So I thought I’d give this 1×10 malarkey a shot – I ‘felt’ it would suit the way I ride my bike, I desperately wanted a clutch rear mech, and I’m a sucker for new ideas….
Was already running 2×9 (36/26, and 11-32 cassette) and opted for 34t chainring, and 11-36 cassette.

Old low gear was 0.8125, new is 0.94444..
Old top gear was 3.272, new is 3.09090909…

In English – I’ve lost the bottom two (nearly) gears I did have, and have lost ‘a tooth’ on the top gear (as if I were to have a 12t small sprocket on the cassette..)

But…here’s where it gets reeeeeal geeky!

What came off:

What went on:

So… weight coming off = 1101g
Weight going back on = 762g.
The astute amongst you, and those with calculators, would have equated the difference as being 339g. Or a muddy can of coke. Or 0.74lb.

In terms of cost, that’s practically impossible to tell, so shan’t even consider figuring that one out…(or if the wife’s not looking, about £155 on the 10sp stuff, and in the process of selling the 9sp stuff for £80-100).

However, the bike is now beautifully silent – and TBH I blat around most of my trails on the SS anyway ([numbers]which is a gear ratio of 2[/numbers]) so losing a few ‘sissy gears’ isn’t too bad.
The clutch mech really is a neat bit of machinery, and with the thick-thin chainring I haven’t dropped a chain yet…

So, there you go, hope you had your numbers fix for this evening…

DrP

I have only this to add

Notice that going from a triple to a single ring (32) you only lose the top two and bottom three gears.

And going from double to a single you only lose one gear at the top and two at the bottom.

I’m still running a double mind, but I could see myself going single eventually.

I keep thinking about this sort of thing. I try to ride my peak district climbs in the same bottom gear that 1 x 11 would give me. I think that’s a bit pricey though. Maybe I should try 32 x 36 as a bottom gear (or equivalent). Then again, I’m running a brand new xtr triple so why would I want to get rid of that?

Then again, I’m running a brand new xtr triple so why would I want to get rid of that?

Sell the rings while they’re brand new, buy two chainrings (something like 26 and 38), and make some money to have a better set up. Win win.

Better? I don’t know if that’s the case? I’m curious about the idea of a single ring set up but on the other hand, I don’t know what “problem” the triple has that I’m trying to solve.

If I was going to do it, I’d change to single ring rather than double. All that seems to save you is one chainring. Not sure that’s worth the fuss/effort.

Better? I don’t know if that’s the case? I’m curious about the idea of a single ring set up but on the other hand, I don’t know what “problem” the triple has that I’m trying to solve.

then it might not be for you. A triple has a ring that catches rocks a very spinney one and one that’s not quite right for me. Double is working fine with 28/39 which has plenty of gears (spin out at about 38kph) and the 11-36 means I have gears nearly as low, when 11 becomes properly affordable I will be there I reckon to drop the first mech for weight and chain retension.
I will also admit to being a bit geek after starting to look at cadence to work out chain ring sizes.

You made pretty much the exact same swap I did. 2×9 XT + bash to 1×10 XTR with, now, a Works chainring. I always wished I’d weighed it to find out exactly how much weight I’d saved, but you’ve done it for me. Thanks!

Enjoy:
The quiet
No horrible front mech
No big jumps between ratios (I.e. when you shift at the front chainring)
Simplicity / clean lines
Somewhere to stick your reverb remote

I can almost see the point from a weight / neatness vantage point, but in reality i love my granny rings & smaller jumps between gear changes so will be sticking with my 2×9 arrangements for the foreseeable future, my commuter & road bikes are both triples too, so you can see I really am not a one with all this onesie business 😳

For me, it’s like single speed

Before I did it I reckoned it would be too hard and I’d miss being able to climb and I’d not be able to go downhill fast enough. Now I don’t even realise what I’ve not got

It’s a state of mind – the silence and the lack of thinking about gears makes it all just ‘nice’

Got a zee shifter so no window – if its too hard I drop down one. If its too easy i go up one. I always seem to have the right gear somewhere and it’s very very rare that I can’t get up something (apart from the very edges of Calderdale valley)

Do it – dont worry about numbers. Once you’ve stepped over the edge it’s quite liberating not having to think

It’s all psychological for me. If I have a lower gear I’ll drop into in on a climb, going 1x on the HT means I don’t have that option. I’m 32 chainring and 11-36 on the HT.

24/36 double on the FS will soon be replaced with a 30t RaceFace narrow/wide, just because I don’t fancy the climb at Lee Quarry with a 32.

1x means I can use a Zee Mech, which is the best bit of kit I’ve owned.

24/36 double on the FS will soon be replaced with a 30t RaceFace narrow/wide, just because I don’t fancy the climb at Lee Quarry with a 32.

This is whats stopping me, for me 30/32 is far too low, I’m not a fast spinner and don’t like how it feels. Going from 36 to 39 feels great with the lower gear of 10sp but not ready to ditch the front size yet. Thats why I’m waiting for 11 🙂

I love 1×10 speed. I’m still on 9 speed with a double up front but 1x 10 speed has allowed me to pick up some very nice flash 9 speed SRAM X0 shifters and rear mech for very reasonable money as someone”upgraded” away from 9 speed. 😀

This is whats stopping me, for me 30/32 is far too low, I’m not a fast spinner and don’t like how it feels. Going from 36 to 39 feels great with the lower gear of 10sp but not ready to ditch the front size yet. Thats why I’m waiting for 11

I ride like a diesel, despite trying to teach myself I am totally incapable of spinning. I’ve gone 1×10, 34 on the front 11/36 on the cassette. Not yet been beaten by a climb (4:30am on the Bontrager was the hardest time…). I tried a 32 tooth and it was awful, I really like my 1×10 set up and I’m a luddite who resists change, it’s on a 1997 frame!

1×10 with a 32t ring and 11-36 is the way forward, definitely.

The only downside is that the M980 10speed XTR shifter isn’t as nice as the M970 9spd.

I did a very similar swap a couple of weeks ago, brilliant so far.

Now running:

XT cassette (11-36)
Works Components chainring (32t)
Zee mech
Saint shifter

So so quiet! Having now ditched the guide, my bike doesn’t make a peep, which is impressive for a HT on rocky routes! All I can hear now is my forks gushing and little dings as stuff hits the frame 🙂

I’m really considering going from 2×10 to 1×10 purely just to see what the hype is all about. How does this this change affect you in the real world? I’m not exactly a superfit racing snake but have a reasonable level of fitness. I don’t tend to use the full range of gears on every ride but there are definitely times when I put it down to the lowest gear and just spin up long climbs. Is it just in my mind and I will drop down into my new lowest gear and it wont make too much difference or will I be left puffing or even pushing?

Both. People tend to always drop to the lowest gear, even when not needed. You may have to get off and walk (even with lower gears).

I tend to only miss the lower gears on looooong climbs which are just that little bit too steep, where i’d just want to sit and spin. What doesn’t kill me though…