This itch will not go away!

Currently the bike is double with a 36 and 24 up front and 34-11t 9 speed rear.

Thinking of going 32/33 front and 36-11 10speed rear.

Will I die?

On hilly days out like riding up Inners playing on off piste or going up hills like Ben Lomond I do currently use the 24t front 34t rear when tiring.

Have people done the switch and find that blowing through your bottom at the top of hills takes the fun out the downs? Please let me know your experiences – good and bad.

I think the trick will be to have a double fall back plan before taking the plunge.

Don’t believe its ever been done before, or asked before..

Uncharted ground n all that

Don’t believe its ever been done before, or asked before..

Uncharted ground n all that

I went from 1×9 to 2×9 as I found I needed the extra gears for bigger hills…

Do you REALLY need to drop the chainring?

“On hilly days out like riding up Inners playing on off piste or going up hills like Ben Lomond I do currently use the 24t front 34t rear when tiring.”

you have answered your own question.

XX1?

When I was running gears, I dropped to 1×9 and for the most found it fine, only really on long hilly rides where towards the end I would sometimes want the granny back, depends how much you want the ease of the lower gear at the later stages of a ride or whether your prepared to just grin and bear it. My next will likely be converted to 1×10 as well.

ive been 2×9 for years, staying that way with the big bike for the whinching gear.
HT however I will change over to 1×9, just as soon as the granny ring wears out, or the mech breaks, thing is as i never use the granny ring neither appear to be wearing out in a hurry.

damn it i have an unused shifter on my bars, its soo messy, for a time last year it didnt even have a cable attached after the clamp bolt sheared

(would you believe, i chose to fix it for the cost of an m5 socket cap rather than ditch it all for a jump-stop)

I switched from 3×10 to 1×10 on my canyon nerve xc. I was never using the other chainrings so just switched to a 33 middle ring and 11-36 cassette with a chain device. I’m glad I did it – easier to maintain and saved a bit of weight. The only time i’ve missed a granny ring is going up stuff like the beast at c-y-b but that’s probably down to fitness.

I have 1*10, 36-11 cassette and i think 32T front have no problems riding around same terrain as you, Inners, Inners off piste, trossachs etc

Used to run 1*9 and 11-32 (i think) which was hard work on longer climbs.

In saying that it is subjective my fitness level could be very different and what i find ok you may find very easy or vice versa

It works best at the fitter and lighter end of the spectrum, i.e. good climbers. Going downhill speed is limited more by technique than fitness. If you can climb in a 32t then it’s fine, if not then it’s a ball ache.

I’m sure i’d be faster on a 24-38 or similar. But I wanted reliability and ground clerance, and accept having to plod up climbs.

Singlespeeding all winter helps too!

I too only rarely use the small ring and am considering going to 1×10. The only thing that has stopped me so far are the odd occasion I do need the granny ring. A mate has suggested that I could always ditch my front mech and shifter, but retain the two rings, replace the big ring with a bash guard, and for the odd occasion I do need the granny ring, stop and manually drop the chain onto the smaller ring. it would only take 30 seconds, means I can strip away the front mech and shifter to simplify the set up and give a bit more clearance so the front mech doesn’t become a mud collector. Weight saving is minimal really.

I’m definately one for conserving energy on the climbs to save energy for the downhills.

I went 1×9 to make my hardtail more straightforward to maintain in winter. No problems with it so far.

Really appreciate the experiences, especially Banks for putting it twice as I missed it the first time 😉 Chat on forum shocker, it has also never been done before lol

A mixed bag of experiences and I am stuck wanting to scratch an itch so think this is enough to warrant a trial. If it was mega negative feedback with a majority of stories going back to double I would not bother.

Chunky – love the xx1 concept if it works well but it is price prohibative and nothing else is popping up on the rumour mill for cheaper alternatives. 😐

i have run 1×9 for years with a bodged front mech tensioned from the cable stop on the seatube as a chain guide. Its not as comfortable as a dual set up but you get used to it.

1 year 1×9 with a 36t up front. Tough on the knees got a better chain and dedicated ring. Major downside was finding jeans that fit…
Went 2x after that as its just more sensible

I converted my 3 x 9 to 1 x 9 a couple of years ago. Mainly because I don’t live in a hilly area and it seemed a good idea to try.
I like it a lot. Less to go wrong and saves some weight.
I don’t really notice the lack of gears.
I do have another bike with a 3 x 9 set up and used this when we went to Wales and the Lakes. Then one weekend I leant that bike to a friend and used my 1 x 9 in Wales. In places where I would be in granny I just sucked it up and didnt even need to get into the biggest ring on back. A lot of the time I think it is mind over matter. If you have a small ring you drop into it rather than just pedal.
I have now got a singlespeed and found the same to be true. If you dont have the gears you just get on with it. Its amazing what you can get up if you have no other choice.
I dont believe I am that fit but 1 x 9 gets me up most things. I imagine 1 x 10 is even better.
Give it a try, the cost is not that excessive to see if it is for you.

Been running 1×9 for years, do it.

36t front, 11-34 rear

Ha, I like these threads as it prevents me asking the same questions.
8)
Unless your racing up hills/ride infrequently etc then do it! Your set-up will cover you for most riding.

