A friend has talked me into doing the Tour de Mont Blanc this summer.

Looking at the map, it seems to consist of many hours of slowly grovelling up stupidly steep climbs, followed by a short burst of insane descending using what little skill I have to avoid face-planting into a rock or tumbling over a glacier. Then repeat for four or five days.

I think there’s maybe a km or two of road around Chamonix.

Right now I have 1×10, with 40t at the back, and to cope with this, I’ve got an absoluteBlack 26t chainring staring at me. It’s very small!

But I see Shimano now sell a 46t cassette. So, should I splurge out £300 on going 1×11? Is it that much nicer?

Before anyone says “get a front mech”, I’d quite like to avoid adding the extra weight. I guess I could try losing an extra pound from my own weight; it’s not as though there isn’t lots spare.

Well, if you’re aiming for low weight, the Shimano 11-46 tank anchor won’t be a good choice :). But I suppose SRAM isn’t an option either…

Can you put a ‘stealth’ granny ring on for the climbs? If they are long climbs it would only take a minute to manually drop the chain onto the inner ring then pop it back onto your main ring for the descents?

Hmm, stealth granny seems worth trying, especially since I’ve now actually got one. Though being black and shiny it’s not very stealthy!

Hmm… Ive done a bit of alps endurance racing and cope with 11-40 – I went down to a 30t oval front rather than 2x last year and coped but really wouldn’t have minded some more range,10-42 would be better. Especially on multi day – id be putting gears on the front. The 46 rear cog would give really big jumps – 2×11 with a 40/42t max would be a lot smoother and I bet a front mech doesn’t weigh a lot more than a dinner plate rear sprocket!

Stealth granny really doesn’t cut it imo – manually changing it gets old quick especially if your trying to keep up with others.

While in the uk all my mountain bikes were 1x. I now live in the alps and swapped to a 1×2 Di2 xtr with 36/26 -11-40.

It’s needed. I’m fit and do regular 100mile road rides in the mountains but some of the climbs off road can be severe.
You can do a few K at 5% and then into a 9+ % climb for a further few K. Mix that with some altitude and heat and a few extra gears are worth the weight penalty.

I used to live in northern Italy near to the pre-Alps and did a lot of XC riding there. Some of the climbs were extended brutal affairs and I was glad of my 22-34 granny triple.

The good thing about shimano 11 speed is that you can switch between a 1×11 and 2×11 setup easily enough.

>>on and on: While in the uk all my mountain bikes were 1x. I now live in the alps and swapped to a 1×2 Di2 xtr with 36/26 -11-40.

So yer easy gear is 0.65, 28/42 as part of a wunby would be 0.67, barely noticeable I would think. The diff appears to be at the top end for you, your hardest gear is 3.8 (36/11) whereas 28/11 is 2.5?

Similarly @devash’s 22-36 easiest gear is 0.61, probably a noticeable 10% diff from 0.67, less than a full wide-ratio gear though.

Surely for winching yourself up an Alp you need to combine a 22t granny with a dinner-plate cassette? I used to run an easiest gear of 20-34 9 speed in the UK which was is 0.59, easier than any of the above. But I am happy with 28f/ 11-42 rear 10 speed for the UK and intend to take it to the Alps in summer (though I may well be wishing for an easier gear).

26t isn’t really a granny, more like a great aunt.

facing this problem.
Never knew about stealth grannys. gonna try that out before expanders etc.

Greyspoke. I’m not suggesting my ratios but suggesting going for a double over his current single.
With a username Oldnpastit I’d assume he may want to accept for the trip a little extra weight is a suitable compromise for some more range.

Ah OK, fair enough onandon.

Anyhow, to the OP – thing is consider the top end and whether there is going to be any flat chaingang style riding involved, whether you will be using fast running tyres or slower soft ‘n knobbly ones etc. From your description, sounds like the top end is not really relevant. If you can get the gear you want for the hills and don’t mind it getting a bit spinny on the flat, then going with the 26t will mean replacing fewer components. Maybe go to an 11-42 cassette for a bit extra?

£300?

I went 1×11 for around 150.

Ive just gone for a 46-11 but went for the sunrace option as the ratios are a lot closer. Only 50g or so heavier than the 42-11 shimano xt it replaced.

Don’t sunrace do a 10spd 11-44 cassette?

Edit: no, just a 11:42, but still better. Add in an oval 28t chainring too.

This isn’t a very valuable contribution I know, but I have gone 11-46 on the back with a 30 wide thin on the front and its fabulous. When I was 11-42 on the cassette it was always slightly too much of a push on the steepest climbs.

Alps trip? Time to go to 1×11?

No, time to stay with 2×10 and spend your money on some really good cycling shorts and sunglasses !