Just wanted to gauge opinion on whether to stick with my 2×10 or sling my new 1×11 GX stuff on for my Alps trip. The area I’m going to is almost all off piste stuff – fairly big dirt road climbs (1000 to 1750m ish ascents) with techy singletrack descents. My sensible head is saying 2x, but my illogical self is blinded by ‘new 1x = betterer’ :))

FWIW, last year I took my long travel 29er with SRAM 2×10 which was OK on the climbs, but even with clutch mech and careful setup, dumped its chain in a few dodgy places. This year I’m thinking of taking my 26er that currently has good old SLX (with clutch mech). The SLX drivetrain seems to keep the chain on a bit better than the SRAM, but the potential increased clatteryness of the smaller wheels is one of the reasons why I’m thinking 1x. (oh, I’ve got 30t or 28t chain ring on the 1x).

Any sensible feedback much appreciated.
TIA

Just had a week in the alps on my 1×10 and it was perfect. I much preferred it to hunting for the right gear on the 3×9 it replaced. Was a bit worried I wouldn’t have enough range but it worked so well, didn’t do a huge amount of climbing though. Put a 2×10 on the wife’s bike and she was very happy with that too.

I did some dh and some xc there lat month (all on the same bike- trek remedy). Massive xc rides (11,500 feet of climbing in one day… 😕 ) and then all the dh trails that were open.
For the dh stuff, definitely 1x- I’m assuming (but could be wrong!?) that even with a double and clutch you’ll drop the chain. You need a narrow wide really.

And for most of the climbs (I was on the gr5 walking trail) it was unridable anyway. I usually ride with a 36t and get up almost everything, but went down to a 30t for this, and that was nowhere near low enough. I don’t think having a lower gear is beneficial, as I think that if you’re trying to ride along in a 30 – 36 gear and its too steep, you should be walking anyway (its easier and quicker!). I know its nice to ride all the climbs, but when you’re doing 3000ft of climbing at a go, it becomes pretty impossible.

Maybe you can go 2×10, but put a narrow wide on in place of the bigger gear? The mech would act as a bit of a chainguide. I assume you’d need to change down to the smaller ring by hand though rather than just using the shifter.

I’d just go 1x. If the climbs are too steep for your lowest gear, you might as well walk anyway!

About half our group the other week were on 1x setups. Any inability to get up climbs was more down to the individual than what drivetrain they were using. I think there was one instance of a chain dropping but can’t remember if it was a 1x or 3x bike.

1X11 with 30T up front was great for me on a 650b Trance.

I took the big ring off my 3×10 and put on a bash and chain device – actually left it that way and ride full time like that. I would be tempted not to out shiny new derailier on as there is a good chance it gets smashed on a rock.

Thanks for the feedback. I hadn’t thought of the obvious potential benefit of being forced to walk (this isn’t meant as a sarcastic comment). I’m expecting to be the only Brit on the group rides again, and last year my stupid macho Brit pride meant that I wanted to be one of the last ones off pushing uphill (duhhh). I guess without the option of a super low bottom gear, I’ll be pretty much forced into walking the bits that it’s probably more sensible for tourists/mere mortals to walk anyway. Thinking about it, the old slow Swiss and German guys who were off and walking were about the only ones doing 6 consecective days riding of big routes (whereas I was down to riding every other day, as my legs were knackered!)

Hmm….I’ll also be able to fit my new GX drivetrain to my bike :)) (new toys!!)

Edit: just seen comment re: new mech smashing…….eek

You can up the clutchyness on the mech, worth doing for an Alpine week away.

I’d also say get as big a front ring as you can. With a 30t on, You’ll be in the hardest gears on the descents, which means a bit less tension on the mech and more chainslap/chance of the chain coming off. Bigger ring = no spinning out on fast descents, and using larger cogs so more tension on the chain from the clutch.
So basically big front ring, with one of the expander cassette rings (if you need it)

I’d be tempted to leave the old kit on and take the new stuff just in case you mash it- if that’s practical anyway.

using larger cogs so more tension on the chain from the clutch.

Nope. Clutch tension isn’t affected. You’re right that in ye olde pre-clutch days it was definitely a good idea to use the big ring to tension the chain (via the mech cage spring) but with clutches now, you shouldn’t really need to do that – you can up the clutch tension if you feel it’s too low by default to compensate for potentially bumpier trails.

Mind you, I would agree that a 30t is probably a little small for the Alps but I suspect it wouldn’t be as much of an issue in the real world as you might think unless you’re going for full on straight line speed runs.

Nope. Clutch tension isn’t affected. You’re right that in ye olde pre-clutch days it was definitely a good idea to use the big ring to tension the chain (via the mech cage spring) but with clutches now, you shouldn’t really need to do that – you can up the clutch tension if you feel it’s too low by default to compensate for potentially bumpier trails.

I agree with you, I dont think it is, but Im pretty sure the position of the mech cage makes a fair difference to chain drop; I’ve only ever dropped a chain whilst in the smallest 2/3 cogs (clutch and NW ring). I just didnt really think about it before I wrote it!

I can safely say spinning out isn’t going to be a problem for me:)) Based on the type of riding I did there last year, the descents are predominantly natural steep tech-fests, that are slow and trials-ey, with bits of moderate speed natural singletrack across hillsides/meadows. Maybe Im a bit of a weirdo, but I really like hyper steep trials-ey stuff (which is why I’m going back for a bit more); things got a bit interesting last year – trying to persuade my flexy wheeled 29 around some really exposed steep hairpins……argh, blame the bike;)