The only time I’ve missed the granny ring is after xmas or breaks from riding, knees & fitness soon catch up.

Plus 1×9/1×10 looks cool

1×9 33fr 34rr – struggle on really techy steep stuff but more down to fitness.

Your legs will get stronger and then you’ll be a faster climber. Do it.

Just in the process of going the opposite way, but for reasons a bit convoluted.

For me 1×10 is a pretty much perfect offroad solution. There are some caveats though. I was running an 11-36 cassette (only point in going 10 speed otherwise stick with 9 in all honesty) and for a while ran a 36T ring, then a 32T ring. The 36 was perfect for almost everything except steep/long climbs. The 32 was perfect for just about all offroad but spins out too quickly if you have to go on road at all. The other problem is that riding with a single ring, your pace is dedicated by your setup, not you. I’m actually quicker on a single ring setup than I was with a double or a triple, cos I’ve got no option than to grind it out on the climbs. If that’s suits then its brilliant, and it does teach you to MTFU a little.

However. If you ride in social paced groups a lot, you’ll find that it can be a PITA. If you’re ever stuck behind anyone twiddling their granny ring and you can’t get past, you’ll go from being a reasonable human being, to a seething mess in moments, cos you simply can’t go as slowly as they can up hills!

If you want to go quicker, want a simpler setup, want to become smoother and learn to pedal better/more efficiently, get a single ring setup, particularly if your rides are fairly short, sharp affairs. If you’re into all day epics, or slow paced social rides, 2 or more chainrings will always make more sense.

As for me, my GF has just started riding, and it makes more sense for me to have a setup I can ride along at the same pace as her with when I want to, but still have the gears that are optimal for me going quick when I want to. To that ends I’m fitting a 24/36/Bash setup with 11-36 cassette to my hardtail (same as on my full sus) as for most of the time I’ll never use the 24T as the 36 is ideal, but if I want to sit and twiddle up a hill with her I can do.

Went to 1×10 a couple of years ago and not looked back. I’m fitter now though so don’t really notice the lack of granny ring.

I run:
32t on a 11-36 (1×10) on the FS and
32t and 11-34 (1×9) on the hardtail

Great insight mboy and food for thought. hmmmmm

I can see a coin coming into this decision!

Figure out your current ratio that’s equivalent to the smallest that you’ll have with a 1×10.
Go for a ride.
Don’t change below that ratio.
Ask yourself, “did I die”?

have now got a singlespeed and found the same to be true. If you dont have the gears you just get on with it. Its amazing what you can get up if you have no other choice.

the problem with the SS analogy is that on an SS theres almost Zero chance of chain slip or failiure. I’m always slightly uneasy about really mashing up hills in the same way with gears.

11-36 cassette means medium cage mech however.

. A mate has suggested that I could always ditch my front mech and shifter, but retain the two rings, replace the big ring with a bash guard, and for the odd occasion I do need the granny ring, stop and manually drop the chain onto the smaller ring. it would only take 30 seconds, means I can strip away the front mech and shifter to simplify the set up and give a bit more clearance so the front mech doesn’t become a mud collector. Weight saving is minimal really.

This won’t work.

I say definitely go for it.

I used to have 24 and 38 tooth chainrings and an 11-36 10 speed cassette and would almost always be in the lowest gear (granny). As everything was wearing out and I was getting chainsuck all the time I decided to go 1×10.

I’ve now got a 32 tooth chainring and 11-36 cassette and I can quite comfortably get up hills. I think it’s safe to say that if the gears are there, you’ll use them, I just pedal a bit faster now.

For reference, I ride in south Wales so there are plenty of big climbs to contend with.

I run 1×10 with an 11-36 cassette and 36t chainring – was fine even on the 50 minute climbs in Finale. It’s just about learning to pull a bigger gear and building up leg strength, which in turn benefits all aspects of riding.

11-36 won’t work on a small mech? I was thinking of going with a saint small cage mech and thought it came with a convertor to run exactly this setup?

11-36 will definitely work with a short mech. I run the Zee wide ratio one and it has the capacity to do so, as does the new 10 speed Saint.

What thisisnotaspoon said.

I love it!!!

Inners is fine for climbing with a middle ring, so you should be ok, although for off-piste climbing a granny is often needed as the rear just spins when standing.

I wouldn’t though like to ride the natural Borders stuff 1×10, otherwise you’ll end up pushing. Thinking Rocky Road, back of Gypsy Glen etc

11-36 will defintely be OK with a short cage mech – i have 39t front and 11-36 on the back of my bike with a Zee short cage mech

Ah cheers, got me wide ratio/short & medium cassettes mixed up.

One question though, how horizontal is the rear mech in spinny gear with you guys?

also, I’ve found its often quicker to push when its stupidly steep, no easier but deffo quicker.

I have 1×10 on two bikes and 1×9 on a third.
I think it is worth going for 10 speed. Better ratio spread but you also get a clutch mech and so only need simple chain retention -some kind of top guide only is fine. I have a Superstar one and a Paul’s Chain Keeper which is a nicely small and simple solution.
If you don’t have a granny ring you don’t notice it, you just pedal with what you have.
Only bike I have with two rings up front is a downhill bike which is a bit counter intuitive but it is heavy and soggy and slack and so you just have to sit and winch.