, a medium cage derailleur would probably be wrapped round on itself providing no tension to the chain at all. Hence why Shimano recommend a long cage mech above a 35T overall difference on the drivetrain.

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    So apart from tooth difference, what is the issue with a medium cage Mech? Assuming the chain length allows full compression without snapping then the only potential issue will be a slack chain in small-small? I can live with that, thanks for the info.

    In fact I’ll check the length of the mechs when I get to my lbs tomorrow. Long makes sense but I’m really not wanting it.

    mboy
    Free Member

    So apart from tooth difference, what is the issue with a medium cage Mech? Assuming the chain length allows full compression without snapping then the only potential issue will be a slack chain in small-small?

    Yes. If you never go more than half way down your cassette in the small ring (as you shouldn’t do anyway really) you won’t have an issue.

    Long makes sense but I’m really not wanting it.

    Totally agree… 1×10 with an 11-36 and a medium cage mech works soooooooooo well! 😉

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